Rachel Beller's Power Souping Program begins with the Restart Me! 3-day detox
4 Things to Make the Restart Me! Detox Successful:
1. Only make the soups on the detox plan. They are vegan and have certain
ingredients for cleansing and detoxing your body.
2. Eat the breakfast soup every morning.
3. Have an afternoon snack soup every day.
4. No coffee or alcohol for the 3 days.
Of the 4 things to do during the 3-day detox, giving up coffee was the hardest part for me!
Remember, this is only for 3 days! You can do it!
Shopping
After a good cry over giving up coffee for three days, it's time to hit the local produce market. We have an amazing one near my house where you can honestly get a TON of produce for under $30! Remember as you shop--Green is Good!!! I literally walked the aisles and grabbed some of almost every vegetable they had. Many of Rachel's soups have common main ingredients, so things like onions, carrots, leeks, celery, fresh herbs, and ginger should be permanent items on your list. Also, the lunch/dinner soups make large pots, so rather than go it alone, team up with a friend. The recipes make enough for two, and you can also share the cost. I eat so little that I brought my mom and a friend on board. They give me some money for ingredients and I make the soup, then portion it and make soup deliveries. I love taking care of people, so this is right up my alley.
Armed with my produce and my fresh cashew milk (learn how to make here) I prepared to make a week's worth of soup. I chopped everything up and put out two big pots. I made two different soups in only about 30 minutes. Everything was in one pot and since I precut everything I just tossed in the ingredients as directed and simmered. I let them cool off and began the portioning process.
After a good cry over giving up coffee for three days, it's time to hit the local produce market. We have an amazing one near my house where you can honestly get a TON of produce for under $30! Remember as you shop--Green is Good!!! I literally walked the aisles and grabbed some of almost every vegetable they had. Many of Rachel's soups have common main ingredients, so things like onions, carrots, leeks, celery, fresh herbs, and ginger should be permanent items on your list. Also, the lunch/dinner soups make large pots, so rather than go it alone, team up with a friend. The recipes make enough for two, and you can also share the cost. I eat so little that I brought my mom and a friend on board. They give me some money for ingredients and I make the soup, then portion it and make soup deliveries. I love taking care of people, so this is right up my alley.
Armed with my produce and my fresh cashew milk (learn how to make here) I prepared to make a week's worth of soup. I chopped everything up and put out two big pots. I made two different soups in only about 30 minutes. Everything was in one pot and since I precut everything I just tossed in the ingredients as directed and simmered. I let them cool off and began the portioning process.
Portion Control
I found awesome 1 and 2 cup containers on Amazon for very low cost that let me conveniently portion and share the soup. I love portioning! With a big pot of soup on the stove it's just too easy to go back for seconds...and thirds, and so on. Portioning removes the temptation to overeat, and it honestly takes only about 15 minutes to scoop soup into the containers and put in the fridge. Breakfast soup servings are 1 cup, while most lunch/dinner soups are 2 cups. Because of the changes in my body after my surgery, 1 cup servings are perfect for me. If you've also had bariatric surgery the same may be true for you. Just remember, no more than 2 cup servings for each meal.
The Soups
Breakfast
Balance Me - Simple Green Soup- was really good! I did swap out the strawberries and blueberries for a frozen mixed berry I had on hand. Be sure to blend well for a nice consistency. I added some unsweetened coconut and crumbled cashew left over from the cashew milk making.
Apple-Teeny - Strawberry Apple - LOVE this one! I added some coconut and topped it off with some chia seeds. Yum!
Snack Soups
Endless Summer - Cucumber Avocado - The recipe made enough for two 1 cup servings for me. I put the recommended cherry tomatoes on top of the first serving, and it was ok, but all I kept thinking was that the soup would be a great replacement for sour cream on tacos! It was also a little bland, so the next day I added some cashew puree, cherry tomatoes and some coconut for more flavor and crunch.
Purple Potion -Succulent Berry - I loved this one! I followed the recipe, but I used mixed berries instead of just blueberries.
Lunch and Dinner
Debloat Me - Green Pea, Asparagus and Parsley - I really enjoyed this soup, but if you don't like peas and asparagus then you probably will not like it. It is a mixed soup, meaning that half was pureed and half left alone. It was very tasty and filling.
Sustain Me - Veggie-Loaded Lentil - This soup is AMAZING!!!! Everyone who tried it loved it. It is packed with a ton of veggies, including some that I don't usually eat, but loved in this soup. Veggies used include leeks, carrots, and spinach. If you only try one of Rachel Beller's soup recipes, this is the one to make!
Overall Opinion of the 3-Day Detox
I did very well with the Restart Me! detox--I actually lost 4 pounds! Remember that I eat smaller portions than most people would eat, though. I enjoyed the soups, plus they were filling and easy to prepare. The friend who did the detox with me also found the soups flavorful and filling and the program easy to follow. Ready to move on to the next phase of Power Souping, Transform Me in 24!
Breakfast
Balance Me - Simple Green Soup- was really good! I did swap out the strawberries and blueberries for a frozen mixed berry I had on hand. Be sure to blend well for a nice consistency. I added some unsweetened coconut and crumbled cashew left over from the cashew milk making.
Apple-Teeny - Strawberry Apple - LOVE this one! I added some coconut and topped it off with some chia seeds. Yum!
Snack Soups
Endless Summer - Cucumber Avocado - The recipe made enough for two 1 cup servings for me. I put the recommended cherry tomatoes on top of the first serving, and it was ok, but all I kept thinking was that the soup would be a great replacement for sour cream on tacos! It was also a little bland, so the next day I added some cashew puree, cherry tomatoes and some coconut for more flavor and crunch.
Purple Potion -Succulent Berry - I loved this one! I followed the recipe, but I used mixed berries instead of just blueberries.
Lunch and Dinner
Debloat Me - Green Pea, Asparagus and Parsley - I really enjoyed this soup, but if you don't like peas and asparagus then you probably will not like it. It is a mixed soup, meaning that half was pureed and half left alone. It was very tasty and filling.
Sustain Me - Veggie-Loaded Lentil - This soup is AMAZING!!!! Everyone who tried it loved it. It is packed with a ton of veggies, including some that I don't usually eat, but loved in this soup. Veggies used include leeks, carrots, and spinach. If you only try one of Rachel Beller's soup recipes, this is the one to make!
Overall Opinion of the 3-Day Detox
I did very well with the Restart Me! detox--I actually lost 4 pounds! Remember that I eat smaller portions than most people would eat, though. I enjoyed the soups, plus they were filling and easy to prepare. The friend who did the detox with me also found the soups flavorful and filling and the program easy to follow. Ready to move on to the next phase of Power Souping, Transform Me in 24!