January 27, 2015

Advocare Herbal Cleanse Review {Advo 24 Day Challenge}

Disclaimer: Katie Thompson of Running4Cupcakes offered me a 10 day herbal cleanse in exchange for a review. All other products mentioned where purchased by me.  As always all thoughts and opinions are my own.  I am not a professional, merely just sharing my thoughts. Always consult a professional before starting a new diet or taking any new supplements.  


Katie from Running4Cupcakes approached me before the holidays about joining the Advocare 24 Day Challenge (check out her Advocare posts and distributor site here).  Now I've heard people rave about Advocare but honestly don't have the money to spend on pricey supplements that are mostly vitamins. I am also really skeptical or diet plans and products that are pushed and distributed by people. My curiosity was peaked more when Crossfit champion Rich Froning became an endorser.  Katie offered me a free 10 day herbal cleanse box to try out and talk about my results- so I agreed! 

Now while I'd like to lose a few pounds, I don't believe in weight loss supplements or spending money on fancy cleanses.  Our bodies are pretty great at getting us where we should be and detoxing themselves, especially if we treat them right.  However this whole "herbal cleanse" is really about taking some fiber, probiotics, and eating clean. Getting a nice reason to force me to reset and focus on food after 2 weeks of Christmas cookies,booze and holiday parties seemed like a good idea.

The 10 Day Herbal Cleanse is the first 10 days of the 24 day challenge and 1 box includes 6 packets of fiber drink (I got peaches and cream flavor-I heard the citrus was awful), 7 packets of herbal cleanse fiber capsules, and 7 packets of probiotic restore capsules (product info here).     

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Optional or recommended Advocare products with the 10 day cleanse are Spark (energy drink), Catalyst (amino acid supplement), meal replacement shakes, and OmegaPlex vitamins.  The products are pricey to me. I checked out the ingredient lists of the products which were pretty basic and figured I have plenty of amino acid supplements and protein powders lying around to use already. I take fish oil and omegas already too so I wasn't buying the OmegaPlex either. 


I did purchase a couple packs of Spark packets ($29.99) because I liked the idea of an energy drink that is packed with vitamins, especially since I'd be giving up coffee for the challenge. I purchased the watermelon and mango strawberry flavors. 

Ah yes, but no coffee?!? I do not have to drink coffee everyday, but I just really love the taste. It's suggested to be avoided for the acidity I'm assuming, since Spark has caffeine in it.  

The diet recommendations for the cleanse & challenge include lots of fruits and vegetables, at least half your body weight in water a day, lean proteins and limited whole grains. You are supposed to avoid processed foods, dairy, added sugar, fried foods, soda, coffee, and alcohol.  It is also recommended at least 30 minutes of exercise, 5 days a week which is not a problem for me.  

I started  January 12 so I've used it as a kind of dry January challenge which is a nice reset after Chicago and the holidays when I had been on a bit of a beer and red wine overload.

I don't believe in cutting whole food groups out if they can be nutritious but thought it would be nice to reset. I was also see how completely cutting out coffee, alcohol, dairy, and limiting processed foods would affect my IBS and tummy troubles. It's only 24 days for the whole challenge so it's not like it's even a whole month. I don't drink milk but cutting out frozen yogurt, Greek yogurt, and cheese was hard at first.  

Here's the schedule for the 10 Day Herbal Cleanse: 
Days 1-3
  • Wake up and have the Fiber Drink, wait 30 minutes + (1 serving Spark optional)
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  • Morning & Afternoon Snacks
  • Before bed take the Herbal Cleanse tablets
Days 4-7
  • Probiotic Restore when I wake up, wait 30 minutes + (1 serving Spark optional)
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  • Morning & Afternoon Snacks
  • Before bed take the Herbal Cleanse tablets
Days 8-10
  •  Wake up and take Probiotic Restore, wait 30 minutes + (1 serving Spark optional)
  • Fiber Drink, wait 30 minutes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
  • Morning & Afternoon Snacks
Now I looked at some blog posts for recipes and it seems some people take the "clean eating" for the challenge more hardcore than others. I'm not going to lie, on day 6 I totally had a lemon raspberry cupcake at my cousin's baby shower, and it was delicious. Oh well, the world didn't end and this whole challenge was about making it work to fit my lifestyle, not me stressing about what I eat.  

