I Went On A 3-Day Soup Cleanse And Here’s What Happened

Even though I've struggled with healthful eating and hovered several pounds over my target weight for years, I've always been skeptical of dieting buzz words like "detox" and "cleanse." I know restriction doesn't work well. At best, it's short lived; at worst, it ends in binges. Plus juice for dinner just doesn't sit right with me—but neither does pad thai five night a week, and I've done that before.

I wondered if there was a way to hit a nutritional reset button—something that would inspire me to build healthier habits by starting with a clean slate—without having to endure total deprivation. According to fans of trendy soup cleanses, there is. The general idea is similar to a juice cleanse, but I was a little less eye-rolly about this one because soup is real food (not juice or some weird powder).

There are many different companies that will deliver your soup cleanse to your doorstep, or you can follow recipes to make your own detox-friendly soups. I chose the easier option, and signed up for the chic-looking, Goop-approved Soupure. Not having to cook would up the chances that I'd stick to the plan, and the every-color-of-the-rainbow menu seemed to indicate flavor.

I picked the three-day cleanse package, which seemed like it ought to be manageable. Each day I'd have five whole foods-based soups with new-agey names like Protect and Infuse, plus two flavored alkaline waters that supposedly raise the body's pH level to help you burn fat. My mornings would start with lemon water (which has an alkalizing effect, despite its acidity), followed by a vegan broth and a fruity breakfast blend. Then came a hearty veggie soup for lunch, another broth in the afternoon, and a veggie puree (much like lunch) for dinner.

In between, I was encouraged to drink lots of water and eat low-calorie snacks like nuts or beans if I got hungry. I hoped that after three days of liquid courage, I'd be ready to keep a more healthful diet, feel rejuvenated, and shed a couple pounds in the process.

Thanks much, Om Paramapoonya! Not only should you feel less guilty when eating pancakes with ground flaxseed, you should also feel better all round. Appreciate your stopping by and joining this dialogue. Great hub. I usually add some ground flaxseed to my pancake batter. Pancakes are usually considered an unhealthy breakfast. By adding ground flaxseed to my pancakes, I feel less guilty eating them. Joint pain relief alone would be enough to make us fans of ground flax seed, wouldn't it?

Thanks much for you visit and comment. Fantastic. I am a big fan of flax seeds and flax seed oil. I've found it really helps my joints (I needed a shoulder replacement a few years ago). Thanks much for letting us know! I just read the label on the crackers again and what I thought was flax was poppy seeds and black sesame.

So I guess I can keep eating them. Any tiny seed can contribute to a problem with gallstones so I always make sure my flax is well ground. You could check out info re cooked flax seed to see if it is more easily digested. Thanks for the idea of hummus with ground flax. I'm going to try that with salsa!

I didn't realize whole flaxseed could give you gallstones. My favorite cracker that I like to spread hummus on contains flaxseed, and I don't think it's ground. How sad, since I eat this almost every day. Great hub. Voted up and useful. Thank you. Appreciate that you came by and left your comment. Informative and useful hub.

I eat flax-seed and understand its nutritional benefits. Thanks for the added information I've learned through your hub. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. It is always helpful to hear from first hand experience! I've never known anyone who had the experience, but that is the reason I grind mine fresh for use. It's easy with a dedicated coffee grinder on hand.