10-Day Salad Challenge

I just went through a 4-inch file of old recipes (I even found one from 2005!). What an eye-opener! How my cooking has changed. I’m using RAWK meal plans now. We are eating so much more healthily. The variety and attention to seasonal foods has given new life to my cooking.

I joined Rawk the Year after doing the cleanse last March. I felt great after the cleanse and wanted to continue the plan. I have enjoyed most of the recipes and the ones that I don’t feel will suit my taste, I have the option of swapping it out for something different. I love the way that I feel when I eat properly and have the option of adding lean meats when I feel the need. Thanks for a great program.

I use each seasonal cleanse to reset and rein in my food choices. I’m never 100% but that’s OK. It’s progress over perfection.

Jen’s recipes are great and have introduced me to foods and combinations I love but never would have otherwise considered.

I plan on continuing with this plan for the near future.l

Eating more vegetables and fruit has cut my craving for sugar down. My cholesterol is down to normal.

I love Rawk the Year. The recipes are all easy to make, nourishing and delicious. Earlier this year I was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor that required a craniotomy. To prepare for the surgery I invested in self-nutritional care with Simple Green Smoothies recipes. I focused on green smoothies for breakfast each day, healthy snacks – hello Morning Glory Cookies – and Jen’s Winter Soup and Bieler Soup. The night before my surgery I had to stop eating by 10PM so I decided to have a meal replacement smoothie about 9PM so wouldn’t wake up hungry. My nurses said I did the right things. As I have to have radiation, I will be following a similar Simple Green Smoothies nourishing meal plan. I have been a fan of this way of taking care of myself and my family for quite a while. When menopause hit me hard SGS was my guide to losing 40+ pounds and keeping it off. I’m pretty certain I will be a lifetime member! 😀

PS You already have a picture of me so I didn’t add another one.

My diet was already plant-based, lots of veggies and leafy greens, whole grains, healthy fats (avocado), some low-fat yogurt, chicken, and fish. The 21-day Cleanse helped me to reset my system by eliminating dairy, gluten, and sugar and eating a greater variety of veggies. I love Jen’s recipes! I didn’t have time for all of the prep, but I enjoyed using the same ingredients in simpler ways, and I’m still trying out the recipes I didn’t get to. Since the Cleanse, I’m drinking coffee again, but a lot less than before, and I’ve made a huge reduction in sugar. I have more energy throughout the day, my mind is clearer, and I sleep better. Also, I finally bought a blender! I love the smoothies, and Jen gave me great advice on finding a Vitamix at a discount.

It’s truly amazing how your body responds when you feed it well. This is my third cleanse, and I’m still amazed by how well I feel and how satisfied I am all day long. I still eat meat (mainly chicken or salmon) occasionally, but I have learned so much about eating healthier, providing the nutrients my body needs and now craves. I have more energy, sleep better, my skin is healthier, and I have more clarity and less brain fog, and my digestion is way better (ex, less bloating). It’s a little more labor-intensive than I expected, but you have one body and one life, and it’s worth treating it right. I’m used to the prep work now and have it down to a science because Jen Hansard sets you up for success (using ingredients in more than one recipe, freezing methods, etc.). Eating whole foods through the seasons (the best way to eat fruits and veggies in their peak value of nutrients) has been a wonderful, tasty learning experience. I have cooked and prepared foods I have never tried before, and combinations I would have never thought of putting together, and it all tastes amazing. Jen Hansard has put together a wonderful program (grocery & prep guides), and a community (from all across the globe) that is so supportive.

I started the cleanse to answer the question: would my quality of life improve without gluten and/or dairy, and/or caffeine, and/or sugar, and/or eggs, chicken and fish. I had never given them all up at once, or any of them for more than a few days. For me, it took 14 days to get results and then I was stunned. My racing mind, my anxious mind, my overthinking mind just CALMED DOWN. For the first time I can remember, I had spaces between my thoughts. For me, that is a definite improvement in my quality of life.

I am spending my post-cleanse week carefully testing one of the eliminated items each day to see if any trigger negative symptoms. Overall, my quality of life has definitely improved.

