**Take 15% off at Sakara with code TheStripe15!
There’s this funny quote going around Instagram that says something to the effect of “Every day is a struggle between #treatyoself and I want to look good naked.” Real talk, guys… real talk. This is my life. I am a complete and utter foodie. I grew up in a restaurant, the product of restaurateur parents. I like to eat. Rich, delicious foods, steak, truffle-oil anything, and my kryptonite: cheese. If I am not careful, I will gain weight. Also, something happens to your body after you turn 30… the calories just have a way of hanging on a little longer unless you get to the gym every day.. which for me is not always an option as I work a lot.
This past summer was one big downward spiral of endless cheese plates, baguettes, and rosé. I ate those baguettes and drank that wine outside, in the company of great people. And loved every minute of it. But then, crisis strikes. Fall came, and with it… more structured clothing choices. And while I don’t own a scale, I do have this one pair of Rag & Bone jeans that (besides being my absolute favorite jeans) act as a barometer. And so I got back from Charleston (and eating all of the things) and said jeans would not zip. It was a sad state of affairs. An intervention was necessary.
Enter Sakara Life. Sakara is like, the lazy girl’s guide to eating clean. My friend Felicia had covered her experience with it here, and I was curious about it after that. And then, as if by magic (and prayers to the Rag & Bone gods), they reached out to see if I’d be interested in trying out a week of meals. Yes. Yes please.
Sakara bills itself as nutritionally designed, superfood-filled meals that take the brainwork out of eating healthily to let you start feeling your best again. Which for me, is the perfect thing. At the end of the day, I honestly just don’t always have the brain power left to think about a nutritious meal. The meals are always gluten-free, plant-based, dairy-free, organic and (when possible), sourced locally. They don’t count calories, but rather focus on feeding you fresh, whole, amazing ingredients. No processed foods or additives or preservatives or added sugar. Just whole, good foods. The thought process behind this is that when your nutrition is in balance, your body finds it ideal weight. Sounds pretty good, huh?
I have to be honest… the first day was not so nice. I had headaches, my body ached, and I was.just.so.hungry. It wasn’t like I was starving. Breakfast was an apple/goji/chia parfait, lunch was sesame ginger squash noodles, and dinner was raw pad thai. Not bad at all. But I am used to snacking, to frequent coffee breaks (coffee that includes both milk + Splenda which are both not okay on this plan.) I was detoxing hard. Everything hurt and I went to bed early.
But then it got better. So much better. I mean guys… one morning there were waffles. Protein waffles, but waffles. I felt as if I were indulging in something really, really bad for me… but in fact I was just following protocol! See that waffle above? I got to eat three of them. Three. I was stuffed. I’m still dreaming about those waffles.
In between meals, you drink a detox tea which is really nice. It’s a blend of South African herbs, flower petals, and cleansing spices. The purpose is to soothe your insides (it contains anti-inflammatory properties) and calm your adrenal system by avoiding caffeine. I found that it definitely helps to keep you from getting hungry in between meals.
I should note that Sakara is not cheap, but for me it is a worthwhile investment. This time of year is my busiest at work and with the blog, and I’m easily working well over 80 hours a week between both things. Time is money. I have (some) money, but I don’t have a lot of free time to fuss over what I’m going to eat. To me, if something is going to save me time and make a huge difference in how I look and feel, I am all for it. After my complimentary week, I ended up signing up for another week as I love the convenience and felt incredible.
After a week of Sakara, my jeans fit me again, my energy levels were up, and my cravings were gone. I can’t tell you how much weight I lost, but to me it’s about how your clothes fit and how you feel on the inside. And I felt great. Really, really great.
Over the weekend, Sakara encourages you to indulge and eat (more or less) whatever you want… but I actually found myself just wanting more vegetables. I did crave meat (I can give up gluten and sugar no problem but meat and dairy will always be in my life. Always.) In that case, I made a yummy pasta sauce with local beef and garlic, dumped it over some zucchini pasta (thank you, new spiralizer) and felt as though I’d eaten a feast.
