Read the Kaeng Raeng review from Green Lilies here (originally posted on 11/4/2013): http://bit.ly/17q1qFD

Cleansing and juicing have become massive trends in the health world lately and while I don’t do a lot of liquid detoxing myself, I do see the benefit in them. Personally I make a point to eat as healthy as I can on a regular basis, sticking to as many whole/simple foods as possible so in a way I feel that my body is always cleaning itself. I also enjoy making a shake with raw, green powders and keep my water bottle filled with chlorophyll, on top of taking a vegan multivitamin supplement. However considering all of the toxins we’re exposed to on a daily basis, toxins that our bodies have never adapted too, doing a full cleanse every now and then to reset our organs doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. Not to mention with all of the scary chemicals that end up in our food nowadays, you can never be too sure.

The only tricky thing is that not everyone owns a juicer or even a high speed blender. Now I’m all about investing a little in our health (as oppose to paying for costly medical bills in the future) but in all honesty, I don’t even own a juicer myself. I’m sure it will happen someday of course but for now I wanted to test out some detox solutions for people who may be in the same boat such as college students or anyone else on a tight budget.

With that in mind I recently decided to take the Kaeng Raeng detox packets for a spin. Kaeng Raeng is a powdered detox formula that is made from freeze-dried fruit and is meant to be taken over the course of 3 days. It comes in 3 flavors: Joyful (Strawberry, Raspberry and Pineapple), Into the Blue (Blueberry and Banana) and Daybreak (Mango, Peach and Pineapple.)

All of their products are vegan, gluten-free, organic, Non-GMO, free of dangerous chemicals/artificial ingredients and they also don’t contain any laxatives or stimulants so they’re very gentle on the digestive system.

You can prepare the drinks several ways by simply mixing/shaking the powder with chilled water, or blending it with ice, water and fruit for a more smoothie-feel, you can even drink it as a milkshake with plant milk if desired.

Initially I was nervous that it would be too sweet or too watery but to my surprise the flavor was pretty subtle and not overpowering at all. I was also surprised to see that even though 1 packet is suitable 24 oz. of water, it was quite thick and definitely filling. They even offer a water bottle you can purchase with the correct measurement markings so you can take the juice with you on the go, but I just used an old mason jar. It’s also fine to drink the Kaeng Raeng as a meal replacer but I still ate (clean) solid food regardless, but that’s just me. I think that’s what appealed to me the most about Kaeng Raeng- the fact that you don’t have to resort to complete starvation to clean out your colon.

Overall I thought it was a great product at a very fair price. The ingredients are clean and safe and the packaging is minimal. I’d be happy to do another Kaeng Raeng detox!

Have you ever tried Kaeng Raeng? What’s your favorite vegan cleanse?

***Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and I wouldn’t recommend anything that I didn’t genuinely like or use in my daily life.

Read the Kaeng Raeng review from A Girl's Best Friend here (originally posted 5/10/2013): http://bit.ly/14bIDNp

Kaeng Raeng Cleanse Review

Read the Kaeng Raeng Review by Chef Amber Shea here: http://bit.ly/1iahItP

Juicy July: Kaeng Raeng smoothie cleanse review

By Chef Amber Shea on July 13, 2012

Posted in Gluten-Free, Juice Cleanses, Reviews | 59 Comments

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (which, don’t get me wrong, I’m sure is very peaceful), you’ve probably heard of Kaeng Raeng.

Kaeng Raeng serves up nutritional detox systems—in other words, prepackaged and ready-to-rock smoothie cleanses. (This isn’t juice, mind you, but I’m including smoothies in Juicy July!) Obviously, I eat a clean whole-foods diet prepared from scratch most of the time…but I’m also writing cookbooks and this blog, planning a wedding, and dealing with an illness, so on occasion, it’s just really nice to not have to worry about meal prep for a few days. It’s like a mental mini-vacation!

Kaeng Raeng’s all-natural powdered smoothie mixes are 100% vegan, gluten-free, caffeine-free, and sustainably made in the USA. Each pouch makes up to 32 fluid ounces and is nutritional and filling (more on that later). By drinking 3 Kaeng Raeng smoothies in a day, you’ll end up with 45g of protein, 39g of fiber, and 100% of your daily vitamin needs.

Here’s how it works: you choose the level of cleansing you want (Beginner, Veteran, or Master; I did the Master) and the length (3 days or 6 days; I did 3), and Kaeng Raeng provides 3 smoothies a day (in 3 different flavors) for each day of the cleanse. You drink a smoothie for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and you can snack on unlimited amounts of raw fruits and vegetables in between. That’s it!

The smoothie mixes contain freeze-dried real fruit, probiotics, psyllium husk (for fiber), and non-GMO soy protein. (Yes, these mixes do contain soy, so they may not be suitable for individuals who are soy-sensitive. As you may know, I was soy-free for several months to see if it would help my Hashimoto’s disease, but there was no detectable improvement. Now, with my doctor’s approval, I’ve slowly been incorporating non-GMO soy back into my diet. So far, so good.)

The three flavors are Blueberry Blackberry Banana, Mango Peach Pineapple, and Strawberry Raspberry Pineapple. You can drink them in any order you want, at any time of day you want. “But how do they taste?” you’re wondering. Well…great! Fruity, flavorful, and not too sweet (in fact, I sometimes added a few drops of stevia to my shakes to amp up the sweetness).

