Maybe you’ve heard of the Advocare 24 Day Challenge? Well, this 10 Day Cleanse is the first part of that 24 Day Challenge and you might have noticed when we have cleansed in the past we have stuck to really just doing the first 10 days of that challenge, so that is an option. Here is a list of what you will actually need for this cleanse –
- Box of the Herbal Cleanse
- One bottle of Omegaplex
- One bottle of Catalyst
- Optional: Spark
Now let’s get into more of the nitty gritty of what your food should and should not be for the 10 days that you are on the cleanse –
Don’ts:
Refined sugars, corn or white starches
Wheat products (bread, pasta, muffins, etc.),
Dairy of any kind (milk, cheese, yogurt)
White sauces, dressings such as ranch, blue cheese
Alcohol (you can go without – it’s only 10 days)
Coffee (lattes and coffee full of milk or creamer definitely NO, but if you are a black coffee drinker then in our opinion you don’t have to stop drinking it.)
Soda
Fried foods
Hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup
Fruit juices
Cereal
Bottom feeder seafood (shrimp, lobster)
Extremely small or low doses of butter, margarine, or mayo (ideally these are never used but definitely not on a regular basis)
Do’s:
Vegetables: Fresh or frozen are preferred over canned. Stick with more greens and avoid starchy vegetables like corn.
Fruit: look for fruits lower on the Glycemic Index, but a good rule of thumb is northern fruits: apples and berries. Oranges, grapefruit, pineapple, grapes, kiwi, and bananas are OK but keep to one serving.
Healthy Fats: avocado, nuts, olive oil, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts
Meats: clean meats are best in the whole form, ground is OK, but not for every meal. Chicken, tuna, salmon, halibut, eggs, beef is OK, but is not the first choice, and turkey.
Clean Carbohydrates: sparingly during the cleanse – Rice, hummus, oatmeal, quinoa, rice cakes.
Also OK: Lentils, legumes, fresh mint, lemon or lime juice, 100% cranberry juice to add flavor, egg beaters, mustards, relish, low mayo, pickles, spaghetti sauce with not added sugars (organic and clean) salsa.
What we both like about this cleanse is that it isn’t an unrealistic cleanse. It is very doable and if you are trying to get rid of processed food from your diet this can very much aid you in that process. To make this a successful cleanse try and do as much food prep early on so you don’t get in a bind later. Advocare recommends doing this cleanse once every 3 months.
Should you want to do the Advocare Ten Day Cleanse then you may go here to find all of your products.
Have you participated in a cleanse before, if so what kind? If not, what’s hold you back from trying one?
*all pictures courtesy of Advocare
**Disclaimer: Teal is an Advocare Distributor and became one because she believes in the product. We are not being paid for writing this blog post, but want to share with you something we believe in ourselves.
I’m doing the cleanse now! Day 2 and so far it’s very easy.
GOOD!! So glad to hear that! =)
Am interested in this challenge. Big diet coke addict and know i need to quit. other substitutes allowed in cleanse and rest of diet like unsweet tea, OJ, cranberry juice, etc? i know lots of water is recommended but would like something of taste with meals.
Hi, Bill! Yes, diet coke really is not such a good thing, but isn’t recognizing it a step in the right direction?! Go you! More to your question unsweet tea is ok, cranberry juice only at a minimum like 1 tablespoon to flavor water, they really push the spark drink for energy and vitamins. You could also try doing the Nuun All Day tablets to flavor your water! Hope that helps!
For best results I would avoid the balsamic because it contains higher amounts of sugar. Also milks of any kind are good to avoid but if you must, stick to unsweetened almond or soy. Good luck!! You might also try the spark warm if you need that! It’s a good energy source!
Reblogged this on Sailorgirlsnewadventures's Blog and commented:
I’m about to start this next week, so this person had some great tips 🙂
I would agree. When my husband and I took the Advocare cleanse the first few times, we made the mistake of letting it sit for a few minutes. Wow it was rough going down. We quickly realized that was not the easy way. Now we take it every few months and love love love it.
