Top 5 ProLon Pro-Tips

Maybe you’ve heard Gwyneth talk about ProLon or maybe you’ve simply heard some buzz about intermittent fasting. Regardless of where ProLon lands on your relevance meter, it might just be the magic bullet you’re looking for to jumpstart healthy habits, maximize cell turnover, decrease inflammation, kick sugar cravings, and increase energy... all while diminishing belly fat and “de-puffing” for the coming warmer months.

What is ProLon?

According to ProLon, "this fast-mimicking meal plan is unlike any other program. The tasty, specially designed food gives you essential nutrition but doesn’t activate your body’s food sensing system. In other words, you get to eat, but your body 'thinks' it’s on a 5-day fast."

Ipso facto, ProLon is a “fast with food.” -- ahem, vegetarian, gluten- and lactose-free food that is.

The fine print: At R+R we never encourage starving yourself or quick-fix fad diets. ProLon is developed and based on over 20 years of scientific research sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and the USC Longevity Institute, and please visit their website for a plethora of helpful information before beginning your fast.  

Why am I doing this? 

Candidly, as I write this, it’s the end of snowmageddon here in Fort Worth, and I am a stress eater. 

We are leaving in 1 week to ski, and my ski pants were growing tight on day 5 of playing in the snow, so I better get it figured out. 

All that to say, de-bloating is certainly a desired outcome of doing ProLon, but I really and truly just want to feel better. 

My skin is pretty red and inflamed, and my sleep is decent at best. 

I know channelling stress in healthier ways than eating carbs and drinking margs (I rhymed) will do more than just improve my waistline. It will improve my life!

So. That’s why I’m here. Doing the ProLon fast for the 3rd time. 

After the 1st time, I said I’m never doing that again. 

After the 2nd time, I said I’m really never doing that again. 

And alas, here I am, never say never, and any other cliches you can throw my way. THAT SAID, because I’m basically a professional ProLon-er, I’ve got a lot of pro-tips in here for you to make this baby a success.

DAY ONE

Today is v easy. 

I was full from a huge dinner last night, so I didn’t eat the L-Bar until almost 11am (Dabney would definitely tsk, tsk me for waiting that long after waking to eat, but I digress). 

We had a neighborhood bday party from 2pm - 4pm today with a damn beignet truck, so I knew I needed to eat before attending lest throwing this $200 fasting kit down the drain. SO, I had the tomato bisque soup at about 1:30pm to, you know, tide me over. 

At the end of the party, my 5.5 year old son got a splinter in his foot, so if you heard the screaming and crying and wailing at the ends of the earth, that’s what happened. It was stressful and also hard not to laugh in his face and say IT’S A SPLINTER FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.

Anywho. 

I had the other L bar after these theatrics at around 4pm, and I am still full as I write this. It’s 6pm. 

I plan to have the minestrone soup in the next 30 minutes with the kale crackers and olives, saving the chocolate crisp bar for dessert. Pro-tip: Put that baby in the freezer. 

I don’t think the rest of tonight will be hard, but I’ll report back if it is. I’m especially interested in seeing if I sleep better and can wake up a little earlier. 

Stay tuned!

DAY TWO

I didn’t sleep great, and I’ll be honest (sorry if this is TMI), but my gas has been pretty gnarly. Could be the peas and legumes from the delicious (not) minestrone soup from last night? 

Anywho, today includes the glycerin drink. I’m about to throw out some major pro-tips, so take heed. 

1st Pro-tip: Pour your glycerine drink as instructed, fill with cold filtered water, then place both Hibiscus tea bags in it, and put it in the fridge to let them do a cool steep for at least 20 mins. This will change your life. If they sold this tea separately, I would buy it in hoards. Also, you don’t have to drink any of the tea just for the record. You are also allowed 1 cup of black coffee. Praise.

2nd Pro-tip: In the morning, go through your box for that day and freeze or refrigerate anything that will taste better as such. I forgot to put my olives in the fridge yesterday, and it was a bummer. But today, you better believe I put those olives in the fridge and the choco-crisp in the freezer for my after-dinner morsel. 

3rd Pro-tip: You do not have to eat the food items in the order that’s recommended, but you do have to eat all of the day’s allotted food items on that particular day - ie no switch-a-roos with other boxes, mmkay?