One thing that makes these Kaeng Raeng cleanses so easy and doable is that you can mix up the smoothies by merely shaking them up in a water bottle with 24 to 32 ounces of water, juice, or nondairy milk. This means you can literally do this cleanse anywhere, as long as you have a sink nearby (and, um, I hope you do). I enjoyed mine on the thin side, so I could sip them for longer. These smoothies do take quite awhile to drink – they did for me, at least – which I loved, because it felt like a real meal in my tummy and kept me full for a long time. I honestly didn’t even do as much snacking as I expected to on the 3 days of my cleanse; just some mangoes, bananas, and grapes, and the fruit I added to the shakes themselves (see below for more on that). The smoothies kept me surprisingly satisfied, no doubt a result of the high fiber content thanks to the inclusion of psyllium husk.

Speaking of, one tip I have for Kaeng Raeng cleansers is that you drink LOTS of water in addition to your smoothies. Psyllium holds several times its weight in water, and when you’re well-hydrated, that means it’ll provide bulk to push things through your digestive tract. If you don’t hydrate well enough to give the psyllium plenty of water to soak up, though, it could result in constipation. So sip extra water all day long!

But enough about that topic…

Since I was not on the go most of the time, I made several of my smoothies in the blender and often added frozen fruit (like cherries, raspberries, or banana) to make them icy-cool. And since I can’t leave well enough alone, I also sometimes blended in fresh spinach, Vitamineral Green, or spirulina powder for added green power.

Plus (since I know you’re curious!), I have no doubt that many people would lose weight after 3 to 6 days of these filling, low-calorie smoothies. (I didn’t, but that’s because my thyroid is still effed up and my weight is still on the rise.)

Last but not least: Kaeng Raeng cleanses start at just $18 per day, which is FAR less than true delivered-to-your-door juice cleanses cost ($65 to $80 per day), so it’s an economical choice for anyone interested in a low-maintenance, no-hunger detox. All in all, two thumbs up.

Finally, the exciting news: you, lovely readers, can get a 15% discount off ANY Kaeng Raeng cleanse of your choice from now until July 31st with my (not-so-)secret(-anymore) coupon code: VEGANCHEF15. In exchange, Kaeng Raeng only asks that you “like” them on Facebook and/or follow them on Pinterest. Easy peasy.

Now you tell me:
Have you ever done a smoothie OR juice cleanse?
If so, for how long, and how did you go about it?
If not, have you ever considered one?

And if you try a Kaeng Raeng detox yourself, let me know how it goes!

P.S. Interested in cleansing, but not keen on living on liquids for 3 days? Try my Real Food Cleanse!

Read the Kaeng Raeng review by Lesley Eats here: http://bit.ly/1aJ9FNP

Kaeng Raeng Detoxifying Cleanse: A Review and Re-Cap

Cleanses. They’re all the rage right now. Note the word, “rage.” As in, if you have a friend who is doing or has done a cleanse, there’s probably little chance you didn’t know it. Shortly into the first day, most people are cranky and quite vocal. “I’m doing a cleanse!” “Hey, did you know I’m doing a cleanse?” “I just drank my lunch and I could really use a cheeseburger.”

It’s not just food they’re missing. Most cleanses are meant to be detoxifying as well. So, no alcohol or caffeine, either. The caffeine-deprivation grumples are the major culprit in the cranky cleanser. But most people I know have cleared their minds (and bodies) by day 2 and are generally pretty cool with day 3. Some start to miss chewing food and others do get hungry if they aren’t drinking enough water otherwise.

To be frank, though I’m a fan of juice, I’ve never been much interested in a cleanse. Until I went to Disney World. We gorged ourselves for five solid days (more details soon!) and by the time we got back to real life, I was ready for a change. With Memorial Day on the horizon, I decided to put it off just a bit, but then I was ready to go the Tuesday afterward.

Luckily, I have a ton of options around here for good, fresh juices. But even more luckily, the folks from Kaeng Raeng sent me a sample of The Beginner to try out, so I had it here ready to go.

The Kaeng Raeng versions are different from the programs of fresh juicers. These are packets of what is mostly dehydrated fruit plus essential nutrients, including lean protein and probiotics (full list PDF). You just add water, drink three a day and you’ve got all you need to keep your mind and body going. It’s all natural, vegan, gluten-free, and GMO-free. Also, it’s made in California from local produce and contains no artifical colors, flavors, or preservatives. It’s just pure, good stuff. Another thing to like about the Kaeng Raeng detox is that beginners can still supplement with eating raw fruits and vegetables, so if you get the urge to eat, you’re still on the track to detoxing.

Also different is that all the juices are fruit-based. Many fresh juice programs have at least one that’s beet or kale or spinach based. Something with some greens, that is. Which almost always requires a heaping dose of ginger to get it down (am I the only one who’s noticed the prominence of ginger in juices?).

It’s important to note here that this isn’t a weight loss plan. What a cleanse does for you is sort of hit a reset button on your body. Generally speaking, three days on this plan should help you to feel better and crave less junk food. And because the dehydrated fruits are fortified with protein and vitamins and other essential nutrients (in natural forms), you’re not depriving your body of anything. So it’s a lot healthier than fasting or following a DIY cleanse without guidance from a nutritionist.

So, when we got back from our trip, I prepared to detox. I bought fresh peaches and strawberries and made sure I had apples and baby carrots on hand, plus a carton of almond milk (just in case). Here’s how it went:

Day 1. I started off with the mango peach pineapple “Daybreak” blend. I poured it into a large jar and shook it vigorously with ice water, stuck a straw in it and started my breakfast. The flavor was pleasant-ish and not very strong, but the mix was a bit grainy. That’s because of the dehydrated ingredients. I stuck it out and finished over the course of an hour.

