**I received this product as part of a product review through the Chronic Illness Bloggers network. Although the product was a gift, all opinions in these reviews remain my own and I am in no way being influenced by the company.**
I’ve been on the Vital Plan Restore Program for 30 days now.
Phase one of the diet is pretty strict with the foods they allow. The point is to get your intestinal tract healthy with foods that won’t bother you. It’s hard to develop recipes with the approved food list so I ended up with a smoothie for breakfast each day, chicken, or tuna for lunch and dinner with veggies and/or fruit.
Along with the supplements, diet guide, and copy of Dr. Rawls’ book, I receive an email each day as part of the online course Vital Plan and Dr. Rawls has developed. It’s great information and has been really helpful.
The most notable changes at this point are an increase in energy and a decrease in brain fog. I’ve been able to get more done around the house and I’ve even been able to take a 30-minute walk with my friend Carla a few times without it throwing me into a flare!
I did have a bit of a rough start though. Day three I had very bad pop cravings (I’m from the Midwest, so it’s pop. Otherwise known as soda. 😉 ). Caffeine withdrawals brought on a few headaches and I felt pretty crabby. Day eight I felt really rough and was craving carbs like crazy – I didn’t take the supplements at bedtime and decided to drop the dose to see if that was the problem. It seemed to help so I went about gradually increasing the dose until I was back to the full amount.
The only downside I have to the program is the number of capsules you need to take. It works out to a total of 12 in the morning and 12 at night. There are four formulas and you take three capsules of each, twice a day. I have to space them out a bit because it feels like too much in my stomach at once.
A bonus is a fact that I’ve lost 18 pounds, but at first, I wasn’t eating as much as I should. I was surprised by the fact that I didn’t feel very hungry, so I was just eating when I felt hunger.
I’ve just started on phase 2 where you begin to introduce foods back into your diet. The first to come back was sweet potatoes. I can’t believe how much sweeter they taste after you’ve eliminated sugar and desserts from your diet. Yummy stuff! After you eat a new food for two to three days in a row, if you haven’t noticed any symptoms develop or had any intestinal issues, you can keep that food on your list and move on to another. Today I’m going to have eggs!!!
I am enjoying finding new whole foods recipes and this has been a catalyst to healthier eating for sure!
Have I cheated?? Well, if you’re following me on Instagram and Facebook you’ve seen my cheats. I forgot to post yesterday’s, but I have had a cheat meal each week. If this whole foods diet is going to be my new normal I’m going to have to have times where I take part in meals that aren’t “on plan” but are celebrations or time spent around the table with those I love.
If you’d like to learn more about the Vital Plan Restore Program you can check out their website here!
