Health: Renew Life’s Total Body Rapid Cleanse Review and Tips, Day 1 of 7

Okay, I promise this review isn’t about poop!   Hmmm, maybe a little, but that’s just one of the results some people look for when they “do a cleanse.”  Since I write quite a bit about health products as part of my mind-body-spirit news and this is the  first time I’ve tried one of these quickie cleanses, I thought I’d share the experience and the results, as well as tips for making it a better experience now that I’m done.

I’ve used Renew Life’s vitamins and supplements and have found them to be above average. My nutritionist recommends this particular product line and highly recommends cleanses for everyone, not just her junk food junkies (of which I am not one).   This particular product, the Total Body Rapid Cleanse, is a 7-day regimen.  You take 2 capsules in the morning  (bottle #1) on an empty stomach, wait 30 minutes, and then take the fiber (bottle #2) drink (or eat, then wait 2 hours to take your morning dose).  The morning dose starts the detoxification process and the fiber drink binds with the toxins.  The evening dose is 2 pills from bottle #3 to assist with elimination and another dose of the fiber drink.  You can read the rest from the package or any online store selling the product.

I found the product at my local indie health food store but I’ve seen it in my local Vitamin Shoppe.  I like to support the locals where I can because the staff readily talks to me about issues and recommendations, but if money is an issue,  I’ll tell you that I found it cheaper on Amazon by as much as $5.

Day 1 Tips:

1. Before you buy, read the ingredients, particularly the ingredients in Bottle #3. Some people find that rhubarb causes diarrhea, which is the biggest complaint I’d read in negative reviews…angry, angry, angry reviews.  If you don’t know how certain ingredients affect you, yeah, you may not have as good an experience as I did.
2. Weigh and measure yourself, particularly around the waist.   Yes, know the pounds AND the inches before you start.  How else will you know for sure what your results are?
3. Plan ahead.  Timing is everything. The worst days are usually the 2nd and 3rd day, which is why I opted for a long weekend.  I started Day1 on a Friday, teleworking from home, in case of a poor reaction, and then had Saturday, Sunday, and Monday off work.  I didn’t want to chance having to run to the bathroom 6 times in an hour while I was supposed to be in important meetings and I had no idea how my body would respond, especially after reading  short store reviews.
4. Be reasonable about the outcome you expect. Why are you doing this cleanse?  Have you heard you can lose 8 to 10 pounds in a week?  Maybe just 5?  (I’ll definitely tell you my results at the end of this series.)  Want to be “regular”?  Want to feel spectacular in 7 days?  Want to break your sugar and fast food addiction?

My reason was purely to detoxify and give my liver a boost.  I didn’t feel I needed improved digestion, regularity, or weight loss from this product.  I exercise about 15 hours a week (and enjoy it), eat mostly organic, have been 98% gluten free for at least 6 months, and don’t drink or smoke.

I do however eat, drink, and breathe toxins, absorb them through my skin,  and try to outrun them every day.  This is the world we live in and it’s sadly impossible for me to make sure the chemicals and toxins in our food and atmosphere don’t seep into my body.

Only if I were in a plastic bubble or…oh, wait, no…plastic’s just another toxin in my world.  Give up yet?

I figured anything to help get rid of the toxins I can’t help ingesting would be beneficial.  This wasn’t to fix a bunch of problems–just to give me a boost.

Day 1 Results:

The only differences I noticed on the first day was a headache that started a few hours after my morning detoxifying capsules and feeling bloated from the fiber drink.  One Ibuprophen nixed the headache, though I rarely take any kind of painkiller or need them since  going gluten-free.  I felt uncomfortably full from the fiber drink but not in any sort of pain…just blah.  I was easily able to put in a full 10-hour day at my desk, and never had to run for the bathroom, throw up, or post a scathing review on Amazon.  I didn’t change my diet (I already eat in alignment with the recommended foods on the cleanse packaging) and I continued to drink my usual 100 ounces a day of water.

Summary?  Nothing intense; ho hum first day.

Day 2….. Read on.