Mid-morning, I got my first craving for salt. And caffeine. I resisted.

For lunch, I prepared the strawberry raspberry pineapple “Joyful.” I’m not a huge fan of raspberries, so this one wasn’t as good to me. I drank it, alternating with baby carrots. Still, it took me a while to get through it because it’s a pretty substantial drink.

Mid-afternoon, I was sleepy. I gave in and had some green tea. But hey, it was organic.

For dinner, I mixed up the blueberry blackberry banana “Into the Blue.” It’s got a strong blueberry flavor and you can taste the chunks of banana. It’s actually pretty good. I also ate a bit of vinegar cole slaw for something to chew.

Day 2. Surprisingly, I didn’t wake up hungry! But I decided to go ahead and have some tea to start my day. I’m not a huge caffeine addict (I don’t drink coffee), but I need it to get out some of the cobwebs.

For the first juice of the day, I chose the Daybreak again, but this time, I put it in the blender with a few frozen mango chunks, half a fresh peach and about 30 ounces of water. I punched “liquefy” and let the blender work its magic. The result? A vast improvement. Actually, a delicious (not just tolerable) smoothie. I drank half around 8am and saved the other half for 10am.

For my lunch juice, I chose the Joyful again and added frozen strawberries and pineapple juice leftover from my failed Dole Whip and liquefied it in the blender again. Another big improvement, though the raspberry taste is still a little too strong for me. Next time around, maybe I’ll put some fresh ginger in it. Though what I would rather put in it is Domaine de Canton (a delicious, delicious ginger liqueur). Again, probably not what the Kaeng Raeng folks have in mind as a booster for their blends. And probably not the best use of the Domaine de Canton (which is best straight or with a little Jack Daniel’s Honey. Okay; I’m torturing myself thinking about it, so I’ll stop).

Around 1pm, though, I got the sleepies again, despite a full night’s sleep. And a headache. I thought that having my regular tea in the morning would prevent it, but maybe it’s the flushing of the toxins at fault. Okay, that sounds a little hokey, but it’s still odd (turns out, this is fairly common and I should’ve had more water instead of tea!). And I find myself wanting some toast. Yeah, toast. I had some green tea instead.

Around mid-afternoon, the headache was still hanging around. Not a caffeine-deprivation headache. Perhaps too much sugar from the added fruits and juices. Or maybe I just needed some French fries. And toast.

For dinner, I needed to have something savory and green, so I had an arugula salad with a bit of olive oil, fleur de sel and raw pine nuts. It felt luxurious. I also had some sliced cucumbers and tomatoes. And I followed that with the last smoothie of the day. I didn’t add anything to Into The Blue, but I did put it in the blender. Definitely the way to go.

Day 3. Same as yesterday’s breakfast, including the extra fruit because it needed it. I did, however, forget to drink my tea and didn’t suffer for it. That’s a win.

At lunch, I needed to have something savory and fatty, so I had an entire sliced avocado and a small tomato (from my own garden!). I’m not sure salted avocado and plain tomato slices ever tasted so good. I followed that up with my juice with just extra frozen strawberries added (I forgot the ginger!) and drank half and saved the other half for mid-afternoon.

Mid-afternoon, I got sleepy-ish again (I’m not a very active person, though). Not enough to have any tea (and no headache), so I just had the other half of the lunch portion.

Dinner—last one! Thank God, because I am tired of drinking. Which is pretty sad, considering it was only about 24 ounces more than I should be drinking in water each day. I haven’t been drinking as much water as I should (or as I did when I worked a desk job and a trip to the water dispenser was a welcome break from the screen). Anyway, I’m done. I made it! Yay!

Now, I have to be honest; I have made fun of people who’ve struggled through a three-day juice cleanse before. I mean, who couldn’t do something for just three days? But it was more difficult than I thought. And I wasn’t even hungry! I do think having a salad and some other non-sweet fruits helped, so definitely plan for that if you’re the kind of person who gets worn out on fruit fairly easily (and you probably are). I think the biggest challenge for me was having a cold breakfast. I’m accustomed to hot tea and toast, which I like year-round.

Overall, I think the Kaeng Raeng beginner program did what I wanted it to do. It got me out of my junk food addiction leftover from vacation so I can get back to eating my normal, healthy-ish diet. I do still seem to have a heavy dependence on gluten, though, which I’d love to break. Interestingly, it was bread I missed during the cleanse, not cheese! So, right out of the gate on Day 4, I celebrated with some toast. My stomach didn’t seem to be as happy with that decision as my mouth, though.

Tips

1. The juice smoothies taste much better cold, so use refrigerated water and/or ice. Frozen fruit helps, too but adds calories and sugar.
2. Because they’re better cold, it’s best to do the detox when it’s warm outside. Even in late May in the south, drinking the smoothies gave me the chills. I had to get out the space heater again!
3. Definitely prepare to need something not sweet between smoothies. Get some baby carrots, avocadoes, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables you like to eat raw or with salt. I found the avocado and tomato to be the most satisfying, but these add fat and calories, too (albeit good fat and calories).
4. When you finish the cleanse, take it easy. As I mentioned, I don’t think my stomach was too happy about those two pieces of toast I had for my celebratory breakfast.