I know AdvoCare only recommends doing the cleanse four times a year, but can you do the 10-day cleanse more than only four times a year?
I would say no. Your body will adapt making it less effective. Others may have different opinions. Advocare puts a lot of care into research so that amount is based on research! I’d stick with it 😉
I am only using the Herbal cleanse box. I thought that was all I was supposed to get with the cleanse? Will it make a huge difference if I don’t use the Omegaplex and Catalyst? I do take 2 Fish Oil capsules daily. Thanks for the recipes too, they look delish!
You will be fine! Although the catalyst is my favorite supplement that Advocare makes and is great when working out and building lean muscles! 🙂
Thanks! I am on day 3, doing well except I did have a diet dew today 🙁 I had to! (no, I really didn’t!). Do you ever eat PB, or is that a no no on the cleanse? I am hoping this will give me a jump start to my weight loss. I am doing Weight Watchers and workout 4-5 times a week, I am just in a slump right now….
PB is totally fine. Keep to one serving a day and pair with a fruit! Get the cleanest version you can find.. We love Justin’s PB. Look for organic!! Good luck and this is a great jump start. Keep eating clean like the cleanse and add just a few things back! You’ll get it off!
Can you eat eggs or do they have to be egg whites only?
We typically do a mixture 1 whole egg to 3-4 egg whites.
I have eaten three oranges today and I’m currently on day 7 of the cleanse… is that a no no?
That’s a lot of oranges for 1 day but they are good scrubbers! I’m sure you didn’t do much harm!
Is Fruit 2O okay to drink? or should it just be plain water?
Honestly, in general that’s not something we’d recommend because there is so much fake stuff you can’t even pronounce IN that water like hexametaphosphate. What the heck?! Sucralose listed as an ingredient is an artificial sweetener..for your overall health and wellness long term you are better off infusing your own water with fruits! Better for you and then you know EXACTLY what is going into your body.
I have been doing the 10 day cleanse for five days now and I don’t feel like its working its not cleaning my intestines out like it should are there some fruits and vegetables I can eat more of to help cleanse me out better.
Is this based on bowel movements? 🙂
I’m nursing, can I do this cleanse?
We don’t actually know….neither one of us has even had a kid yet, so we don’t feel comfortable offering an opinion on that. Probably best to ask your doctor!
I started the cleanse this morning and started feeling really sick I started throwing up and everything has anyone felt like this ?
I am so sorry to hear that. I am not sure what it could be. There is really nothing that should make you sick. Was it in the morning or after the cleanse pills at night?
Maybe this can help someone else….
When I did the cleanse I wasn’t drinking enough water and felt really bad. I think my body was reabsorbing the toxins because I didn’t intake enough water to flush them out. Maybe this was your problem. Good luck!!
p.s. I felt absolutely amazing once I corrected this problem (by drinking enough water).
Thanks for the advice!! Great tip!
do you take the omega and the catalyst at the same time?
I usually take catalyst before eating/working out and omega after eating!!
I am on day 3… I ordered a chicken salad for lunch without realizing that there was Gorgonzola cheese on it. I scrapped as much of it off as i could but there was still a little left. Do you think this will interfere with my cleansing?
It’s really shouldn’t and especially I you are keeping as close to the 80/20 rule as possible!! Good luck!
Whats the 80/20 rule? Also, what do I eliminate if I get diarrhea?
I was on my 5th day of my ten day cleanse and i broke the rules, can i start over??
Is diet soda really bad? I had a terrible headache today at the pool. Needed caffeine, so I got a coke zero. I’m on 2nd day of cleanse….did I ruin it???
Diet soda is just so full of chemicals. We are both of the opinion it’s not good for you whether you are cleansing or not cleansing! If you just had one you’re probably fine. We both try and eat as little processed food which means food that has GMOs and tons of FAKE stuff in it on a regular basis. Our advice to you would be to try and kick any form of soda and stick to coffee (although on the cleanse this would need to be black coffee) or green tea when you need a caffeine fix! Or you can always use Advocare’s Spark as an energy booster for the future!
