Dr Oz 3 Day Detox: The Shake Down

I found this cleanse surprisingly easy to do. I did not find myself fantasizing about food as I have done on some other cleanses. I found each shake (with adjustments to the lunch shake) to be tasty and well-balanced and kept me feeling full until the next meal. Here's my journal of the shakes I drank on the Dr. Oz 3-Day Detox. How did you do?

The Breakfast Shake

Here goes - Day 1, Shake 1. It is clearly way too early in the morning to have my picture taken, but what the heck. It's a breakfast shake, right? This one had a funky green color because I added a little too much spinach, and not quite enough raspberries. The subsequent breakfast shakes were a little more red.

As there weren't any fresh organic raspberries at the market, I had to use frozen ones. But it's OK to use frozen organic produce - they're picked at the height of freshness, so they don't lose much in terms of nutritional content. Also, the frozen variety tend to be less expensive.  

Bottom Line: This shake was very refreshing 1st thing in the morning. I found myself looking forward to it. 4/5 Stars.

See the Breakfast Shake ingredients and health benefits

The Lunch Shake

I have to admit that I struggled with this shake. The texture of the coconut oil threw me off. I know how important coconut oil is to your health and that it is a vital part of process, but I couldn't take it in the shake. Instead I warmed the oil up a little on the stove and took it as a shot before I drank the shake. I used a little extra of my Homemade Almond Milk to compensate for the loss moisture from leaving out the oil. It made it taste infinitely better to me.

Not everything has to be part of the shake to be a part of the cleanse. If you need to make adjustments like the one above, you can. Just make sure you're getting each element into your body in some form.

Bottom Line: Coconut oil in a smoothie just doesn't work for me, but a little homemade almond milk helped this shake redeem itself. 3/5 stars

See the Lunch Shake ingredients and health benefits

The Dinner Shake

This one was my favorite. The cayenne pepper gives it a real kick. I was a little heavy handed when I made the first dinner shake and as a result got a bigger kick than I should have. My son tried a sip and yelped "water! water!" 

The kale I used is from a frozen supply that I have. I buy lots of beautiful kale from a local organic market called The Green Thumb. I wash it and store it in the freezer in large ziplock bags. That way I have a supply to use in smoothies and soups throughout the winter.

Bottom Line: Cayenne pepper and frozen kale help make this shake a wonderful way to end the day. 5/5 stars.

See the Dinner Shake ingredients and health benefits

The... Bonus Shake?

You are supposed to choose any of the shakes and have that as your "snack" in the middle of the afternoon. Dr Oz calls it the "Bonus Shake". The first and third day I didn't have the bonus shake. I wasn't that hungry so I didn't feel like I needed it. On the 2nd day I thought I was going to kill someone if I didn't eat something. Unfortunately, I was not anywhere near home, or a blender, when the hunger struck. I managed to find a market and inhaled 2 bananas before I could say Mississippi. 

We all have to make it through the day, and if you feel like you really need to eat, then do. Just try to limit the food you consume to the foods that are on the cleanse. Eat an apple, or a bowl of berries. Or, if you're really hungry have some almond butter on celery sticks. You should not feel like you are starving! At the same time, it's important to recognize when hunger is real, vs when our minds think they need food. 

Dr. Oz 3-Day Cleanse Review

+ I lost 2 pounds and felt much more energized with clearer thinking. I already have a very clean diet and focus a lot on detoxifying my body so I was surprised that got the results that I did. 

+ I loved taking the bath every night. I felt so relaxed and found that I slept much better. I even sprayed a little lavender on my pillow.

- The evening meal was difficult. I have a husband a 2 kids to feed, so not eating the same meal as them was hard. My kids kept asking me when I was going to eat dinner.

- It's not portable. You need to be close to home, or to a blender, for the 3 days you choose to do this. 

The Bottom Line: It was easy and tasty and I never felt deprived. I will happily do it again.