Final note: it was worth it and I recommend it. But if you’re any kind of food addict, it’s not going to be easy. You won’t be hungry, but you’ll miss food, probably. But you’ll probably surprise yourself with how strong you can be. And if you typically crave sweet junk food, it’s likely that will be curbed after just three days. I am completely uninterested in anything sweet, including a lot of the chocolate that came back from Orlando with me. So this is definitely a great program for anyone who’s been curious and wanted to try it. It’s not as expensive as a lot of fresh drink programs and if you really hate it, you can just save the packets for an occasional meal replacement (or two, really).

Read the Kaeng Raeng review from Double The Giggles here: http://www.doublethegiggles.com/2013/05/cleaning-up-me-kaeng-raeng-detox-and.html

Cleaning Up Me: Kaeng Raeng Detox and Program Review

This is a post like no other I have ever written, but I really wanted to share this experience...

I'm perfectly fine, Mom and Dad, so please don't yell at me for "not eating right"...

My husband and I have both been researching what could/should be the perfect eating lifestyle for us, and experimenting with our mostly healthy diets. (Yes, I said mostly. We live in Buffalo, people. Land of the chicken wing, home of the beef-on-weck.) Yes, we eat our share of meat, but most of our meals are now meatless with the occasional vegan dish thrown in (Go, us!). The Internet is an amazing thing... add Pinterest and google searches to my love of experimenting in the kitchen and I've come up with (and tweaked) some great animal-free recipes ...and some not-so great ones, too. (Beets are not my friend).

Without diving too far into my three-and-a-half-years-post-pregnancy-body-image blues (I'm sure we all have them, and I applaud those of you that can just let them go), I will share that I have intentionally changed my eating habits and exercise habits over the past couple of years, but I still stuggle with portion control. Big time. Eating, well, I mentioned it before - overall, more healthy. If it comes from the earth, we tend to choose that over something insanely processed. (Not the easiest thing for a recovering McDonald's addict, but I'm working on it.) We try to read ingredients, and eat organic when we can. We try to eat products with ingredients we know, and the fewer ingredients, the better. As for exercise, well, I started. Exercising. That's right. I've never really exercised until a couple of summers ago when I started jogging (post-twins). I jog/run, and do a few other cardio type workouts as time allows (Zumba, yoga and cross-spin: 1/2 cross fit, 1/2 spin), and I'm embarrassed to say I hate every second of it (with the exception of Zumba, which I love). I get it, I get it... No pain, no gain. I'm just not a fan of pain. Or more specifically knee pain. Or inflamed nerves in my feet. Or gasping for my breath. ...and I'm not seeing the "gain" equivalent to my input and pain.

So where am I going with all this? I won't keep you in suspense any longer. My husband is trying a Vegan Before 6:00 -type diet and I decided to do a detox. A fast, of sorts. A cleanse. Something I was determined to do, yet confident I wouldn't be able to complete (Yes, I have that little faith in myself when it comes to food. I. Love. Food. It's all I think about. For reals.)

After doing some serious research, I decided on Kaeng Raeng, which means "Be Healthy, Be Strong," in Thai. It's a US made, all natural, vegan, gluten and caffeine free detox program. You dump powder made up of freeze dried fruits and some other good things (like probiotic cultures and vitamins) into water, blend and drink. You can do a 3 day or 6 day cleanse, both options include 3 beverages/meal replacements per day.... and the best part is (and the main reason I went with the Kaeng Raeng cleanse) is that you can eat raw fruits and veggies if you need to. The idea of not being able to chew something weirded me out a bit. Think about it. ...and to be honest, I thought I'd eventually pass out (or worse, die) from not eating anything over a 6-day period. Little did I know that I'd eventually be passing up "allowed" foods that I'd normally eat, just to eat out of boredom... I realized I didn't need them, or just wasn't hungry.

After chatting with a health conscious friend, I decided to purchase a few samples to see if I could even palate the stuff. The stuff doesn't taste awful, but it's not great either. I'd be lying if I said I looked forward to each drink. I looked forward to each of them being ingested and filling me up, that's for sure. I made it through the three sample flavors (not really noticing that much of a difference in taste) and decided to go ahead and order the 6-day 'veteran' cleanse (Hey - don't judge - I made it through the samples, so that puts me waaaay past the 'beginner' level, doesn't it?) I flipped between the 3 and 6 day, but the 6 day is recommended if you are looking to 'jump-start' weight loss (see above comment about me not mentioning my post-pregnancy body image issues), so I went for the gold.

Before I give a brief summary of each day, I'm sure you're dying to know what it tasted like. It's like bland (no sweeteners, people), slightly textured (grainy), fruit flavored, thick water, ...with a side of dust. Yep, it has a dusty taste to it. How do I know what dust tastes like? That is none of your damn business. Luckily, the more you drink, the better it tastes. I've blended fruit into the drinks and drank them straight with just water and ice (the colder the better, take my word for it). The further you get to the bottom of your 24oz (minimum amount of H20 used) drink, the sweeter and thicker it seems. The stuff settles a bit, I guess. It's really not that bad at all, but if you're looking for a Gatorade or Vita-Water taste (or whatever that sugar-filled stuff is called), look elsewhere. There are three flavors that all taste similar if you ask me. I found the blueberry/blackberry/acava one (Juu Juu "into the blue") to be the least tasty, but again, they all tasted pretty much the same. OK, here goes...