I am on day 6 of the cleanse and I have been eating whole wheat bread and occasionally soft corn tortillas as my complex carbs for breakfast and have been eating greek yogurt for a snack each day. On my instruction box it said those were acceptable for snacks and carbs. Am I making a huge mistake?
Also, I am running a lot but am lacking calories, is a Spark enough or can I use the GU gels on long runs?
For long runs I would use a real food. Try dried fruit. Raisins, apricots, etc. rice cakes and pb are a good fuel also quinoa. Try to stay away from corn based products just for healthy sake! You will cleanse better!
I would not war those. It’s loaded in hidden sugars! Stick with fruit and veggies when you are hungry! If you are dying we suggest Justin’s organic peanut butter with brown rice cakes- keep organic. That will help. No granola!
Why cant you have wheat products on the cleanse? Im on day 4 and have eaten bread a couple times before i read this..
I did the 24 day challenge 2 months ago. I did well for a few weeks afterward but recently have not made the best food choices. I bought another 24 day challenge, but now see that it recommends every 3 months. Can I do it a month early?
Yes!
What is the 80/20 rule? Can I salt my food? What about marinades?
Basically 80/20 means follow the rules to a t 80% of the time. Really I am for 90% when cleansing for weight loss. Cheat or bend rules very slightly 20% of the time
Your blog is absolutely wonderful. I’ve just started the 10 Day Cleanse and I already feel like I’m off to a great start! I’m wondering if you could offer some work out advice to go along with the cleanse?
It would be very appreciated!
What kind of advice are you look for specifically?? We’d love to help out if we can!
So started cleanse not my first time but…. I spaced and for got to take my night time pill do i still take it? Or do i double up at night?
I’m sure we aren’t responding to you in time….it happens! I don’t think we doubled up when we did it just kept going as if nothing happened!
I am on my first day of the cleanse and I had about 2 tablespoons of ranch with yogurt on my salad. I feel deflated now. 🙁 Is it ok to use olive oil and vinegar or is the olive oil a no no too.
Yes that is fine! Don’t worry about the ranch! Ou need to aim to stick to the guidelines 80+ percent of the one! Olive oil is a good fat for you to use just use sparingly.
Can I chew gym in the 10 days cleanse
Today is the first day of 10 days cleanse,& I’m gum chewer ,can I chew gum???
Yes!!
Are whole grain rice cakes allowed? I was going to use organic almond butter on them…
Yes! Keep to 1 serving a day and really use in an “I’m dying” situation! I just eat them before a good workout when on the cleanse.
How many servings of fruit in the morning do I have during the detox phase? I’m a 115 pound female. I’m a bit confused about the number of servings to consume..
A cup serving of your choice of fruit is good with breakfast and your mid morning snack. Is thy what your asking?
Yes thank you
I am big on salty foods, I am on day 3 and I get these cravings to the point where I feel like caving in, but I don’t….BUT I can’t stop thinking about it. Is there anything you would suggest I eat to cure the craving?
Pickles?? That’s what I do! Stay strong!!
Where can I purchase the products to begin?
There is a link on the side of our home blog page that is a blue advocare box! Go there
Hi….excited bout starting the 10 day cleanse…just got my shipment in….but I wanted to know,would strawberries b okay to eat also….
Yes!!! They are great!! Good luck and keep us posted!
Can organic balsamic vinegar be used on salads during the detox phase?
I’m on day 5 and just seen the no wheat bread and I have had it 4 of my 5 days with a string cheese at lunch .. did I ruin it? I’m dong the 24 day challenge and thought thats what I was suppose to eat?!?!?!?!
Not ruined! Just take it out!! Stay as close as possible and just keep it super clean. Cut out the cheese too!! More veggies and fruit and you will be fine!!
I’ve read conflicting info re Catalyst. Is it used in place of protein for a meal? Or is it taken 30 minutes before all meals?
Thanks!
Julie
Ps: So far loving the cleanse! I feel so much better!!
Catalyst is not for protein and doesn’t replace it!! It can be taken either 15 min before a work out or 30 before a meal. We usually take it before the workout for a little boost!!
