The Results Are In! The 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse by JJ Smith

I've already posted about this book a few weeks ago before I started my own cleanse and I am here now to give my complete review of the book and to share my results.  Previously, I mentioned how easy the cleanse was to understand and what a great job JJ Smith did of explaining the process and laying everything out. Now that I've made it through the 10 days I can also testify to how tasty the green smoothies are. I do have my favorites: Day 3, 6, 7 and 9. Since there is a different smoothie recipe for each day, there is no chance of getting bored with them.

As far as the cleanse itself, I was very surprised that I rarely suffered from a headache. I've done a detox before and had terrible headaches that lasted for days but that was not the case here. I am a die-hard coffee drinker and I was expecting the worst but thankfully the worst never happened. I did drink 1 - 2 cups of Chinese herbal detox tea each morning but it was decaf. I would have to say that not having a headache was the biggest surprise of all of this detox cleanse.

Because I snacked on raw veggies and small handfuls of unsalted nuts that provided me with protein, I never felt like I was starving myself and I never went to bed miserable like I had anticipated. Since I was eating every 3 to 4 hours, whether it be a smoothie or a healthy snack, my stomach was never totally empty. For me, the evening times were the hardest. So I would save my peanuts for that time or I would have an apple, which is great for increasing blood flow, so I never felt sluggish. And if you feel the full cleanse is too much for you, you can do the modified cleanse where you drink smoothies for 2 meals and them have a sensible dinner of chicken or fish with a salad or veggies. The modified cleanse is the best way to maintain your weight loss after you've finished the full cleanse. JJ Smith has done such extensive research for this cleanse that she thought of everything. Each smoothie serving is a complete meal source providing all of the nutrients your body needs to function properly.

Now, with all that being said, I'm not trying to say that I never missed eating or wanted real food during this 10 day period. Honestly, this was one of the hardest things I've ever done. My problem is I love food and I love eating! I know it was helpful that I did not participate in any social functions or gatherings while on the cleanse. I did spend the day with one of my friends once but I packed up my smoothie and my snacks and water and took them with me. And my friend was sweet enough to wait until I was not there before she started grilling the meat that she was making for her family later that night. I really appreciated that even though I told her it wasn't necessary.

One of the keys to a successful cleanse like this is to drink a lot of water. In this case, I drank 64 oz per day. It sounds like a lot but that is key if you are trying to remove toxins from your body, not to mention it helps in the weight loss aspect as well. I drank water constantly throughout the day and even kept a bottle on my nightstand during the night. I also drank an 8 oz glass of water before each smoothie and also first thing in the morning. As a result of all that water, I noticed a difference in my skin and my nails grew very fast as well.

Another thing I noticed is that I began sleeping better. I used to never sleep through the night and would often sleep with the TV on but I actually didn't need the constant drone of the TV to keep me asleep. Since I've completed the cleanse, I am still sleeping better than I have in a while. Probably because I am still being very picky as to what I put in my body, but more on that later.

As for my results, I am very pleased with the outcome. I lost a total of 11 pounds and 5 inches in my waist. The shorts that used to be uncomfortably tight and unwearable are now slipping on easily and are not uncomfortable at all. People have noticed that my waistline is smaller and even my neck is thinner. On top of all that, I feel great! I forgot to take my morning dose of blood pressure medicine the other day and normally I would have felt a shortness of breath or heavy beating of my heart, but I felt perfectly fine all day as long as I didn't over-exert myself. And yes, I did take my nightly dose of meds. I'm not crazy enough to think I can quit taking my BP meds but it was a relief to not feel bad when I'd forgotten them that morning and wasn't home to take my pill. I go to the doctor every 4 months for him to check my liver and kidneys and after this cleanse I am sure my lab report is going to be glowing. In fact, I go to the doctor on August 12 and I'm anxious to hear what my doctor has to say.

The bottom line is that I've learned so much from JJ Smith and her green smoothie cleanse and I plan to use that knowledge to continue living a healthier lifestyle. I'm still not eating red meat, sugar and pasta and I don't plan to for awhile. I really don't miss the sugar at all and I am not a soda drinker so that is an easy one for me. My downfall is coffee but I've cut myself back to one cup per day. I plan to still drink smoothies sometimes when I feel I've over-indulged and to get some good nutrients. They are so easy to make and the truth is they taste really good.  I plan to use them, along with daily exercise, to hopefully continue to lose at least 1 or 2 pounds a week.

The 10 Day Green Smoothie Cleanse was a positive experience for me and one that was definitely worth the hard work. And remember, I lost those 11 pounds without working out. I would never recommend a cleanse unless I had tried it myself and really believe in it. If you decide to do this cleanse/detox, I highly recommend reading this book ENTIRELY before you start. Its a quick read with tons of important information that is necessary for a healthy cleanse. Will I ever do it again? I'd have to say Yes, I would.

THE 10 DAY GREEN SMOOTHIE CLEANSE (Kindle Edition)
Author: JJ Smith (@jjsmithonline)
Publisher: Atria Books
Published: February 2014
Length: 192 pp
Source: Purchased