The Secret
The majority of you know through my Instagram account @anniebri_ , that I have been doing a cleanse. Not just any cleanse but the Candida Cleanse. If you haven’t heard of it before, this cleanse consists of cutting out all sugars. That means natural or refined sugar. So, fruits, bread, alcohol, dairy, and caffeine. Red meat is also considered hard to digest so that needs to be cut out as well. In other words, this is a pretty hardcore cleanse. (Find out things you can and cannot eat here).
The first time I did this cleanse, I lost 2 pounds in the first week and I felt pretty good about that. This time around, I wasn’t cleansing to lose weight at all. I was actually just trying to clear some symptoms of brain fog, migraines and also improve my overall gut health. This cleanse was more of a mental thing than anything else.
After hesitating to weigh myself the first week of the cleanse, I decided that I would weigh myself at the beginning of the second week of my cleanse and at the end of the week. Just to see my progress. To my surprise, I had dropped 5 pounds in one week. I couldn’t believe it. Considering I am someone who has significantly struggled with weight loss my whole life (and have never lost this much weight, this quickly by any means) I was stunned!
A part of me felt a little shocked and slightly worried as losing a lot of weight fast is not the healthiest method. So I went through my past two weeks and calculated on average how much I was eating and the exercise I was doing. And, to my surprise, I was doing everything healthy and fine. Thus, if my body lost that weight when I was just keeping healthy then, what else am I suppose to do than be happy with myself, right?
Now, let’s get to the exciting part.
What I Ate
As I’ve just mentioned up above, on this Candida Cleanse I cut out all sugar, dairy, caffeine, and alcohol (and preferably red meat). I won’t lie, it was very difficult. But it was so completely worth it.
In this regimen what I do is:
The first two days I begin a fast to cleanse my GI tract (this is totally optional but I really recommend it for optimal results). I drink this cleansing detox soup around 3 – 4 times a day to help flush my system. I’ve tried many “detox teas” and other “cleansing” remedies but I really can’t recommend anything greater than this soup.
Now, I know a lot of you aren’t interested in cutting and boiling vegetables for two hours, three to four times every day. So, in this case, I do recommend an Organic Vegetable Broth. It isn’t as great as making the broth yourself but it is just as good for your system and will help flush the toxins. This is perfect for any of those busy moms out there! Here is the one I recommend: Swanson Organic Broth, Vegetable, 32 Ounce Cartons (Pack of 12)
Related:
- How To Kill It On A Candida Cleanse.
- Why You Need To Make The Change To A Plant-Based Protein Powder.
- Everything You Need To Know Before Buying Probiotics.
Yes, this first phase is extremely hardcore but like I said above, I did not do this cleanse to lose weight I did it to help my brain fog. That being said, cutting out these 4 things will definitely help you lose weight. Yet, you shouldn’t starve yourself. Making healthy and delicious recipes is possible. Stay tuned this week for some recipes and follow my Instagram @anniebri_ for regular updates.
For the rest of the week, steam your veggies, and cook your chicken or fish in coconut oil. Add salt, pepper or other spices to taste. The only two fruits I do allow are green apples and avocados – in salads and in smoothies are best!
If you’re looking for an efficient steamer that won’t scratch your pots or pans, check the one I use here: OXO Good Grips Silicone Steamer, Green Things like salads, though they are great for your health should only be consumed once a day. I usually have my salads at lunch. This is because you should be focussing on having the most amount of veggies as possible. Also, things like carrots and mushrooms are high in sugar and are a fungus and aren’t best to have during this cleanse.
Every single morning I have a green smoothie.
It helps me start my day with energy and I absolutely love them. I add spinach, kale, ginger, garlic, almond butter, avocado, green apple, almond milk and some chia seeds. Usually, I mix it up to make it fun. Smoothies are the one thing that I absolutely look forward too in the morning (considering I can’t have my coffee). If you’re not into smoothies you can also make veggie omelets or scrambled eggs or just eat plain veggies with hard-boiled eggs.This week I will be posting all my recipes, comment below if you’re interested!
Not to sound cheesy but almond butter is seriously the highlight of my day on this cleanse. Considering you’re not supposed to eat peanuts or cashews (as they are high in sugar) almond butter is the go-to! I have just recently started making my own almond butter at home in the food processor but before that, I bought this Kirkland signature Organic Creamy Almond Butter. It’s great because it’s organic and also 27 oz for a great price!
For my smoothies and even my salad dressings, I mix everything up in my Nutri Ninja Auto-iQ Blender (BL482)
I just find it so efficient to have a good mixer that you can rely on. I honestly use this for everything. You could probably even make almond butter in this! If you haven’t got a proper mixer, I recommend this one or going to Target or somewhere where you can buy one that will properly break down all your ingredients!
The importance of probiotics
I won’t go on too much about probiotics here as I’ve written a good post on the importance of probiotics; Everything you need to know before getting probiotics. Yet, I do owe a lot of my current weight loss and healthy gut to probiotics. Having a healthy gut means that you’re able to properly digest things as well, eat without getting bloated. I made sure to take my probiotics every single morning and sometimes at night. During a cleanse especially, it is so essential to be taking probiotics.
As you have probably read in my post on Everything you need to know about Probiotics, this is my favorite probiotic and find that it is the most beneficial for your system. It is not only vegan but soy and gluten free, also non-GMO! I’m really impressed with this company and try to promote them always as they just have such great products. Click here to get some
Another amazing product is organic turmeric curcumin tables. They are just another amazing way to speed up your metabolism and help your digestive system! Click here to order some
Final thoughts
Here are the things I did and found important during this weeks journey. Really making sure to check into things like the sugar count of foods and focusing on a sugar, dairy, caffeine, and alcohol-free diet. This is the most beneficial cleanse I have ever done and really can’t go on enough about it. Make sure to check out my other posts on the Candida Cleanse where I go more into detail on the foods I eat and how it can benefit you in more ways than one. If you liked this post, make sure to let me know down below.
Lots of love,
Annie Bri
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Annie. I am reading all your posts on the Candida Cleanse and the Candida Diet. I am so interested it all your posts. I know you are saying no caffeine, but what are your thoughts on Chickory Root as a coffee substitute? It has no caffeine in it, but I mix one bag of Chickory root with a quarter bag of regular coffee. So, in reality, there is very little caffeine in my cup of coffee.
I am on my first day of the vegetable soup candida cleanse. I bought one from the store but it was SOOOOO high in sodium, it was very difficult to finish. I cant wait to make your recipe when I get home tonight. I also have been struggling for a very long time to lose weight. So I am really hoping that this will help me lose while I’m on this cleanse.
Hi Mimi, I have heard really great reviews on Chickory root. I haven’t tried it myself but many love it. Though it isn’t complete Candida friendly.. if you’re finding yourself too addicted to caffeine, I would recommend starting with this and slowly eliminating it as you shift into a full candida cleanse. It’s funny because the one thing I found the hardest to cut out was caffeine (I swear it’s a drug). If you can’t cut it out fully, try that. The candida cleanse is challenging but it will seriously help you restart your gut and will get you on the right track to losing weight. Though I am young, I have struggled with weight my whole life. This candida cleanse really helped me reset and I hope it does the same for you. How did you enjoy that soup? (really not as bad as it sounds!)
Love this post very informative