With this in mind, I try to make the food last throughout the day. I honestly feel like I would CRUSH Survivor because I am so very good at making these boxes last. There I said it.

For breakfast, I had ½ of the L-bar with a cup of coffee around 9:30am when I felt my tummy get hungry. I’m saving that other half for late afternoon when I know my energy tends to dip, and I get stressed and/or cranky. 

10:30am I had the other ½ of the L-bar when a stressful work email hit my desk. Se la vie. 

My fuse is super short today, not gonna lie. 

Had the mushroom soup for lunch. It was terrible. 

Had my olives at 3:30pm. Can you tell I’m cranky as hell? 

Went on a very light walk with the family around 5pm, and I was pretty low energy.

Had some more olives at 6pm while my minestrone/quinoa soup took 11,000 years to cook over the stove. 

Ate my frozen chocolate crisp at 7pm. Went to bed after binging a couple episodes of Broadchurch. 

Sleep was pretty awful again, but my gas was better! So that’s a win for my husband. 

DAY 3

Super moody already this morning. Maybe because I know Day 3 is the worst day typically? Beware the beast, y’all. 

Ate ½ my L bar at 9:30am with a cup of coffee. They say you can have 1 cup of coffee a day, but I’m pushing it today. I’m already at 2. Come at me ProLon Police, I dare you. I’ll cut you and laugh about it with this mood I’m sporting.

2 hours later, and I’m suddenly feeling a lot less hangry. Praise be.

Stay with me though, because I’ve got more pro-tips for making it through Day 3…

The crackers. These might be my favorite thing on the whole cleanse. Why can’t we buy these at the store? I don’t understand?

Here’s the deal though - you gotta make these babies last alldamnday, and there are only 5 in a pack. In ProLon Life according to me, you’re allowed 1 with your soup at lunch, 2 in the afternoon, and 2 with your dinner. Do you know why? Because there ain’t no coco-crisp today, NOR are there any olives. 

Final pro-tip for Day 3: Freeze the second ½ of your L-bar to have after dinner. You’re welcome. 

This evening while the soup was boiling and I made Defined Dish’s chicken nuggets for my family because I am the best mom ever, I wanted to throw in the towel. Remembering I have 2 more full days of this sounds soooo very hard. 

DAY 4

Slept really, really well last night. I felt pretty good this morning, and I wasn’t starving when I woke up, and it’s a dang good thing because I forgot my L-bar when I went to a local coffee shop for a meeting and to work.

Rather than packing up and turning around when I realized my misstep, I decided to stay put because TIME IS MONEY Y’ALL, and I ain’t gotta lot of it to spare. 

This means I got home around 11:30am to have soup/lunch and I also had ½ of the elusive L Bar. Pop quiz: Where did I put  the other half? The freezer! A+ for you for paying attention. 

Got that baby out at 2:15pm. Lifesaving. 

I had *both* packs of olives to tide me over through a 5pm pee-wee baseball practice, and I finished the night with a veggie/minestrone soup + frozen coco-crisp for dessert.

Somewhere halfway through this day, the resistance to eating a v small box of food a day turns into surrender, and you know you’re over the hump. One more day!

DAY 5

See notes on Day 3 for how to divy this day up, but it’s honestly a huge day of relief with a side of impatience. 

My hardest part of this day was going to bed on a hungry stomach. I was sleep-talking myself into going and raiding the fridge at midnight. 

In sum, this is really hard, but it’s worth it. I think I’ll do it again, but not for another year or so. I’ve definitely de-bloated, I have more energy, and it has definitely helped curb my sugar cravings. While I thought I’d wake up ravenous on Day 6, I was totally content with a small bowl of Culina Yogurt, Paleo Granola, and some blueberries. 

I am going to have a cocktail tonight though. That’s prob not recommended. 

ProLon Hot Takes

• So their website has a pretty good FAQ section, but I’m going to try to address some of my biggest ones. 

• ICYMI, you do not have to eat the foods in any particular order or at any particular time on a given day. You DO have to eat all of them, nothing more, nothing less. You DO have to eat only the contents in the box for that day. 

• Working out on ProLon: I walked on day 1 and did a light pilates class on day 5. That’s it. Definitely don’t overdo it.