I’ll keep you posted as to how I feel after week two, but for me, so far Sakara has proven to be the perfect reset button. I feel amazing, I’m not hungry, and my prize pair of jeans fits again.
Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post, but as I mentioned earlier, Sakara gifted me a week of meals.
I love your pillow in one of your pictures! What fabric?
Thank you! It’s from my sister’s line… you can get it here! http://shop.rebeccaatwood.com/collections/all-pillows/products/marble-sand-pillow
That sounds like a really good program! Love that it’s all organic, which I guess accounts for the price. Most of the time the reason I don’t eat well is because I just feel like it’s so incredibly time consuming to find good recipes, get the ingredients, cook the meals, do the clean up…it takes a lot of energy! I definitely might give this a try. The convenience factor is a big incentive!
Yeah, exactly!! I feel like I saved so much time – it was so convenient but so delicious! It’s definitely not for everyday, but as a special treat or to help get you back to being healthy… it’s great.
Looks like amazing service 😀 I would need something like that, but not because I’m so busy, but I am lazy as hell 😀
xx
SASHA
ha! Love the honesty! 🙂
That’s so crazy to think that by just eating raw and healthy foods you’re on a cleanse, scary to think about our diets and realize how much we shouldn’t be eating on a regular basis. Sounds like it would be a great thing for people who either like you, don’t have the time and would rather spend the money on having super healthy meals, or for people who do have the money and wanted something a bit healthier and more substantial than a juice cleanse. Maybe one day I’ll be able to try it!
Kayla
I personally didn’t love RED as much as I thought i would, but 1989 is killin it! In my books, anyway! So far I’m loving style, Bad Blood, Wonderland, and you are in love! Of course in addition to Shake it off and the other singles!
Kayla
http://blondeinlaw.wordpress.com/
So interesting! I’ve debated doing something similar here because it is all about the convenience and the exhaustion. I’m way, way too tired at the end of the day, racing home with the kids and family, and bath and bed ,to get a meal on the table. I ate an avocado and massive, massive hunk of gouda the other night! I mean, I loved every second but not the best on the daily. I crave fresh foods like this but no time, and the spiral continues. Might motivate me to check it out again here..
http://www.theaveragegirlsguide.com
Girlfriend, I give you props for this! I live off of bread and cheese. And don’t even get me started on the sweets. I’m easing into more greens…last night I took a shot of spinach juice with my carrot, ginger, orange drink. Baby steps 🙂
The names alone makes me want to try it! They look delicious.
This is so funny. My husband always says I “treat myself” more than anyone he knows. Yikes! So my fattening lattes and cake ball treats turn into new lipstick and nail polish treats. I’m thinking of trying the whole 30. Good Luck!
Fiber Sketchbook Blog
I’m super intrigued by this! Everything looks so amazing—and I totally feel you on just how hard it is to focus on eating well when you have so much else going on in life. I love how easy this makes it to feel healthy!
So great to hear more about your experience with Sakara. I am always looking for great new healthy eating choices so it is great to hear about this company. Also so nice that it extends out of the NY area and into Boston. Bookmarking this so I can try it asap (I am doing a three day juice cleanse right now)
Did you have to cook, heat up, do any work to prepare the meals? Or do they come totally prepared for you?
xo Nan – Simply Elegant Blog
Great review!! This sounds like exactly the type of food I like to eat, but with the structure I need. I’m definitely going to give it a try when I’m back in town.
Also, spiralizers are LIFE CHANGING.
I think you’ll really love it. I ended up buying the 20 day program for November… extravagant, but things get so crazy at BB and with the blog during the holidays, I know this will keep me eating healthfully!!
Totally inspired! I needed that push today! Thanks
Hi Grace,
Love this post – such good motivation to eat healthy.
Just a quick question – did you drink wine during these two weeks? I LOVE wine so giving it up for two weeks would be tough!
Let me know!
XO
Hi Sophie. Great question (ha!) as I love my wine as well. The first week, I tried to look at it like a true detox… no wine — but I did end up having two glasses of wine with a friend on Tuesday night. The second week (which I’m doing right now) I’ve definitely had some wine. I think it’s fine, just in moderation. 😉