I have had a couple people ask, why are you doing a juice cleanse? I have done these in the past. I have also read a lot and watched a couple documentaries on the benefits of juicing. It is not for the faint of heart. You need to have very strong will power for sure. If you haven't watched it, go check out Fat Sick and Nearly Dead. If that doesn't inspire you, nothing will.
I also know there are a ton of people working in network marketing that will tell you that they have the solution. I am also in network marketing with Young Living Essential Oils. We have a whole line of natural products. But, that is not why I am writing. There are many people in network marketing that will tell you that they have the magic solution for weightloss. I have even heard some people call them their "magic pills". I don't want to disparage any of my friends and I have had many suggestions made to me on products to try.
If you are anti network marketing, I get that. I was there too. You may like my post about network marketing. You can read it
HERE! But, this is not the point of this post. Squirrel.
I want to do this with whole foods and for now juicing.
Why? This is sustainable with me only putting in my body things that God created. My issue with all the supplements and protein shakes etc is that they want you to drink them everyday (for the rest of your life). Of course many of these people truly want to help people to live a better life and to make a good living financially. I do not begrudge them their success.
I just know I need to do something that is sustainable. No, I am not going to juice for the rest of my life all day every day. But I am cleaning out my system. Removing toxins and loosing weight in the process. When I decide to quit juicing, I will have a plan to keep calories eaten below calories burned. It is that simple. Burn more calories than you put in your body. Don't eat foods that will destroy your health. Things like processed foods, sugar etc. Of course I am oversimplifying this. But eating good whole foods, portion control and exercising are the best way to sustain a healthy lifestyle. Plan for a 80% clean rate and you will sustain your weight and even lose more weight.
My plan is to drop the pounds and not put them back on again. I don't want to be tied to somebodies products, pills or shakes to make that happen. I do take supplements to support my wellness, but not for weight loss. I am not opposed to an occasional protein shake, but make sure you understand the ingredients. Putting chemicals and processed sugar products back into your body after a juice cleanse is pretty counterproductive.
The other day, my friend, and trainer, Jen Eggum Flynn wrote a great post about one of the weight loss shake products out there. She said everything I have wanted to say about these products. Please READ LABELS
Looks good right? Some even say incredibly healthy and amazing and tastes amazing! LOSE WEIGHT, FEEL GREAT!
I see more and more "pop up" nutrition shops, we have one in every town surrounding Jordan and now one even opening here. These shops serve herbalife teas and shakes and are advertised as "healthy". They also hold nutrition seminars, weight loss programs and meal plans.
I'm going to warn you ahead of time that you may not like what you are going to read but as a certified health coach, a certified nutrition coach and someone who is passionate about teaching others what to put in your body....I feel it's my responsibility to tell you what's in these products so that you can decide for yourself and also to warn your kids.
Friends, what you may not realize is what is actually in the product that is being sold as "healthy" "good for you".
Herbalife Protein shakes
(Direct Ingredients from their website):
Sucralose - (AKA splenda) this is how they make sucralose - they start with sugar and then selectively replace three hydrogen groups with three chlorine atoms. The result is an exceptionally stable sweeter that tastes like sugar. So whats wrong with eating something that's been chlorinated? It DESTROYS gut flora. Unhealthy gut flora leads to allergies, weakened immune system and ultimately studies have proven autoimmune disease.
Not to mention, Sucralose still tells your body to produce insulin and when the insulin is not used.... it leads to fat stores. Thus actually adding actual fat weight.
Soy isolate protein- Soy is rich in phytic acid which blocks mineral absorption. It's also rich in goitrogens which negatively impacts the thyroid. It's also rich in phytoestrogens..... mimics estrogen in the body - not a good thing.
Canola oil - canola oil is a rancid industrial oil that undergoes an unbelievable amount of processing. All the cells you are trying to improve with eating nutritient rich foods... is being destroyed by putting tiny little holes into your cells with Canola oil.
MSG - is hidden in this powder labeled as "natural flavors" and maltodextrin. The body does not process glutamate the same as naturally occurring glutamic acid. MSG also causes cravings and overeating.
Carrageenan - is a food additive from seaweed. It is what thickens the product when mixed. It has been scientifically proven to cause colitis, ulcers and gut and digestive tract problems.
Not to mention other ingredients like corn syrup, wheat protein, utilized yeast extract and don't get me started on the horrible types of fiber they add in to these products.
Bottom line... be very very careful. These healthy drinks and teas (which have the same horrible ingredients) are NOT actually healthy.
So how do they get away with it? It's not FDA regulated. which means they don't need to tell you that it could be harmful to your health.
Also be cautious of these shops that offer nutrition advice and meal plans. Most (not all) are not certified and typically not educated at all in nutrition. It's a marketing tool used to sell... yep more product that goes into the recipe.
Lastly, this is not an I hate herbalife post. I get that these companies are in it for the business and to make money. Most of these shops will not last 3-5 years in the same location. They move in quick make a ton of money and move out. And if you are the business owner, I get that you need something to support your family and at first glance it seems like a great way to do so. I on the other hand have been on the receiving end of bad products, bad advice and my health has been affected. So I will pass along information for the public to learn about these products and and then decide what they choose to put into their body. Who knows maybe I will even get these business owners to think twice and choose a product that actually is good for your health because there are some out there.
You can check out Jenny's amazing Facebook page
HERE!
About Jen:
Jen uses her own journey of obesity, depression, tragedy and how she overcame and won the battle to Coach others how to live a healthy lifestyle through the use of real food, appropriate exercise and learning how to live with purpose and passion.
Feel free to reach out to Jen for coaching opportunities!
#THISISMYJOURNEY
#IAMWORTHY
But for now... Here are the final 10 day results.