Just started cleanse today. Is balsamic vinegar okay and can I have soy milk in my coffee with Splenda?
Is Crystal Light ok to drink during the cleanse?
Are the miyo water additives okay? They’re generally sugar, fat, and calorie free!
This question kind of unleashes in us more information than you probably wanted. 🙂 It is our opinion that products such as Mio should not really be apart of your day to day lifestyle and it is not cleanse friendly. While you’re on the cleanse you really should be drinking water, black coffee, tea and/or Spark. Your best alternative on the cleanse is to add a slice of fruit to your water for flavor it is way better than a product with artificial sweeteners in it. Have you tried Spark??
Candice – for additional information on Mio checkout this website: http://blog.fooducate.com/2011/04/11/oh-my-mio-water-flavoring-has-nothing-real-in-it/
I’m thinking about doing the cleanse.. but there r so many foods to stay away from.. i think my biggest problem would be breakfast i have oatmeal at least 5 days a week. also no whole grain bread or dairy products i love greek yogurt. any suggestions
Are you not an egg person? There are egg cups/muffins you could pre-make so that you have breakfast for a few days ready for you. You can stick to oatmeal for breakfast it would just have to be your only clean carb for the day really for it to be effective. We’ve mainly done the cleanse as a 10 day cleanse and not the full 24 day cleanse. You can do anything for 10 days, right? The cleanse can be a good eye opener of what you need to incorporate into your diet more and food items to limit. It is a cleanse so it’s limiting for a short period of time to clean out your system. If you are worried about it maybe see if a friend will do it with you so you can each support each other throughout the 10 days?
Does it really matter if I take the herbal vitamins right at bed time? I remember to take them a little before bed, then end up staying up another hour. Does this matter?
Is it ok to take supplements like glutamine, creatine, all natural whey protein powder, waxy maize and a BCAA mix supplement while on the 10 day cleanse?
Yes! As a matter of fact catalyst has bcaa and glutamine in it but totally understand taking what you already like and use! Whey is totally fine as well! I think you are good with all of that! Good luck!!
Rob- I have never heard of waxy maize though so I’m not sure there. 😉
its a highly dense complex carb post workout mix with 3 grams sugar… i am unsure of this the most because of it being a carb replenish drink for my post 3 hour training sessions.
I am on day 4 of my cleanse and have done great, down 4 lbs. so far. I have a few questions that I am unable to find answers for; do where is pork mentioned~is a lean boneless pork chop off limits? what about parsnips and turnips? any suggestions for breakfast protein besides eggs? also, serving sizes are not listed anywhere, is one egg a serving, how many ozs. of meat, etc.
Yay!! That is awesome. For your questions. Pork is typically not considered “clean” so for cleanse purposes I’d limit or avoid. It’s not a bad meat per se so don’t worry if you have had it but I’d choose chicken or fish first. Whey protein smoothies are good for the morning, meal replacement, shakeology, nuts. These can work. You can also eat chicken or something like that- its fine! Serving sizes aren’t listed bc it’s not about calories but of you like that (as we do) we stick to what’s “normal for us” 4-5 oz meat, 1 egg 3-4 egg whites combines, unlimited veggies, 1 cup fruit, 2oz nuts…
OK it’s Friday and I’ve had a long week. I’m having one drink. Would Liquor be better than beer in your opinion? Thanks!
Sorry!! What did you end up going with? This has happened with us during a cleanse as well and I think we went with wine. 🙂
Did you lose weight on the cleanse???
Yes, ma’am we each did! 🙂
I’m on day 4. I’m doing all the right things…and all the plumbing is working well. I don’t really see any results so far. I’m hopeful for some loosening in the clothes by the end of day 6 or 7.
I did not get Catalyst with my purchase. I did get the cleanse with Spark. Then the MS3 for days 11-24 and the Omega.
If I purchase the Catalyst but don’t really work out (except to ride my bike about 20 minutes every other day)….will it be very effective for me?
I think so. It’s good amino acids and can provide added energy!