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Pros

  • I've rekindled my love of tea. No coffee plus winter weather has made warm cups of tea throughout the day just lovely.  
  • It has helped me focus on hydrating more, which is hard for me in the winter when it's cold outside. 
  • There are recommended portion sizes and guidelines, but it's not a diet with restricted eating and calorie counting.  
  • I definitely notice less bloating, which had gotten a little out of hand.  
  • The fiber cleanse is definitely gentle. I didn't notice any issues-it just keep me regular. Don't worry, it definitely won't have you running to the bathroom all day. 
Cons
  • I know people say you can't put a price on health, but the supplements are expensive. Some of the them seem unnecessarily so if you look a the product lists such as the ones that are pretty much just aminos or vitamins. 
  • It was sometimes hard for me to remember to take my supplements and wait 30 minutes in the morning before breakfast. Usually I'm short on time and need to hurry up to get to work. 
  • The fiber drink is unpleasant because it's thick and goopy. I mixed the packet with a cup of water, stirred, and immediately chugged. Apparently it gets thicker the longer it sits.  
  • I know it's not a weight loss diet but still I was hoping with focusing more on healthy eating and cutting out alcohol that I'd lose a pound or two. I ended up not losing any weight during the 10 days. It is supposed to be a  cleanse rather than the max weight loss part of the challenge, but it still has me wondering if I would have lost weight if I was more strict with my eating.  
Have you ever done a gentle cleanse or supplement with fiber? Have you ever tried any Advocare products? 

14 comments:

  1. This is a fair account of the process for the Cleanse Phase, I have done it as a part of the challenge. I have lost nearly 15lbs and not done yet. I am curious as to the flavors you have used. I found the Peaches and Cream fiber drink to be palatable and not bad at all. I find that with the cost, I have spent so much less on crap eating that it nearly pays for itself. I would love to talk with you more about this, so curious.

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  2. Love your honest review! I did the full 24 Day Challenge back in May of 2014 and really loved it. I loved that it really focuses on making things a lifestyle as opposed to a "diet". It made me realize how much dairy and processed foods I was eating on a daily basis, even when I considered my diet to be fairly healthy. I will agree though, the products are pretty pricey. Which is a slight turnoff to continuing with any of the products long term, in my opinion.

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  3. This looks good however I have a feeling the fiber supplementation would KILL ME! My stomach cannot handle fiber :(

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    1. I don't have a gallbladder and a ton of tummy issues, but the 10 day cleanse doesn't bother me. The MNS packets; however, kill my stomach. I can only do the 10 days.

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  4. I've thought about doing something like this, but never got around to it. Usually cleanses scare me because they seem really harsh, but this one sounds very doable (unless you count in the wallet department). Great review!

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    1. I don't have a gallbladder and my tummy is very sensitive. This fiber doesn't bother me. I can do the 10 day cleanse easily, but the MNS packets kill my stomach for some reason.

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  5. These cleanses kinda scare me, but I think its because I would literally pass out if I tried to do all my running with one, BUT I do think they can be a good idea, if done correctly. I am pretty good at getting my fiber in, so I do not worry too much. Thanks for being honest with this, you know I love honesty :)

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  6. I'm not a big fan of supplements either. I don't really feel like they do much for me.

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  7. I habe heard of these products before but never tried them since they are pricey. I don't think I could ever give up my coffee in the morning though.

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  8. Thank you for the honest review! I was considering this, but still wasn't sure if it could be something that could/would work with me, especially since I have IBS problems, too! I wouldn't want to throw a new probiotic into the mix, especially as I just found one that seems to work.

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  9. Oh wow.. that was great to know.. I was thinking to get Advocare Herbal Cleanse Instructions For Use | Advocare Cleanse.. I have heard people are happy using it... Advocare herbal cleanse is a preeminent cleanser. However one needs to know certain instructions of use of advocare herbal cleanse for best results.Thanks

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  10. Thank you for sharing this, I was about to follow Advocare herbal cleanse recipes for 10 day cleanse, found your scheduale very useful. Now I can make a chart and start it today only

    Thank you once again

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  11. Your review about Herbal Clense really good. I am going to buy this and Flex Belt. Thank you !

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  12. I had a hard time getting the fiber down. I tried mixing with Spark and it was too sweet. I did 1/2 water and 1/2 orange juice and used a straw. What a difference. I sucked that stuff down without a problem!

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