Day 1 - 1st drink was blended with banana and strawberries. Dan was waiting for me to 'get angry' out of hunger at some point during the day. I didn't ;) Success. Lunch and dinner drinks were straight with just cold water and ice. I did have some strawberries with my lunch and some broccoli with dinner. I wasn't hungry at all during the day and overall felt pretty good. I read that sleep is better during the cleanse, so I'm looking fwd to that, as I'm an absolutely horrible sleeper. Must be hereditary - my dad and I usually compare time frames that we were awake during the previous night and then joke round about how we could have been hanging out instead of staring blankly at late night/early morning television.

What I learned on Day 1
1. You will pee. Like, a lot. Let me put it into persepective for you. I had to go more than when I was pregnant with the twins (and I thought that was a lot!). In the 20 minutes we were in the grocery store today, I ran to the bathroom four times. Four, people. I'll have to time our my errands better.
2. Use a blender to mix the drinks. Shaking or stirring just wasn't enough to break up the powder mix, and if you get a chunk of wet powder, you get a chunk of soggy fruit dust (see previous dust comparison.)
3. These things are FILLING. Maybe next time I know we're ordering a pizza, I can rememeber to drink 24oz of water beforehand to make less room for pizza. Just a thought...

Day 2 - I blended my breakfast, lunch and dinner drink with just ice and water. Adding fruit to the drink gives it a smoothie texture, but also adds to the volume of the drink. I'd rather just drink my 24oz, then enjoy some fruit afterward. I had a banana after the breakfast drink, and a guacamole salad (avocado, red onion, cilantro, tomato, lime juice and fresh garlic - no salt... I definitely missed the salt!) before my lunch drink. I used two big celery stalks in place of my tortilla chips. Yep, I was desperate for salt - but if that's as bad as this is going to get, I'll manage, no problem! Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I ran 2+ miles before my lunch drink. Take that, Kaeng Raeng. Had the dinner drink and no other supplemental food.

Day 3 - Who goes to a Cinco de Mayo party while doing a fasting cleanse? This girl! (Who hearts Mexican food? This girl!) I even brought a plate of my new favorite dessert (Churro Cheesecake - to die for, literally), outside to our gang of vultures without even shedding a tear sneaking a bite. I didn't make anything to bring to the party, because I knew that would be tough.

All three drinks were just blended with water and ice today and I only ate 4 grapes (yes, four grapes, cuz they were just sitting there in front of me) all day! I feel great, am not hungry and am sleeping HARD (although I'm still waking up every couple hours like I usually do.) HALF WAY DONE! Honestly didn't think I'd even get this far! Way easier than I thought.

What I learned on Day 3
1. I am VERY aware of what everyone around me is eating. I'm not craving anything, but I'm almost judging what I see go into people's mouths (and sometimes wondering how some people stay so skinny and fit.) I'm smelling and enjoying the smells of food more than ever right now.
2. The drinks are way more palatable at this point. Still not a yogurt smoothie or a milkshake, but they are gone before I know it. No more staring at how many ounces I have left to drink.

Day 4 - All 3 drinks blended with just ice and water. Making food for the family without eating it isn't as tough now that I'm 4 days in. It's actually provoking some serious thinking about food intake and food, in general. Ate a few bits of celery (not even a half of a stalk) and a banana while having a picnic in the park with the fam, just to 'participate' in the picnic festivities.

I'm mentally consumed with food right now, but not hungry or craving it. A different kind of consumption. Just thinking about the future - what my first meal will be... what my first 'treat' will be... what else I can change on our family roadtrip to Healthytown. ...if and if so, how soon will I fall back into bad eating habits...

Day 5 -
I woke up super duper tired today. What gives? I did play our season opener for volleyball yesterday evening, so maybe that's why? Winning 3 games in a row must have totally tired me out. (Yep - you heard me. All. Three. Games. That's how the Notorious D.I.G. rolls.) I also had a dream last night that I ate one (just one) M&M and was mad at myself for 'falling off the wagon'. Crazy, huh? The end is near. Really near. Am I actually doing this? Is it way easier than I thought? Do I feel good? Yes, and I'm not even getting paid to say this, nor did I get my detox for free. I haven't even cheated.

All drinks just blended with water and a few ice cubes today. This method totally works for me, and it's the suggested way for reaping the ultimate benefits of the detox. This is also my first day at the office since I started my detox. Not knowing what to expect, I planned this around a break from work. Now that I know what it's all about - there was really no need to do that. The only thing I had today was a tomato/avocado salad with some lime juice at dinner time. I watched the rest of the family eat pizza. From my favorite place. The ultimate test, and I passed ;)
Day 5 Learnings
I know the end is near, and my thoughts of food are coming back today for the first time since I started this. I'm all of a sudden really missing food, wanting food and wanting this to be completed. It's amazing how my mind works. Maybe it's because I was at my desk all day, instead of keeping busy with the boys.

Day 6 -
Last day! I have had some really good sleep the past few days. So good that I woke up around 1:30am last night, and went in the backyard looking for 2/3 of our dogs that I *thought* I let out mintues before. When they didn't come back to the door, I went out to look for them. When I couldn't find them in our completely fenced in back yard, I woke up Dan, who informed me that they were laying in our bed. They totally were. What? Did I dream letting them out? I was completely awake when I was looking for them, but apparently dreamed or hallucinated the 'letting the out' part. That's a first, and I'm blaming Kaeng Raeng.
Good news is that Dan said my body appeared slimmer today. Yeah! My weight has always fluctuated in a 5 lb window, but I'll do a final weigh-in tomorrow morning and let you know the loss from the morning I started. Even knowing it was the last day, I didn't miss food today. Yesterday must have just been a mentally trying day.