I forgot to add…..I have never tried a diet like this before. But, I was getting a little concerned that the weight I put on over the last year during menopause just wasn’t coming off…only going higher. I now need it to come off before I need a whole new wardrobe.
You can do it!! Be consistent and patient! This is a healthy and more permanent way to lose the weight!
One last question….is one glass of wine on day 4 or 5 completely out of the question?
I would avoid it!! Lots of sugar buuuuut it’s not going to destroy you. I just don’t recommend it and don’t make and to repeat it. Adult bevs are pretty bad for weight lose. We hate that!! We like our wine!
With all the focus on healthy ingredients, do we know why Advocare uses sucralose in Spark? They use stevia for the meal replacement shakes, which is acceptable to me, but I’m disappointed by the artificial sweetener sucralose being used. I usually avoid artificial sweeteners 100% and I’m disgusted that during my cleanse I’ve been ingesting this junk 2x per day. Literally everything else I’m taking in during the cleanse is healthy and non-processed and then there’s… sucralose. Have you heard anything from Advocare on this issue? Are they considering a change?
Good question. I will look into it. We agree!
Can you ear cucumber chips on advocare cleanse? Patty
How is that made?
Cucumber
Oh haha! Yes! Eat away. We thought that was some fancy maybe fake chip or something! That’s totally fine!!
Can you eat olives?
Yes but treat it as a healthy fat and eat in one meal a day.
Is it ok to use PlexusSlim while on the 10 day cleanse?
Im on day 34 of my 72 day challenge and had not made good eating choices while on vacation… burgers..pizza. fries….its so hard to while on vacation…
should i do another cleanse and start over or should i just pick myself up and continue where i left off ??? feeling lost ??? any suggestions ??
How long we’re you on the actual cleanse? Did you do all 10 days
Finished my 10 day cleanse~down 12.5 lbs! Yay for me!! Makes me realize I can do this, however eating out is tough. Went away for a long weekend, didn’t eat like I did at home, but did not gain any pounds back. So onward and upward I go. Looking for next goal of 20 pound loss.
You are amazing!!! This is such awesome news!! You keep it up and let us know about our progress!!
This is awesome!!! Congrats! Way to stick with it!!
Can you eat a salad with lunch meat like a salad (with no dressing) from Subway during the Cleanse?
Lunch meat is very processed and typically has tons of sodium. Advocare suggests avoiding it but of that the best option at the time do it. It’s waaaaayyy better than some other options
Hope this isn’t too weird of a question, or personal, but what are your thoughts on starting a cleanse, or possibly being on a cleanse when that time of the month comes? Does it affect it adversely? Or would you just want to consume more water or something?
It really doesn’t effect you much. The added water weight and bloating can still happen but keep as close tongue cleanse as possible and your results just might seem a few days delayed when your body goes back to “regular” it’s just mentally annoying but your body is still cleansing!
Can someone taking antidepressants, anxiety meds, thyroid meds for an under active thyroid, and high blood pressure meds safely do the cleanse?
We recommend asking your doctor because we don’t know the specifics of your meds :/ sorry!!
Heavy coffee and diet cola drinker here. If I drink coffee with non dairy creamer and use stevia or sweet ‘n low is this okay? What about diet cola? Please don’t say drink fruit juices as an alternative. It is diet cola.
No soda!! Ok with the coffee but its not the greatest but keep it non dairy and stevia. We highly recommend spark as a great alternative. You can drink it hot or cold but if you have to have coffee we def get it but spark is awesome!
I’m on day two of the cleans faze. I am having headaches and going to the bathroom to pee about every 20 mins. Is this normal?
Yes! Usually withdrawals from sugar, processed foods, or caffeine. Drink lots of water and power through!
I am starting the 24 day challenge this Sunday. I normally have a Slim Fast Shake for lunch…what can I have for a quick and easy lunch.
We like the advocare meal replacement shakes and shakeology by beach body. We make meals a week in advance so we eat a lot of homemade soup or salad.
Hi, is green tea (with caffeine) ok on the 10 day cleanse part?
