how my detox went + recommendations
this post is all about how my experience with my detox went—including what it entailed, my 5 day run through, what it helped in my body/my results & my recommendations for those wanting to detox!
So I’m here today to share my detox experience with you. (And PS- if you haven’t read why I decided to do it + learn more about it, then you’ll def want to head here first.)
Just a quick summary of what the 5 day detox looked like: 5 days of super nourishing plant-based meals/drinks that are free from the top allergens (nuts, grains, nightshades, soy, fruits) + sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, caffeine-free, alcohol-free & always organic and non-GMO. You are also taking medical grade supplements specifically designed for this detox, as well as integrating dry skin brushing (which I show you how do to in this post!) + sipping tea + adding mineral-rich drops to your water.
This is the Sakara Level II: Detox and I’m super excited to share the contents of this post with you! (Plus, make sure you head to the bottom of this post to learn more about the detox + get a sweet discount on it!)
what’s in this (lengthy) post in case you want to jump to different sections:
a run through of what the 5 days looked like
a walk through of each day for me—what my meals/drinks were, a daily recap + how I felt
my RESULTS (including a look at my skin throughout the 5 days aka what brought me to wanting to do this)
my final thoughts + recommendations for future detoxes
who it’s for
5 DAY RUN THROUGH
First up, how the 5 detox days looked. Of the 5 days, 4 are very similar… so you can get an idea of what tortures I went through (kidding!).
day 1-3 + 5
Morning: Water + beauty water drops (I always drink 4 cups upon waking) + breakfast + morning supplements + dry skin brush
Mid-morning: Digestive tea
Lunch (see what they were below)
Afternoon: Digestive tea + Coconut kefir
Dinner: Medicinal Broth (Days 1-3) or Detox Macro Bowl (Day 5) + evening supplements + G.I. Rebuild + Repair supps
Evening: Dry skin brush + Detox water
But then on Day 4, you dive a little deeper into the detox as you enter the all liquids day:
Day 4
Morning: Beauty water + Greens Detox Blend (drink) + morning supplements
Mid-morning: Digestive tea
Lunch: Alkalizing carrot ginger soup
Early Afternoon: Digestive tea + Beet Detox Smoothie
Late Afternoon: Coconut kefir
Dinner: Cooling Avocado Gazpacho + evening supplements + G.I Rebuild + Repair supps
Bedtime: Detox water
A LOOK AT HOW MY DAYS WENT + MY RECAP
Alright, here’s the rundown of how my detox looked + how I felt on it… (Note: I was writing a lot of it in “real time” so if I switch from past tense to present tense just know that the present tense is me recapping right away!)
DAY 1
MEALS:
Breakfast: Sweet Potato + Broccoli Hash
sweet potato puree + roasted broccoli + kidney beans + kale “parmesan”
It was super different for me to start with such a “savory” breakfast. I normally do yogurt or smoothies or cereal, so to not have something sweet was a change! It had the most delicious cheesy sauce on top of everything and the most interesting part was the kale parmesan, which I also really enjoyed. It definitely hit the spot as I woke up pretty hungry!
Lunch: Cauliflower Sushi Bowl
cauliflower rice + seed-dipped avocado + green chickpeas + enoki mushrooms + pickled radish
This salad (because that’s what it really is!) was definitely nourishing, but I’m not used to eating this little, so I’m hoping that the adjustment is quick (hopefully by tomorrow?). Other than that, it was really tasty.
Afternoon snack: Coconut Kefir
Enjoying it with a little reading from the Dr that formulated this detox!
This is SO tasty and I’m pretty sure what will help pull you through the detox on the afternoons you’re in hunger mode. I would seriously sip this drink outside of the detox, it’s that good!
Dinner: Medicinal Broth
healing herbs + roots + mushrooms + MCT oil
I warmed up the broth like it suggests but forgot to squeeze lemon juice in it, which it also recommends. This broth has a nice flavour, but not gonna lie, was super worried about not eating dinner and being fine until the morning. Dinner is normally where I load up. Surprisingly, it tide me over just fine (more on that below).
RECAP + HOW I FELT:
I survived day 1 (as I joked to myself)!! I think the hardest part was/is habits. I’m used to eating WAY more food so my brain was telling me that I’d still be hungry (especially after dinner), but no hunger signs came (like stomach growling, etc.), which was an amazing feat.