• You DO NOT have to drink the teas. You DO need to only drink 1 cup of coffee, lots of filtered water, and the glycerine drink. 

• The glycerine drink is only offered on days 2-5.

• The mushroom soup is horrid. The kale crackers are delicious. Everything else is fine. 

• You’ll want to give up at 3-6pm everyday. Don’t.

• You’ll talk yourself into the following: 3 days is enough, 4 is enough, can I just have this handful of unshelled, salted pistachios speaking to me from the pantry?... Don’t listen.

• Every morning you’ll wake up with new resolve!

• With each day you’ll have more energy and your thoughts will be clearer (well, after day 2/3 at least)

• Final AND MOST IMPORTANT pro-tip: START ON A SUNDAY. This means you’re finished when you wake up Friday morning!

As hard as this fast can be, once you get to Day 4, you’re coasting downhill. Call 817-720-6220 or swing by R+R to grab yours today. You will not regret it! The benefits truly do outweigh the pain points, and before you know it, you’ll be clearer headed, full of energy, lighter on your feet (and in your waistline). 

ProLon is $199 and is available at Restore + Revive Wellness Center or via Fullscript.

Q&A With Founder of Apothenne LA, Jacqueline Bradley

Jacqueline Bradley
Founder Apothenne LA
[uh-poth-en]
@apothenne | @jacquelineLbradley 

Jacqueline is the founder and tastemaker for Apothenne LA, a home fragrance company with their flagship products being candles. Apothenne offers intentional home and wellness goods both online and to over 200+ retailers nationwide. Their aim is to provide clean, beautiful wares for the home and one’s daily rituals, wellness journey, lifestyle and spiritual practices. 

We are thrilled to carry these beautiful, thoughtful candles, and to learn more about Jacqueline!

What does wellness mean to you? 

Wellness to me is a lifestyle, a non-negotiable. It’s listening and responding to my body with nourishment for mind, body and spirit. 

Name three non-negotiables in your life.

• My meditation practice 

• Organic, whole foods

• A quarterly retreat to somewhere alone in nature

Your fave Instagram accounts to follow?

• @eyeswoon

• @spiritdaughter

• @goop

Morning routine?

The first thing I drink is a glass of warm lemon water with an LMNT Electrolyte Pack. I take a few of my herbal supplements. Followed up by a cup of organic coffee with GoodMylk Almond Mylk in it. Light one of our Apothenne candles, do a guided meditation, shower and I am typically at my computer by 8am. 

Evening routine?

Cook a nourishing meal, walk our dog around the (new) neighborhood and either take an Epsom salt bath or do a more elaborate skincare routine. I love to read so I typically will curl up with a book, and I am in bed by 9pm! 

Travel essentials?

• Super You capsules from Moon Juice, they are apaptogenic herbs.

• Raw California almonds 

• GoodMylks Pure Almond Power Latte Creamer- it only has Sprouted Almonds, Maple Sugar, Himalayan Salt

Instant energy boost?

Matcha Tea Latte 

Most used condiment?

Hot Sauce 

Favorite smoothie recipe?

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 banana, sliced and frozen

• 3/4 cup leftover coffee

• 1/4 cup almond milk or other nondairy milk

• 1 tablespoon almond butter

• a handful of ice cubes

• 2 Medjool dates, pitted

• 1/4 cup cauliflower

• pinch pink salt

• cacao nibs for sprinkling, optional 

• Place all ingredients in a blender, and purée until smooth. Pour into a glass, and top with cacao nibs if you wish.

How do you take your coffee (or tea)?

With GoodMylk almond mylk and cinnamon

Go-to cocktail?

A spicy margarita 

3 ingredients/foods you can't live without?

• White sweet potatoes 

• Ghee

• Kale

Go-to gift?

One of our candles and a Wish Bead bracelet 

How do you reset?

Time in the infrared sauna weekly and connecting back to nature often. 

When you feel sickness coming on you...

• Rest. Arrange my schedule and just rest.

• Take the Lypo-Spheric™ Vitamin C packs

• Take a hot bath

What's valuable to you?

My health & wellness. My spiritual journey. My company. Nature and our planet. Access to clean, whole foods.