All drinks made with just water and ice again. Actually really enjoyed each one today!

Final Weigh In
Morning of Day 7- I'm down 7.5 lbs from the weigh-in I did the morning I began the program! Wow! Not too shabby. Might I add that I feel great, accomplished and I'm looking forward to my first decaf coffee in a week!

Are you up for the Kaeng Raeng challenge? If I can do it, so can you!

Shoot me an email if you are interested in Kaeng Raeng and I'll send you a referral. If I refer enough people, I get a free cleanse, and I'll do a Kaeng Raeng give-away!

More about Kaeng Raeng
Each pouch contains a full serving of real fruit, non-gmo soy protein, probiotic cultures, a full serving of fiber (don't be scared by this... You'll use the bathroom as you normally would - minus the extensive peeing part. There are no laxitives here, people, just natural fiber). There are also some daily vitamins and amino acids thrown in.

The benefits to this are cleansing your innards, relieving bloating (although I only noticed this in the mornings - lots of water intake means lots of swelling for me), jumpstarting weight loss, improving digestive health and bolstering immune the system. They even claim to clear up your skin. I'll add to what 'the box' claims and say that my sleep was way better during the detox, itself, and I actually felt less lethargic and sluggish (dare I say ENERGIZED?) than this momma of twins usually does.

Go to their website for more specifics. You can add any raw fruits and veggies to the drinks, and even soy, almond milk or yogurt if you need to. the best part of this is that you can easily tailor it to you! ...and if you are interested in doing you own cleanse, I'd suggest getting a sample or two first. Just so you know what you're in for, taste wise, and to make sure you don't have a sensitivity to the soy-protein (some of the reviews I came across proved that this problem is out there, and you definitely won't have a positive experience of you are sensitive to it.) You can use the code SPRING15 for 15% off a detox program (discount not available on sample sizes.) I lucked out and there was a 15% off sale on the veteran and master levels when I purchased mine, and I was able to save an additional 15% using this discount code. Much more affordable than some of the other cleanses out there.

Read the Kaeng Raeng review by GirlGoneMom here: http://bit.ly/1c2Xf7d

I was new to the world of cleanses when this review opportunity was offered, but my interest had already been peaked by the media coverage of juice diets and detox cleanses and the like. I decided that now was the time to give this thing a shot. Kaeng Raeng sent over a 3 day detox cleanse kit, complete with three day’s worth of thrice daily vegan detox shakes in three flavors: Juu Juu “Into the Blue, which is blueberry banana, ” Glai Roong “Daybreak,” a mango peach, and Reunn “Joyful.” a strawberry, raspberry and pineapple blend.

Kaeng Raeng touts itself as all natural, vegan, gluten free, locally sourced, and no GMOs, no stimulants, nothing artificial. It is soy and fruit heavy — which I was delighted to discover, as I was expecting to have to gulp seaweed and kale shakes!

Note on prep: By juice number 2, I discovered that my favorite (convenient) way to enjoy these smoothies was by adding half the powder to my largest container (24 oz) which I then added 16 oz of water to, and then filled to the top with ice cubes. Repeat with second 24 oz container. Shake both like mad and enjoy cold.

Day One:

I was surprised at how filling my “Juu Juu” breakfast smoothie was….as well as how out of the constant water drinking habit I was. Since I had Jack, I’m not usually tethered to my desk anymore, and it’s a bigger challenge to keep water with me at all times – and remember to actually drink it. My morning smoothie lasted me well into the afternoon. While the taste wasn’t unpleasant, I wouldn’t call it delicious, either. There is a mild aftertaste from the powder.

Because smoothie one lasted me so long, I only had time for one more on this particular day – whoops. This, the Glai Roong, I enjoyed during family dinner time, along with about 10 few steamed snap peas that I stole from my husband and an orange I split with Jack. I hate snap peas but they looked good so I cheated by not having them raw.

Day Two:

Today, I worked at my part time job. It was much easier to keep drinking while sitting at my desk at the computer, so I polished off morning smoothie, Reunn, by 10 a.m. I was more than ready for number two by lunch time. At 2 p.m., we had a work celebration that featured – of course – delicious cupcakes. I resisted. Are you proud? Instead, I chomped on a cup of fresh watermelon – my fav! I didn’t get too smug though because come 3:30 I was really starting to feel the pangs of hunger. I have a sizable commute, coupled with daycare pickup, and I broke: I took a bite of a vanilla cupcake and washed it down with 16 oz of water. It was just a little kick and it got me through to dinnertime at 6:30. My dinner shake was complimented with a cup of grape tomatoes with just a splash of balsamic vinegar. I started the shake with my family at dinner but only finished half before bedtime, so it was 9 p.m. (Jack’s been resisting bedtime since I returned to work) before I finished the latter half. Today, I did notice a pick up in the number of trips to the ladies room because I was drinking so much water!

Day Three:

At work again! Hauled out the door with toddler, preschool materials, my shakes, fresh fruit, etc. in tow. I pace myself so the consumption of shake one lasted until about 11 a.m. I waited until 1 p.m. to concoct my second so that it will last me longer into the afternoon — and of course, I drank it more slowly and consciously. Feeling powerful for surviving on something so….minimalist. Also feeling hungry. I miss food. But I’m glad I’m going for it! I finished strong, and was glad to have done it. Although eating food the next day was a celebration, for sure!

