Detox Diary: Cleansing with Kaeng Raeng

By Leslie Perryman

We’ve all been there–food overload. Whether you over-indulged on vacation or decided to nurse a broken heart with hoards of junk food, many of us can relate to feeling like our bodies could use a little time to detox. So where do you turn when this feeling hits? Cleansing is one option, although a controversial one within the health community. Let’s have a look at why and check out one company who prides themselves on doing things vegan.

Potential cleansing pros: Energy boost, mental clarity, weight loss, better sleep, brightened skin and eyes, elimination of toxins from GI track, reduced sugar cravings, self-confidence boost.

Potential cleansing cons: Weight loss can be temporary, insomnia, feeling weak, headaches, digestive distress, dizziness, feeling irritable.

In my personal opinion cleansing can be a great way to let your body have a breather or jumpstart a journey to better health, if done right. The key phrase here is, “if done right.” There are some cleanses out there that have people living solely on lemony cayenne-flavored water or little to no sustenance for an extended period of time, and that my friends, is neither healthy nor enjoyable.

I recently tried out a 3-day program through a company called Kaeng Raeng. The cleanse consists of drinking one product pouch per meal time (3 times per day) in addition to raw fruits and vegetables. Each pouch contains more than a full serving of fruit and fiber, 15g of non-gmo protein, 2 billion live probiotic cultures, essential amino acids, and daily vitamins.

The packets come in powder form, which you can mix with water or blend with liquid, frozen fruit, and ice to create a thicker and sweeter smoothie. Kaeng Raeng is animal, gluten, and caffeine free and also contains no artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, laxatives or stimulants.

This is one of the better cleanses I’ve personally tried. I like that the drinks are filling and kept me feeling satisfied. I also like that they encourage eating raw fruits and vegetables while cleansing because I find I usually miss that “chew” factor when only drinking liquid during a cleanse.*

With Kaeng Raeng I didn’t experience any negative symptoms and I attribute this to prepping my body a week or so prior. If you plan to do a cleanse I recommend doing the same by eating more cleanly (less processed foods and sugar, more fresh produce), drinking lots of water, and lowering caffeine intake. This will greatly decrease your chances of experiencing the potentially negative symptoms listed above. Caffeine and sugar withdrawals can become quite a hindrance if you quit cold turkey right before attempting a cleanse; and ultimately I think it’s important that cleansing not obstruct our daily routines too much. Plus nobody likes a cranky pants! Just sayin’.

For more information on Kaeng Raeng, visit their website: http://www.kaengraeng.com/. And if you are interested in learning more about doing a cleanse yourself or have questions, feel free to ask me via twitter – @VeggieFiend.

*Please note I am not a doctor and recommend speaking to your personal physician before deciding to try a cleanse for yourself.

Leslie Perryman is an AADP Certified Health Coach helping her clients find happiness through healthfulness. She has a passion for sharing her healthy culinary creations with friends and family and her current foodie favorites include: raw cacao, roasted brussels sprouts, and tempeh fajitas. Visit her at www.mybalancedliving.com.