I did feel the cleanse was too low on protein for me. Once I added chick-peas to my salad on day 14, my mood improved and my energy came back. Great learning for my that my body needs that.

I was disappointed with the low-level of group interaction. I am unclear whether it was a small group, or if people started and then faded away or it was just a group that didn’t want to interact.

I would suggest that you consider adding weights to your recipes. Veggies like sweet potatoes can vary greatly in size and adding too little or too much might negatively affect the outcome of the recipe. I like chefs that either provide a list of their definitions of a medium onion in a separate section, or list in the recipe as 1 medium onion (about 6 ounces). It would also help with odd shaped items like frozen peaches that don’t really nestle together in a cup.

I am so glad to have participated in the 21 Day Cleanse. I had been reading and thinking about doing it for years; however, I kept putting it off. I feel great, my joints are not hurting when I awake, my energy level is improved and my gut doesn’t feel clogged, I lost 5 pounds and was NEVER hungry. I have been wanting to go to plant-based eating, but I wasn’t quite sure how to get the protein necessary for our bodies. Jen Hansard has done all the work for us and her recipes taste delicious. I now have a new lifestyle change and I am feeling great!

I was a little bit nervous about the time to prep for the meals. Turns out quicker than cooking over the stove and oven. Had most of the ingredients already around in the fridge/house. Instead of the stove used blender.

Love the smoothies and easy prep of it. Thank you again for sharing these.

Thank you Jen, for the times you have offered your smoothies for free. It has given me a chance to share these life

saving recipes to a group of senior women that have very little funds to spend on extra things. Over the past few years

that I have followed you I have been able to invest in your books and also purchased a few of your items, that I have

shared with the ladies. I will continue to support you when I can, but again I thank you for the times you offer the recipes

for smoothies, free. The very best to you and thank you again. Stephan

I am an 84-year-old man who lives alone. I have adult children who keep a good eye on me, take me shopping weekly, and make sure I am able to contact them anytime I need to. I have tried the five-day challenge and made all of the smoothies. I am very pleased with all of them and will continue to search your field for more. I have been trying to change to a plant-based diet for some time now and have added your smoothies to the changes I have already been making. It has given me help to carry on. Thank you. David.

Sleep is better without caffeine. I may consider giving up coffee altogether thanks to the alternative beverages. Sometimes I think I simply enjoy holding a warm mug ritual.

My Word of 2026 is Cleanse. I want to cleanse my home, my phone, my mind, my body…one of my goals was to do at least one of Jen’s seasonal cleanses. I am so glad I did this Winter Cleanse. I feel great. I lost 7 pounds, experienced no bloating and gained energy. The recipes were so good. The prep directions were great. It really helped to have a few recipes made ahead of time. I will keep these recipes in my meal rotation going forward. I can’t recommend this Cleanse enough. It rawks!!

Thank you, Jen!

It made me eat more fruits & veggies. I know I’m doing something good for my health & putting good things in my body.

I am a three times cancer survivor and I don’t take that lightly..I cannot remembered when I started green smoothie or what year but I do recalled this is my fourth year so far I have started taking part In Your challenges ..Your green smoothies and Rainbow smoothie this year was by far my best, I was able to relaxed after my morning smoothie and not needed a single snack after ..I used your smoothie as part of my fasting in January and so far it has sustained me..I am not a fan of cauliflower and ginger in smoothie so those I will not repeat..I loved the cashew recipe quite a lot ..Thank you for being part of my survival journey and thank you for the tips of replacing pineapple as that is a deadly allergy for me..looking forward to trying many more of your food recipes as I have been doing for quite a while

The smoothies were great. I’m 77 yrs young. 😃 my body feels good, my knee is not hurting. I used to be very active, I had 3 children, when they went to college I started traveling. They married and had 10 grandchildren and I helped raise them and begin to gain weight. In 2023 I had brain surgery nothing was found . Praise God. I don’t do as much as I used to do but I still linedance everyday and I still ride my motorcycle. I only lost 4 lbs but I feel great I just want to say thank you. I will continue with the smoothie and eat a healthy dinner.

I love how “simple” these smoothies are and that each recipe is just enough for one great smoothie. Thank you for the challenge!

I really enjoyed the smoothies and all of the information/ explanations.