Besides low energy (which is basically me anyway since my toddler still wakes up during the nights), which was helped by napping, I felt relatively ok. I just had a bit of bloating in the evening, but other than that, no real detox symptoms (no headaches, etc.), so I would say we were off to a pretty successful start
DAY 2
I’m surprised that I woke up not starving—especially since yesterday was the first full day of the detox with way less eating than I’m used to, so I’ll consider this a win to starting the day!
MEALS:
Breakfast: Cinnamon-Chia Detox Parfait
carrot + coconut + chia + cinnamon
This was good & although the container didn’t look like it would be super filling, it did indeed fill me up, but the “no sugar” part is definitely hardest for me in the morns. I liked yesterday’s breakfast a bit better + felt more filling, but this was a nice change. The highlight of it was the beautiful edible flower on top when I opened the lid!
Lunch: Cleansing Kelp Noodles
yellow squash + carrot + artichoke + chickpeas + sumac pepitas + lemon herb dressing
This salad was super good. I especially loved the kelp noodles (which were pink instead of clear/white which they usually are). I was really hungry leading up to lunch and although this hit all the spots, I did still feel hungry after lunch and tried to ignore that feeling!
Dinner: Medicinal Broth
Getting pretty familiar with the broth now (and still have one more night of it!). Tonight I actually remembered the squeeze of lemon juice and it definitely amplified it in the right way! It was hard watching my family eat a veggie & tofu stir fry next to me though😂
RECAP + HOW I FELT:
Felt a little more hungry today. Felt tired again today, so took a short nap on the couch. My strategy these first two days was to hold off on breakfast until at least 9:30am, that way I could stretch not eating my lunch until after 1pm (and bringing it closer to dinner). And today I tried to hold off on my kefir until a little later (4ish) because I was feeling so hungry and knew I needed help carrying me through the evening. Gotta love a good strategy😉. Post-dinner was definitely hungry and it was hard to shift my focus away from it, but I made it!
[NOTE: My second delivery for the detox arrive tonight (Thursday). It can arrive anytime between Thursday and Friday evening, so you know! I definitely was not expecting it until Friday, so it was a welcome surprise!]
DAY 3
I think Day 3 will be my hardest day. I woke up feeling SO weak, SO hungry, and definitely needing to preserve all energy today (great!). Funny thing is, last night I booked in my workout for noon, but then upon waking knew there was no way I could make it to the gym so I cancelled the class (hurts my heart [and my muscles] but a small price to pay for glowing health).
Breakfast: Cauliflower Congee with a Ginger Broth
purple sweet potato + cauliflower + shiitake mushrooms + dehydrated garlic chips + scallions
I never knew how much I’d enjoy savory breakfasts until this detox. I definitely gravitate towards sweeter breakfasts but have really enjoyed today’s and Day 1’s a lot. It felt like pure survival up until I ate this because as I mentioned above, I was really weak, so I knew I needed to eat this ASAP!
Lunch: Rainbow Kitchari w/ Sprouted Chia Tortillas
citrus-beet sauerkraut + turmeric-coconut lentils + steamed kale
This lunch was so good. It hit the spot and the tortillas were a nice addition for adding more bulk (plus, really delicious themselves). I heated this up (as recommended) and breakfast was also a heated up meal, so it felt different to be eating two hot meals in a row!
Dinner: Medicinal Broth
Dinner was the same as always. Only difference is I didn’t have fresh lemon to squeeze into it so I added a drop of lemon essential oil instead, and it worked just as well! Sipped this knowing that although it’s super nourishing, that I would finally get to enjoy something different the following night.
RECAP + HOW I FELT:
Apart from waking up extremely hungry, feeling weak & shaky, the rest of the day progressed ok. I held out on my coconut kefir so that dinner wouldn’t feel so lonely (and a lot of time not eating), but it’s hard being around family as they actually eat food! Thankful that tonight is the last broth night! Day 3 definitely did end up being my hardest day—but only from a hunger standpoint. I haven’t experienced any real detox symptoms yet (apart from some minor bloating on day 1), so it’s been very nice!
DAY 4
I sort of expected to wake up feeling starving (after yesterday), but I think I’m adjusting because I felt fine. Which leads into… welcome to all liquids day! Kinda excited for this change as I said above how I was ready to not have broth again for dinner!