Hi, Jessica! Green tea is ok for the tea day cleanse! Happy cleansing! 🙂
I’m on day 3 of the 24 day challenge and I guess I was thinking the cleanse would clean you out and not feeling that? I am eating little fruit but veggies and lean meats. Taking the catalyst. I feel great just now sure the cleanse is doing anything for me. Any ideas??
Basically you thought you’d be using the bathroom A LOT? Is that what you mean? That’s not really the case for the cleanse and the 10 days of the herbal cleanse we would say does more than you realize, but you gotta trust that it’s working its magic. It’s just like when you start working out for the first time or eating right again it’s not over night it takes time! Do make sure you are drinking LOTS of water though!!
im starting the cleanse sunday…is tuna in the can okay?
Hi, Whitney! Hopefully you did go ahead and eat that tuna as we do think it is ok! Let us know if you have any other questions!
Thanks! I wont start the cleanse until Sunday, but I went ahead and bought the tuna…I ended up getting the Ocean Naturals light tuna in water…doesnt have any weird ingredient names, so i assumed that was a good thing lol
You are very welcome and sorry was getting my days mixed up. Ha! Need the weekend to get here ASAP! Yay, for no weird ingredient names!
Is there any way to do the cleanse without using any advocate products besides spark? Just eating clean and drinking lots of water? Really want to do the 24 day challenge with friends who have started it (we all had babies in March and April so trying to get back into shape and on track with health) but I cannot afford the products. My roommate has spark and dehydrate but I just want to know how important the catalyst and stuff is. Are there “substitutes?”
Advocare*
Rehydrate* sorry autocorrect
Hi, Deena! We miight have an option for you! Could you email us at lifeisarun2011 at gmail dot com?
Can you mux the cleanse with something taster to drink?
Do you mean the fiber drink? Mixing it with the orange flavored Spark makes it more orange juice like with pulp. The Peaches ‘n Cream flavor of the fiber drink is actually more tolerable in my opinion than the citrus flavor!
Hi there do you have any suggestions for meals. I am only on day 3 and the chicken and brown rice is boring me. Besides spices anything else to dip of or use on meat? Or any recipes?
Hi, Lisa! We have an advocare category on our blog now that has some recipes in those posts if you want to check those out for ideas! As far as dips or condiments rather for these 10 days you can use mustard, ketchup (in moderation), worchestire sauce (in moderation), vinegar and greek yogurt. Hope this helps and good luck with the rest of the cleanse! You can do it! 🙂
This is my first day of the cleanse and the fiber drink for me was horrible. Could I mix it in with my egg whites for breakfast?
Hi, Ashley! Assuming you have the citrus version of the cleanse? The fiber drink really is a CHUG and done type thing since it’s not that great tasting and if you let it sit too long it congeals. The best alternative we can offer you is to mix it with a scoop of Spark. Since you take the fiber drink and your Probiotic Restore at the same time you’re suppose to wait about 30 minutes to eat, so we would not recommend mixing it with your egg whites. Sorry!
Is brown rice or long grain rice a better choice?
Hey, Todd! The key here is to just stay away from white rice and here is more details as to why:
http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/healthy-eating/what-type-rice-healthiest?page=all
Wow! I wish I had this when I did my first one. I did my first one in June of 2013. It was easy! You definitely know when you need another. I am on my second one now. The first one, I lost all cravings after 3 days. In fact, when I ate the sweet, salty and fried foods, it would make me feel sick to my stomach. I soon became an advisor and truely cannot see myself ever living with out it.
Good luck to all and thank you for sharing your points.
I am on day 2 of the Cleanse Phase. How many OmegaPlex pills do you take a day? My adviser told me 2 pills twice a day, but on the 24 day challenge brochure it just lists it once a day at dinner. So I need to know which one is correct. Also, how many catalyst a day?
Hi, Marci! Your adviser was correct in telling you twice a day and preferably with a meal! You can take up to 9 catalyst a day which should be 3 catalyst either 30 minutes before a meal or 15 minutes before a workout. Good luck with the cleanse!