My favorite is the Reunn “Joyful” strawberry. While I did read somewhere that the detox can lead to more digestive “action,” I experienced the exact opposite. I did, however, find myself 3 pounds down post-detox, so that was fantastic!

On the whole I find the shakes filling, refreshing, and inoffensive in taste – not delish, but not anywhere near the worst thing I’ve ever tasted, for sure. If you have issues with textures while eating or drinking, you might find the “sandy” after effect of each sip off putting. I could deal with all of that because I know that I was putting good fuel into my body and giving myself a much needed boost. As for the six day, I’d give it a shot, to be honest! I think I would rock Kaeng Raeng for an extended period, for sure.

The three day program — as well as longer stretches — are available at http://kaengraeng.com/ – three days starts around $70.

Read the Kaeng Raeng review by InTruBeauty here: http://bit.ly/1dqyykx

Fitness Friday: My Week in Cleanse, Review of Kaeng Raeng

A cleanse? No thanks! I would've thought a couple months ago that in order for me to try a cleanse it would also involve someone tying me down to a chair and forcing it down my throat. Most cleanse/detox programs I've seen or read about just don't seem healthy and the thought of drinking all my meals for an extended period of time was the furthest from what I think is healthy or desirable. But I was super intrigued when I was approached to test this out for review. Contains Press Sample.

I started reading about Kaeng Raeng cleanse program. There are 3 day and 6 day programs. The difference between this and others is that this is all natural, there are no stimulants or laxatives and you can eat fruits and veggies while on this!

About:
Kaeng Raeng is vegan, gluten-free, caffeine-free, eco-friendly, and contains no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, preservatives, laxatives or stimulants. Drink a shake three times per day which can be supplemented with raw fruits and veggies. There is a three day cleanse and a six day cleanse and there are three levels for each. I am the Beginner Three Day Cleanse.

• Breakfast: Woke up feeling alright with slight headache. Into the Blue shake for breakfast blended with strawberries and 1/2 homemade almond milk, 1/2 water. As I drank the shake which I finished, my headache grew and I had a lot of trouble focusing and felt tired. As I drank some water after I started to feel a little better and the headache dissipated.
• Lunch: Headache starts to disappear after mid-morning. I feel better but am really tired. For lunch I have 1/2 of a Joyful shake with strawberries in it along with a Jimmy Dean Delights Honey Wheat Flatbread Egg White with Spinach & cheese (160 calories).
• Dinner: By dinner, headache and tiredness is completely gone and I'm feeling great. I finished 1/2 of the shake from lunch. They are big shakes and can be hard to finish so I split this up for this day and only had 2 shakes total all day.
  
• Activity: I even had energy to exercise. I walked about 1.6 miles and did weights for about 15 minutes along with some stretching and crunches. I kept it light intensity since I wasn't running on a lot of calories.
• Motivation: I lost three pounds so far! I'm liking the changes I see in my appearance. I have one day left to go and I know it will be worth it!

Kale salad with diced red peppers and mozzarella pearls with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Plain Greek yogurt with strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and raw unsalted almonds with local honey from the farmers market drizzled over. Yams with a little bit of butter and brown sugar as a special treat.

• Breakfast: Joyful shake mixed with raspberries and strawberries blended in. Also added some chia seeds. Drank additional 16 ounces of water and a plain black coffee. Slight headache, but wasn't feeling hungry.
  

  Daybreak Shake

• Lunch: Daybreak shake blended with strawberries and a peach. Had a spinach salad without dressing, lime and lemon juice for seasoning. I cheated and had 1 diet mountain dew and some tortilla chips at the restaurant where I ordered my salad. Slight headache.
• Dinner: Blueberry shake blended with fruit. Ate kale chips a 1 banana.
• Side Effects: Slight headache and many trips to the bathroom from drinking so much water!
• Activity: I had enough energy to go on a brisk 30 minute walk and I felt great. I got a lot done around the house as well and was feeling pretty good!

• Why did I decide to try this? I did it because the goals of the cleanse and mine are the same. To change the way I eat, to jumpstart a weightloss, to rid my body of toxins, to further progress my Clean Eating goals and to consume the most natural food possible. The goals of the cleanse are right in line with mine and I wouldn't have tried this if they weren't.
• Why is this different?
  • I can recognize the ingredients. One of the ingredients is Psyllium powder or husk which is used as a supplemental fiber which helps remove metabolic waste from the body. You can use this daily and I actually do keep this in my house way before even hearing about this cleanse and it has been a lifesaver in the past.
    • What I use is Sonnes Organic #7 Detoxification along with #9 Intestinal Powder (which contains psyllium) to remove my body of toxins, especially virus and bacteria when I am feeling ill. http://sonnes.com/store/
  • All natural
  • No dyes
  • No stimulants or diuretics
  • You can eat on it! Stock up on fruits and veggies! If not for that, I wouldn't have lasted just drinking shakes.
• I lost about four pounds total on this and definitely notice a difference in my energy level and overall feeling of well being. I also noticed that my eyes looked brighter. This is definitely going to kick start my next phase of Clean Eating! Since I've started clean eating, my parents did notice that my skin and eyes looked healthier and brighter. Goodbye preservatives and ickies, hello clean eating!