Breakfast: Greens Detox Blend
spinach + watercress + lime + basil + mint + coconut water
To smoothies that match your eye colour 😆
I drank this smoothie on the way to the farmers’ market and it was really good. Kind of surprising how quickly I’ve adapted to the no sugars because this smoothie clearly has no sugars/fruits in it but I found it very good. My only issue is I’m very picky with how I make smoothies (I like them with a ton of frozen goodness + super thick), so to have this one that I pulled out of the fridge, tasted more like a pulpy juice.
Lunch: Alkalizing Carrot Ginger Soup
carrot + turmeric + ginger
It’s suggested to heat it up, which I did, and it was very good. It was a bigger bowl than I was expecting (a welcome surprise!), and I felt pretty good after eating.
Mid-afternoon: Beet Detox Smoothie
beet + carrot + ginger + lime + turmeric + schisandra berry
I tried to hold out on this until at least 2pm (and knew that I’d get to enjoy the delicious coconut kefir later). This smoothie was also very good. Satisfied the taste buds without the fruit! Same consistency as the morning one, which is the only reason it took me a while to drink it.
Dinner: Cooling Avocado Gazpacho
cucumber + avocado + parsley + coriander + lemon
This was super good, but so oddly filling! Goes to show how used to broth my stomach was at this point in the detox! I took my time eating it, but did manage to get it all in knowing that that was it for the rest of the day.
RECAP + HOW I FELT:
Today was good. Had good energy all day (unlike yesterday). I didn’t feel any extreme hunger, but having 2 smoothies, the soup, the coconut kefir & then the gazpacho helped. It didn’t feel as hard to do (as you would think for an all liquids day), and I quite enjoyed it (especially since it’s to give the body a break; I think of this as the real pivotal day of the detox!).
DAY 5
Yesssssss! I made it through liquids day and I get to eat THREE actual meals today! Super pumped for that! I really enjoyed all the goodness that yesterday brought, but also excited to see how I feel today with a little more in my belly.
Breakfast: Sunshine Squash Protein Frittata
squash + parsnip + ashitaba + flax + spinach
I’m pretty sure this breakfast would have been a bit better if I warmed it up, but for some reason I didn’t! It was still really tasty though, as I woke up hungry after yesterday.
Lunch: Cauliflower + White Bean Burger
cauliflower + flax + parsley + hemp seeds + sweet potato
I’m pretty sure this breakfast would have been a bit better if I warmed it up, but for some reason I didn’t! It was still really tasty though, as I woke up hungry after yesterday.
Lunch: Cauliflower + White Bean Burger
cauliflower + flax + parsley + hemp seeds + sweet potato
Last meal of the detox and it was alright! I absolutely love parsnips and haven’t had them in a while so that was a lovely addition. Lots of goodness on this salad, but I felt like there wasn’t enough dressing for it all. Regardless, it did the job, but I can’t wait to enjoy a meal with my family tomorrow!
RECAP + HOW I FELT:
Overall, I was pretty tired today. I don’t even think it’s detox related (more like, toddler related 🙄). Definitely needed to drink more water than I did (we were out a lot today and it’s FL so you basically sweat just standing there). Felt pretty good energy-wise with the food I had today & am suuuuper excited that I made it to the end and didn’t stray from it at all!
MY RESULTS + A LOOK AT MY SKIN
Everyone wants to know how it all went & the RESULTS, am I right? Well, here’s what I’m happy to report:
I feel lighter (maybe down some lbs??)
I feel clearer
Flatter stomach
Even with everyday exhaustion from my toddler, I noticed improvements with my energy
Minor bloating (I still do think I need deeper healing in my gut, which I promise I’ll talk about in the future)
No major emotional mood swings (just a little bit of the hangry—especially on day 1 & 2)
Skin starting to clear up (more on that below!)
And since food is medicine, I knew that I needed this detox especially for my face/jawline. It’s my main issue at the moment, but I know it manifests from something deeper & that’s the great thing about detoxing—it helps hit it all!
