I'm an advocate of following a healthy and active lifestyle, rather than searching for 'quick fixes'. Quick fixes are just that - they give you a temporary solution to a long-term problem. I've tried them before - pills, shakes, wraps - and the results, while fab in the short-term, are not sustainable.
There's only so many times you can pump more air in your car's tyre before admitting you have to get a brand new one. That's similar with a lifestyle change, weight loss and body transformations. There are only so many quick fixes you can try before admitting you need to make a permanent change.
While I don't think quick fixes are the way to go, there are things that you can use to help you get on your way. Just like using a personal trainer at the gym to get yourself into the swing of working out.
I had never heard of Essential Teatox before and assumed it was like all the other detoxing teas on the market; some of which I have tried and reviewed before. I knew, already, what they could do and how effective they could be in helping with weight loss and kick-starting a change.
Christmas left me feeling really sluggish. It wasn't just Christmas that I over-indulged, it was the weeks and months leading up to it. I felt bloated, constantly tired, and just generally bleugh.
After losing two and a half stone from November 2015 to March 2016, I was left about 10 pounds away from this by the time Christmas was over and done with.
I knew that just eating right could shift those excess pounds and reduce the bloated and sluggish feeling I was experiencing, but it was getting my head back into the right space to encouraging myself to make better food choices that I was struggling with.
After first discovering the teatox concept a few years ago I actually grew to really like green tea and am now a semi-regular drinker. It has so many health benefits, which kinda makes me want to drink it (even though it can taste a bit funny!)
I decided to combine my relative enjoyment of green tea with this new Essential Teatox to give myself a kick up the bum and get myself back on the right track. And I've been pleasantly surprised.
There's a whole long list of ingredients (many of which are tricky to spell, so I won't even bother trying to copy them down here) which are to increase the results from the teatox. These include reducing cholesterol, detoxifying the liver (much-needed after way too much Amaretto), soothing the digestive tract to relieve bloating, reducing stress and maintaing healthy skin.
After suffering horrific acne as a teenager, bad skin is not really something I ever struggle with now. I occasionally get the odd pimple around the time of the month, but nothing bad. After Christmas, I had a whole episode going on on my chin, it was horrible. I was so unprepared for a situation like this! Within a few days of starting the teatox this cleared up. My skin felt smoother, healthier and brighter.
New Year didn't get off to the greatest of starts and I didn't get a right lot of sleep for the first few days, but my skin still stayed healthy and bright despite this. It was like a miracle!
In terms of the teatox, it's a 14-day programme. It's essentially the same format as all the others on the market: drink the AM tea when you wake every morning and enjoy the PM tea a few hours before bed every other night.
The difference I noticed with Essential Teatox was the taste. Green tea, while I can drink it now, still doesn't have the nicest of tastes. It's no chocolate milkshake. This tea, however, was beautiful. I actually really, really enjoyed it. I'd definitely buy it in future just for the tasty tea.
It was really sweet and fruity. I was gutted every morning when I came to the end of my cup! Some mornings, if I was in a rush for work, I'd take it to work in my travel cup (which is about twice the size of a normal one) to enjoy while walking in. This was great as it meant I got twice as much to enjoy!
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| The AM teatox explained on the packaging. |
Some nights I managed to remember to have it at 8pm. Other nights, when Tom had been late home from work and tea was much later than planned, it was more like 10pm. I don't think it really mattered too much, though.
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| The PM teatox explained. |
I started to feel better in myself after a few days of the teatox. I was slowly encouraging myself to start eating right again and exercising more, but the teatox gave me that push I needed. Because I had committed to doing that, it made me less inclined to dip into the remaining Christmas chocolates. It encouraged me to plan my meals better and have a more positive outlook on life.
One of the ingredients is apparently known to lessen the cravings for sweet foods and help regulate excessive appetite. Whether or not this is the reason I've been less inclined to stuff my face with chocolate and biscuits, I'm not sure. I wouldn't say I haven't craved them, but certainly not as much as I had been doing.
My appetite has also returned back to normal, thank God! While I suspect the teatox may have had a role to play, I am also pretty sure this is because I am eating proper, nutritious, square meals once again and not eating bad things.
The Essential Teatox is the perfect thing to kickstart the 'new year, new me' mantra that everyone has this time of year. It is a great motivator to make changes to your lifestyle and improve health.
On their website, they say: "We began with the philosophy that detoxing, weight loss and improving energy levels is often done in an unhealthy way. Fasting, low calorie diets and energy drinks can all have short-term effects but are mostly unsustainable and make you miserable in the process. We formulated Essential Teatox as the complete opposite, something that could be enjoyed daily and coupled with a healthy lifestyle, would aid better quality sleep, increase energy levels and deliver natural and maintainable weight loss. Of course, there is no 'magic' solution to weight loss and feeling great, so Essential Teatox is at it's most effective when combined with regular exercise that's fun and enjoyable and a commitment to take good care of yourself in a holistic way."
I must say, they sum it up pretty well. It's not a quick fix, it's an aid to help you make the right changes.
I can't say I did all too much exercise, other than walking to work and one session at the gym, for me it was more about encouraging myself to eat healthier alongside it.
In the first week, I instantly noticed I felt less bloated. My stomach was flatter, my clothes felt comfier and I immediately felt happier as a result. I'm almost at the end of the two weeks now and have lost five and a half pounds. I wouldn't say this was totally down to the teatox, it's likely it's more my meals, but it certainly helped me to re-focus and gave me a nudge in the right direction.
I would recommend if you were to try the Essential Teatox yourself that you don't rely solely on the teatox to experience good results. The teatox is a great aid, but a good diet and active lifestyle will make the results better and far easier to sustain in the long-run.
I read online somewhere that it takes 21 days to turn a lifestyle change into a new habit. The 14-day teatox is two-thirds of this. If you can introduce healthier lifestyle changes and stick to them for the 14 days during the teatox, you're well on your way to a healthier, happier you.
The Essential Teatox is priced at £19.99 for the 14-day programme or £34.99 for the 28-day. There's also the option to purchase a three month and a six month supply for £88.99 and £165.99 respectively. Delivery is free, too, which is always a bonus.
If you'd like the chance to win your own 14-day Essential Teatox, to find out for yourself how it can open the door to a healthier and happier you for 2017, I am giving one away on my blog. The competition will close at midnight on Friday, January 20.
The prize will be a 14-day Essential Teatox which will be sent out to the winner. Please be advised may take up to 28 days for delivery.
To enter the competition click on the competition link below. All you need to do is like Essential Teatox on Facebook, follow them on Twitter or follow them on Instagram.
Good luck with the competition and happy teatoxing! For more information about Essential Teatox follow this link.
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While I received a free 14-day teatox for this post, all views expressed are my honest opinion.
Hi Natalie, this sounds good but I've always been worried about the effect that a teatox might have on the pill. Would be pretty ironic to use it to help with bloating and then fall pregnant haha!!
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