• Before diving into this, I would start making changes in your life a couple weeks before like reducing sugar and processed foods. I had started a clean eating plan weeks before this and yet I still had some side effects during the detox. I think if you've already started on a clean eating plan, the transition will be much easier and you will be much more likely to stick with both the clean eating and this 3 day cleanse. If you jump in cold turkey, I think your success rate will be lower.
• Drink lots and lots of water! It will make you feel better and the sooner you get all the toxins out of your body, the better.
• Stick with it even if you have side effects like headaches. I kept telling myself it was temporary and the end result would be worth it.
• I altered it slightly to make it workable for me. If you can follow the directions to a T, you are a better man or woman than me! In order to complete this, I made some tweaks and that ensured I was able to complete it!

I am not a medical professional. This is not intended to be medical advice. Always consult your doctor as needed. Link up with me below and share your blog post or a favorite post of yours about fitness/health/clean eating/weightloss, etc and don't forget to follow me on instagram @intrubeauty to see my meal and fitness inspiration before Fitness Friday!

Read the review from Dedicated Not Addicted here: http://bit.ly/19g3iTi

I recently completed the Kaeng Raeng all natural detox program. If you have been following along with my blog, you have already learned all about this program. If not, WELCOME and you can check it out here.

Personally, I have never been that big into cleanses… but Kaeng Raeng sparked my interest for a number of reasons. For starters, the detox is vegan, gluten and caffeine free! In addition, it helps to jumpstart weight loss, cleanse the colon, cut cravings, improve digestive health, and bolster the immune system. The fact that the program provides consumers with options and does not require you to completely starve yourself (compared to other cleanses) was also quite appealing. Lastly, I had been feeling quite crappy from indulging in food I had been missing… so when my free Kaeng Raeng program arrived in the mail, I said “why not”?!

Originally I thought to myself, I have been on strict diets before while prepaing for bikini competitions, a three day cleanse can’t be THAT hard? Well, to be honest, it was challenging but I made it through!

The 3-day beginner cleanse requires you to “enjoy” one pouch with 24-32 oz of water or juice three times daily for three days. You have the option to shake, stir, or blend (with frozen fruit or ice for a thicker, colder smoothie). The pouches come in three flavors and each contains a full serving of real fruit, 15g non-gmo protein, is high in fiber, and has naturally occurring vitamins. In addition to the three daily smoothies, you can indulge in as many raw fruits and vegetables as needed.

Here is my breakdown:

Day 1

I originally decided that I was going to blend the pouches with only ice and water as this was the lowest calorie option and what I thought would provide the most gains. The first pouch flavor I consumed was “daybreak” (mango peach and pineapple) … sounds pretty good eh? Wrongo! This flavor actually ended up being my least favorite of the three. It was still drinkable and I was able to finish it with the help of snacking on sweet cherries and green seedless grapes.

I was feeling quite full after the first smoothie so I waited a bit before heading to the gym. After the gym and before I left for work, I prepared my second smoothie of the day, “joyful” (strawberry raspberry and pineapple). Again, I only blended with 24 oz of water and 3 ice cubes. This flavor was much better and quite mild in taste. I brought along an apple, grapes, and carrots in addition to the smoothie but I was so full from the smoothie alone that I only ate about half of the fruit and didn’t touch the carrots.

Throughout my shift, I began to have a headache, and my stomach was in knots. I thought to myself, these must be signs of detoxing or from the overload of fruit sugars.

After work, I made the “into the blue” (blueberry banana). In my opinion, this was the best tasting smoothie!

Day 2

I woke up feeling less bloated and with more energy! I started my day with my favorite flavor, “into the blue” but this time I decided to blend it with 24 oz of water, 3 ice cubes, a full banana, and a handful of blueberries. Now I was onto something… I discovered that I should have been mixing the pouches with fresh fruit from day 1! The smoothie tasted even better although the texture was sort of… interesting. By mixing with fresh fruit, the smoothies took longer to drink but were even more satisfying and there was no need for extra snacks.

After the gym and before work, again, I prepared the “joyful” smoothie. This time mixing with fresh strawberries and a full kiwi. Half way through my shift I was feeling a little hungry and craving vegetables… yes, you read that correct. So, I ordered myself a plain green salad and used guacamole for dressing (…and a little little bit of hot sauce).

After work I made myself the “daybreak” smoothie (notice how I saved this guy for last…). However, I blended it with fresh strawberries and mangos and it definitely improved the taste!

Day 3

The third and final day proceeded much like Day 2. I was down 4 lbs and felt quite motivated to continue to eat clean!

If I you are planning to do this cleanse, I would love to provide a few recommendations:

• Mix the pouches with fruit and ice for a better tasting, thicker and colder smoothie
• Drink lots of water to flush you out as you are increasing your fiber intake
• Plan to do the detox on days where you won’t be tempted to cheat
• Have an extra water bottle on hand to take the smoothies on the go with you
• Replace the junk in your cupboards with fresh fruit and veggies to avoid temptations

I would recommend this 3-day beginner detox to anyone who is feeling “frumpy”, bloated, or needs a boost in energy or motivation. Kaeng Raeng also provides a six day option for individuals trying to lose weight, as well as master and vegan cleanses for regular detoxers.

Click on this to decide which detox is right for YOU!

Already know? Click here to order your detox today!

I know I sound like a sales lady but I do not benefit from any purchases. However, I do want to thank Kaeng Raeng for sending me the free detox program!

Please let me know if you decide to try a Kaeng Raeng detox and how it works out for you!