A note about detoxing the body: Sometimes your skin (or whatever your symptoms are) can get worse before it gets better (aka the true signs of detoxing—the “healing crisis”) which is thanks to your liver increasing its’ work. It pulls toxins from storage and releases them into the bloodstream, which can upset the body a bit, until they are removed as bile and excreted as feces. So I went into this knowing that, that might happen. But see for yourself how my skin was throughout it:
I definitely see improvements, but I also had new spots pop up (thanks, healing!). Thankfully this detox includes an additional 5 days of supplements that target rebuilding the G.I. so I’m hoping now that I’m off the detox, I will continue on with my clean plant-based diet + finish those, and see what happens. I still have much work to go, but I know this was a step in the right direction.
FINAL THOUGHTS + RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE DETOXES
Now that I’m on the other side of this, I wanted to reflect on what I thought about it overall. Shall we do a pros & cons list?!
PROS:
Everything is done for you. You don’t need to think about what you’re going to eat or drink and when, it’s all done for you & delivered right to you. This is a MAJOR bonus.
The quality of the meals & drinks. I can honestly say that nothing tops this. I think I’m pretty diverse in my kitchen, but this takes it to a whole new level + you’re eating SO much greens which is just amazing for your body.
Everything is delicious. Especially if you’re used to eating a ton of different flavours & ok with trying new things, then this is for you.
You’re hungry, but it’s not end-of-the-world hungry. And you definitely adapt 2-3 days in (or, at least I started to).
Medical grade supplements that are specifically formulated for this detox, which is super cool.
(This is a personal one to me) I hardly experienced any detox symptoms. I already know that my gut is a bit off, so that was where I knew it might cause me some troubles (which it did).
5 days isn’t that long. I believe we are strong and capable and we can do a detox for this amount of time.
The email support. You get a daily email to cheer you on and also let you know what you might be experiencing + what’s normal throughout the process. It makes you feel less alone if you’re feeling that way + it also helps make sure you’re sticking to it!
Brilliant packaging. Your food comes so insulated that everything stays nice and cold, PLUS, I’m so shocked every time at how well the meals still looks + taste after having them in the fridge for a few days. I also love the pouch your supplements, water drops, and tea bags come in. Just beautiful esthetically, but also very organized for the detoxer.
CONS:
I’m not even sure that I have a con here… maybe because I didn’t experience any detox symptoms it means I need an even tougher detox for my body? Does that count as a con?
But in all honesty, I can’t say enough good about this, but I also want to make some recommendations for doing this detox in the future.
This is definitely something you could do every 3-6 months, and I plan on doing it. I think in our modern world, it’s never a bad idea to give the body a break/reset/cleanse, and this is the perfect way to do it.
Do it with a friend. I really wanted to this time around, but it didn’t happen, so I’m already scouting someone for the next one…. is it you?!
Live your life as you would throughout the detox, but also have some grace in the process. Yes, you will need to preserve your energy, but also take advantage of the times where you feel an abundance of it. (to enjoy it). I know we can think badly about detoxes, but I never once felt like my whole life was going to have to be paused while I did this. Just get in tune with your body & respect when it needs the rest.
Plate your meals. I think it makes the experience that much better when you’re removing your meals from the containers (especially & mandatory to do for hot meals anyway) + to really enjoy your meals.
I think that’s all I have to say on this! But now the TRUE question….
WHO THIS DETOX IS FOR?!
This detox is truly for those that feel excited to infuse their body with so much goodness. You have no idea how pumped I was for my meals to arrive, to know that I was doing something SO good for my body. You need to honor the process of healing / resetting / getting to the root cause of issues & if you’re not doing it for those reasons, then it probably isn’t for you.
I found that this detox was about SO much more than just what you were putting into your mouth; it was about what you want to experience as a result of that. Being intentional. Being kind to yourself. Being the best version of you.
Which brings me to…
do you want to detox??
Now that you know the FULL scoop on my first official detox, I am asking you this vital question… is detoxing something that you want to experience?
Sakara’s Level II Detox runs a couple times each month, every month.
Like I said above, I will be doing it again in a few months time (I’ll keep you posted on Insta!), so if you want to detox in the future with a friend, I’m your girl!
I really believe in Sakara’s values + mission + amazing meals that it was a no-brainer to do this. Especially when you pair it with issues going on in the body, I knew I needed to honor this time for me, which I did!
And above all, trust the process + know how capable and amazing you are!
When you’re ready to try out this detox or anything else by Sakara, get 20% off your first order using my discount code: GLOWWITHCHARSAKARA. And check this page out on why I love them!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this super long, but very detailed post on my detox! Should you have any questions, please connect! I love having conversations around health like this!