---

Thank you, Jacqueline! Welcome to Fort Worth and to R+R :) We now carry the following beautiful candles in-house, so come grab one (or two!) today:

-French Garden (fresh fir, lavender, ylang ylang, tomato flower and amber)
-Lake House (uni-sex scent, ripe pear, lily of the valley, damask rose, amber, and vanilla)
-Lavender Sea Salt (lavender fields, salt air, lemon, rose)

Apothenne candles are 100% natural and made with non-GMO soy wax, 100% cotton-core wick, and premium essential oils. No preservatives, additives, dyes, phthalates, lead, petroleum or synthetic fragrances.

Q&A With R+R Co-founder, Dabney Poorter, RN, CN

Read through for some fun scoop on favorites from our R+R Co-founder, Dabney Poorter, Certified Nutritionist + Registered Nurse! Don’t miss more from Dabney on our #RRtakeover highlight on Instagram.

Name three non-negotiables in your life.

Jesus, Others, My Self i.e. the 'I am 3rd principle'. My faith has brought me through and kept me strong after difficult life circumstances. My faith also gives me tools to love others better. Loving and doing things to help others, including my family, friends, and clients brings me so much joy. Self-care is important to me. It does not come from a selfish place. I am well aware that if I take care of myself I am better able to care for others. I do have non-negotiables when it comes to my personal health as well: consistently exercise, eat healthy, and drink enough water.

Your fave Instagram accounts to follow?

- Heymami.life

-Graciechambers

-Restoreandrevivefw

-Taylordukeswellness

-Thedefineddish

-Caraclarknutrition

-Branch Basics

-Mark Hyman

Morning routine?

Weekday or weekend? Weekdays are a little crazy. 4 mornings per week I wake up, check my blood sugar, drink 8 oz of water, and exercise. I wake my girls up at 6:50. While they get dressed I make lunches and breakfasts. I eat breakfast with them and have a cup of coffee. Once they leave for school I get ready to either go to Restore and Revive to see clients, attend meetings, or to do school from home. Weekends we like to sleep in, stay in our jammies, have a cup of coffee, and eat a later breakfast.

Evening routine?

Honestly...right now I am catching up on emails, client follow-ups, or school assignments. I love to take an epsom salt bath, drink a calming herbal tea, and go to bed early. Right now I am not in a season of life that the latter happens often. I am working to get systems in place to have a better evening routine. I am also giving myself grace as I work on hiring and finishing school.

Travel essentials?

Healthy snacks, Swell water bottle, diabetes supplies, and my own personal care products.

Instant energy boost?

A healthy pre-workout snack and exercise.

Most used condiment?

Is guacamole a condiment? I love making homemade guacamole.

Favorite smoothie recipe?

1/2 cup frozen berries
1/4 banana
1/4 zucchini squash
1 handful kale
3 Tbsp ground flax seeds
1/4 small avocado
1 scoop Bulletproof Collagen Powder
filtered water to blend

Great visual here too ;)

How do you take your coffee (or tea)?

I am a totally wussy coffee drinker! I add a plant-based creamer and organic maple syrup.

Go-to cocktail?

Ranch Water or Kombucha Margarita

3 ingredients/foods you can't live without?

Avocado, smoothies, and lentil soup.

Go-to gift?

Facial with Christina Jett , Osea body scrub and anti-aging body balm from Restore and Revive, or Lipstick from Beautycounter

How do you reset?

It depends why I need a reset. General a good night sleep or nap, bone broth and vegetable soups, and lots of water helps me reset. I also love a sauna, lymphatic massage with Tracie Graves, and a walk on a sunny day.

When you feel sickness coming on you…

I do all the things! I drink a homemade tea with apple cider vinegar, lemon, water, and local honey. I take epsom salt baths with Thieves essential oils. I do a foot soak and get an Immunity Boost IV at Restore and Revive. I increase my daily supplements by adding vitamin C, vitamin D, Viracid, Oscillinum, Cold Calm, and elderberry.

What's valuable to you?

I value my faith. My love language is quality time. I value spending time one on one with my girls or husband and together as a family. I value downtime with family and friends. I also value people that help me in my day to day life.

Thank you Dabney! We loved learning more about you and your daily life! Don’t forget to follow along with Dabney in our #RRTakeover Series on our Instagram stories.