I am so pumped about the feedback from you guys since we announced the upcoming #CamilleStylesCleanse earlier this week. You’ve let us know on Instagram, in the comments, and tweeted us that you’ll be cooking and eating the clean recipes right along with us for 7 days, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. Since the Cleanse kicks off on Monday, I wanted to pop in with the downloadable grocery list right here, plus answers to your most frequently asked questions. Also, don’t forget to post your cleanse meals on Instagram with #CamilleStylesCleanse so we can do this thing together — we’ll be sharing our favorite reader snaps on the @camillestyles Instagram throughout the week!
#CamilleStylesCleanse FAQ’s
- No refined sugar for 7 days?! What about sugar cravings? The cleanse allows for small amounts of honey, maple syrup, and stevia — that being said, these can still cause blood sugar spikes that we’re trying to avoid while cleansing so they should be consumed sparingly. As someone with a major sweet tooth, I feel your pain. I always crave something sweet after a meal, so the post-dinner herbal tea (with a little stevia for me) that’s on each day’s menu will help fill the void left by no dessert. Often, a piece of fresh fruit will satisfy afternoon sugar cravings, and in a pinch, a small piece of dark chocolate with a couple almonds is perfectly acceptable.
- I have a busy schedule next week and fear I won’t have time to prep three meals a day. How can I make the menus work when I’m strapped for time? First, the meal plan was designed to include recipes that are super easy to prep. The veggie spring rolls, asian chicken salad, and green protein power bowl are all dinners that can be prepped faster than you can order takeout. Especially if you let the grocery store do a little of the prep work for you by buying pre-chopped veggies and a rotisserie chicken. Another important rule of the cleanse? You can substitute any breakfast, lunch, or dinner on any day of the menu with the same meal on a different day. This means, if you want to make a big batch of Chia Berry Smoothie and freeze leftovers to drink for breakfast on 4 days of the cleanse, be my guest. Make a huge batch of Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili and eat it for lunch the next day… and maybe dinner the next night, too. Maximize those leftovers and save time — as long as you’re following the general rules of the cleanse, you’re all good.
- I’m pregnant or breastfeeding. How can I ensure that I’m taking in enough calories for my baby? This cleanse is not super restricted on calories since we include plenty of fats and healthy grains — that being said, you know your body best, and if you feel like you’re not getting enough to support a growing (or breast-feeding) baby, follow these tips: make sure you’re getting some carbs at every meal, snack whenever you feel true hunger signals, and make sure to drink tons of water.
- I’m vegetarian or vegan. Is the cleanse still doable for me? The 7-day menu is mostly plant-based with limited amounts of animal products, so it’s easily adapted for vegetarian and vegan diets. Swap out eggs for tofu, trade the chicken in the Asian salad for extra nuts and avocado, use sautéed tempeh instead of the salmon filet, and skip the tiny amounts of cheese. Easy breezy.
- I don’t like quinoa (or cilantro, or almonds.) Can I make substitutions in the recipes? Heck yes. I am one of those people who can’t make a recipe without tinkering with at least a couple of ingredients, so feel free to make all the substitutions you’d like, as long as they follow the general rules of the cleanse. Use farro or brown rice instead of quinoa, and change up herbs, nuts, vinegars, and oils based on your preferences and what you have on hand. Cooking and eating are supposed to be fun, even on a cleanse!
- What should I do if I have dinner plans at a restaurant one night during the cleanse? I’ve had dinner with friends on Thursday night on my calendar for ages, and I’m not planning to cancel for the cleanse. My strategy? I’ll stick to salads, non-starchy vegetables, and clean proteins like grilled fish. I’ll have 1 of my allotted glasses of wine, and skip the bread, pasta, and dessert. Just use the rules as your guidelines when ordering, and make sure you follow our “80% full rule” which can be especially tough in a restaurant.
- How can I save money when shopping the grocery list? For one, feel free to consolidate the herbs, condiments, and nuts. Instead of buying them all, choose your favorites in each category and sub in for the others that are called for in the recipe (see question #5 for substitution guidelines.) For items that you only need a small amount of (like spices or dates), see if you can find them in your grocery store’s bulk section, and buy only what you need.
- Will I lose weight? You might lose a couple pounds over the course of the week, especially if you usually snack and/or eat dessert every night (like me) and completely cut those extra calories out of your diet this week. Also, the no bread thing and no processed sugar will be a big deal for some people and your body might reward you by shedding a bit of extra weight. However, our main goal here is to fuel our body with energizing nutrients and detoxify it of the bad stuff so you can feel your happiest and reset your health goals for spring!
Download your grocery list and get shopping this weekend — stocking your kitchen with all those healthy ingredients is the first big step in the right direction!
*photo: kristen kilpatrick
