Our First Impressions Coordinator, Raquel, did our 10 day cleanse…

…and she wants to share her experiences with you!

by Raquel Knittel

The basics: drink plenty of water, avoid sugar and processed grains, and limit high fat foods. (Learn more.) This helps patients’ better process destroyed fat cells through their liver – and leads to better overall treatment results. (We all want that!)

For those patients who really want to see the treatment as a “life-change” or for those who need more guidance, we have a medically-based detox kit available for them. The kit provides patients with protein powder filled with vital micro-nutrients, essential supplements, and a detailed guide of what and how to eat. It’s a 10 day process – and our entire Sonata team decided to do the detox together.

We also wanted to be able to guide you – our patients – through the process, should you decide this is the right choice for you.

Not all cleanses or detoxes are the same. In fact, some are very dangerous, and simply limit calories – which you then tend to “eat back” as soon as you are done cleansing.

The Metagenics cleanse – and all their products – are medically-researched and FDA cleared to be safe and effective.

My own experience with the cleanse was very interesting. I initially went into the 10 day process with the Go Get ’em attitude. As the third day came around I was asking myself why I was so tired and hungry.

The two big reasons:

1. I realized that pre-cleanse, I was constantly snacking. Crackers, cheese, candy and anything filling but also unhealthy. I wasn’t aware of how much sugar, processed grains, and fats I was consuming in my daily snacking.
2. Giving up my daily dose of caffeine was a challenge, but probably a good “reset” for my body. And I did sleep better when I was caffeine-free.

To make the cleanse a little easier, I should have prepared meals and snacks the night before. Showing up at work empty handed and only having a limited amount of time to grab lunch – I was left without a lot of good, filling choices.

The good part:

After just three days, I began to notice that I was actually feeling much healthier and my clothes were fitting better. That was great motivation to keep up the hard work! On the third night, I prepared homemade kale chips and cauliflower when I got home. That gave me some good snacks for the next day.

Towards day 5, I saw the finish line only days away – and to my surprise, my entire family began to eat healthier. I think my commitment and enthusiasm rubbed off on them. I continued to feel better and noticed that others saw a difference in me too. By day 8 and 9, my body was feeling fantastic, I was eating more healthfully, and I was not so exhausted.

Would I do this cleanse again? Yes, in a heartbeat.

I now know to discipline myself to prep meals and snacks ahead of time.The cleanse allowed me to explore some new foods – and new sections of the grocery store – and expanded my view of healthy eating.
I am inspired to continue limiting my sugars and caffeine, and focusing on having healthy snacks and protein-heavy meals.

All in all, it was a great, life-changing experience, and I am excited to maintain my good habits as we roll into the holiday season. I’d love to share more about my experience with you!*

*Results may vary from patient to patient based on program compliance and patient’s own commitment level

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