I have long been a fan of the periodic seasonal cleanse/reset. Sometimes this involved incorporating a fast day into my routine but more often it is a multi-day juice or smoothie cleanse.
Now let me say – there is controversy around cleanses. Some people think they are a horrible idea. Many will argue they don’t help, they can hurt, there is no scientific evidence to their efficacy, etc. They aren’t wrong. I chose the word “controversy” for a reason. My general approach is – make up your own mind. What’s right for one person isn’t necessarily right for another. Honestly I change my mind enough so what’s right for me today may not be right for me in a year.
I’m NOT trying to talk anyone into doing a cleanse, promoting them, encouraging or enticing people to do them, or even disparaging them. I am simply providing a review of one I tried in case anyone is interested.
Who is Dr. Kellyann?
Kellyann Petrucci is a board-certified naturopathic physician and certified nutrition counselor. As a naturopathic doctor (ND) she can use the moniker doctor even though some people do not consider it equivalent to an MD. I have generally found that pracitioners in the wellness arena are more focused on preserving health than simply fixing what “breaks in us as we age”.
Again, my intent here is neither to influence or disparage but merely to inform. My own sister is a board-certified naturopathic physician. We are wholly aligned on some things and not aligned on others. So I neither dismiss nor unequivocally accept ANY perspective. An informed opinion is always the best path.
What is the 5 Day Cleanse & Reset?
The five day program is a neatly organized and packaged routine that you follow for five day (duh!) to help rid your body of toxins, reduce bloat, and essentially set yourself up for…whatever. In my case, I’ve been struggling with weight gain due solely to hormonal imbalances post hysterectomy. I’ve talked with doctors, a menopause specialist (more on that in another blog!), and researched what’s happening so I can come up with a course of action. During all of this, I felt like doing SOMETHING to push me out of depression and lethargy would be helpful.
This was another social media influenced deep dive that I eventually gave into. As I contemplated whether or not I should jump into it, I figured:
- It’s only 5 days.
- The content of each day is already largely similar to other cleanses I’ve done.
- The convenience of having it all set out for me will be the simple, mindless program I need. (I get easily overwhelmed with meal prep and grocery shopping.)
- It may not help but looking at the approach, the content, the ingredients and the duration, it certainly won’t hurt.
Just the Facts, Ma’am
Packaging
The Five Day Cleanse and Reset program arrives in a beautiful box broken into five individual boxes which each represent a day.
Each box contains everything you need to consume for a single day. The instructions on the back of each box spells out what packets you will have with which meal.
Contents
The contents are conveniently packaged in pouches that only need to be mixed in water.
First, the convenience of the program was exactly what I was looking for. I needed something to reset my body and my lifestyle. Second, the ingredients are pretty clean and healthy. I’ve never been one for bone broth but I’ve certainly heard people rave about the benefits.
Lemon Sips
The lemon sips are sweetened with stevia and remind me a bit of crystal light lemonade with a slightly LESS chemical flavor. I simply added the specified amount of water, swirled it with my small frother and started my day.
In a word…yum. It’s a pretty intense lemon flavor and I found that I could just add more water to it about halfway through and it was still plenty flavorful.
Super Vanilla Smoothie
This is your morning smoothie – simply add water. It has a fair number of greens in it and tastes lightly citrus vanilla. I liked it, though after a few days I was glad an end was in sight. I didn’t have any trouble drinking it down.
I was mildly surprised at the light green tinge but it blended smoothly with ice in my nutribullet.
Beef Bone Broth
Lunch was a soup (beef bone broth) and a smoothie. The idea of bone broth honestly turns my stomach a little. I think it’s the word “bone”. However, it was good. Again, I just added water, a little pepper, and a little garlic powder. Quite tasty.
I often expect packaged broths to be a bit too salty but this one was not. I was a little worried about hot soup in the summer but it was fine.
Super Berry Smoothie
The other part of the lunchtime smoothie (besides the bone broth and a lemon sip) was another smoothie. This time it was a berry flavored one. It was a little thicker than the morning smoothie, but very tasty. Again it is sweetened with some stevia.
Lemon Chicken Soup
This (along with another lemon sip) was the evening meal. I can’t say I was thrilled at the notion of LEMON soup but the flavor is incredibly mild and the soup is surprisingly creamy. I only added pepper at a pinch of salt.
My Thoughts
The program was exactly what I wanted and I was pleasantly surprised at the approach, the thoughtful packaging and the tasty meals. Days 1 through 3 were easy. Day 4 and 5 were a little bit of a struggle since I was really starting to feel hungry. All of the liquid kept me well hydrated but I definitely stopped feeling full at night about half way through the program.
I “lost” four pounds during the five days – which I know is really water weight and bloat. I was able to still exercise, just not vigorously.
All in all, I enjoyed the program. It was a nice change up from other cleanses I’ve done and I felt the focus on higher quality soups and smoothies ensured that I was still feeding my body over the five days.
The biggest disappointment was the cost. The five day cleanse cost $219. I don’t recall if there was a discount code or not. That breaks down to $43.80 a day or $14.60 per meal. That’s pretty pricey for a smoothie…
I got out of it what I expected – ease, convenience, cleanse, reset.
Would I do it again?
For the half the cost, probably. For the full cost, I’d probably pass and look for a slightly more affordable option.
I enjoyed the individual items enough that I would consider having a couple containers of the soup or smoothie options in my pantry for those “easy solution” days but I wouldn’t make any of them pantry staples. Again, at the end of the day, it really comes down to cost.
I wish there was a little less packaging but at least it’s compact and mostly recyclable.
What’s your position on “cleanses”? Would you ever try one? Have I sparked your interest at all? Use this link for a $30 discount so you can save a few bucks if you’re curious.
TIP: if you use Rakuten, go through there to get some cashback on the Dr. Kellyann website!
Happy clean eating!!!
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. Some of these links are affiliate links. If you click a link and buy something, I may receive a commission for the sale. It does not cost you anything extra and you are free to use the link or not. Product purchases for review are made with my own money and my opinions are my own. If product is ever provided or the article is sponsored, it will be clearly noted at the top of the page.
