I've Tried Everything to Curb My Sugar Cravings—Here's Why This Cleanse Worked

I’m a firm believer that dessert is the most important meal of the day. I’m that friend who always says things like "You know what sounds good right now? A donut” or "Who’s down for a Pizookie?” I’m always looking for my next sweet treat, so when I heard about the Kroma Wellness 5-Day Reset, I had to see if it would help me end my unhealthy relationship with sugar. Unlike most detoxes and cleanses that I’ve done (which were 21 days of torture), this was only five days, so I knew I could commit.

The 5-Day Reset comes in a beautiful box with 10 packets of meals/beverages that will sustain you throughout each day. The packets consist of lattes, porridge, veggie/vegan broths, smoothies, and even cookie butter to curb your cravings. I opted for the vegan option. The program is free of dairy, GMOs, processed sugar, and gluten. 

Founder Lisa Odenweller has been in the wellness business for over 12 years and was inspired to create Kroma Wellness as a holistic approach to healing our bodies naturally without starvation. Odenweller wants to encourage people to form long-lasting healthy habits, and she admits, "One of the other big reasons I wanted to create a program like our Reset is that I am extremely disappointed in the other programs on the market that require you to starve yourself for five days and eat fake foods that don’t taste good while consuming only 600 to 800 calories per day. I believe optimizing your health should be something you look forward to and not dread.” 

Odenweller says that she packed over 100 superfoods in the program that are designed to make you feel amazing. Before starting this cleanse, I wondered how my body would react when I abruptly took away all of the things it loves (i.e., every dessert ever made). I spoke with Odenweller before I started the program, and I was shocked to find out that most of us intake over 100 grams of sugar a day. Kroma Reset is considered a low-sugar diet, as it consists of natural sugars.

Along with being free of processed sugar, the Kroma Reset requires you to fast. I typically fast without even knowing it, but for this particular cleanse, the brand recommends fasting for at least 12 hours, which consists of eating dinner at 7 p.m. and not eating your next meal until 7 a.m. the next day. The best part of this cleanse is that it can accommodate your regimen by allowing you to choose one of three protocols: Lean if you’re looking to lose weight, Lifestyle to feel satiated, and Active for anyone who works out regularly. 

Unlike cleanses I’ve done before, I was intentional with this one. My goal wasn’t to lose weight because I strongly believe that happiness isn’t on a scale, but I desperately wanted to break my bad sugar habits and see if I would be rewarded with a better gut and mindset. Before I started the cleanse, I called on Will Cole, IFMCP, DNM, DC, a leading functional-medicine expert, to ask how I could counter my sugar cravings and why cleanses are so important. Here’s what he had to say.

My sugar cravings are so out of control on a daily basis, and I’ve noticed that I get tired after eating a sugary treat, and I’m overall constantly having low energy. What is the connection between high sugar intake and our moods?

This constant sugar stream is a dopamine trigger to our brains—the same response that happens during sex. However, when there is a constant stimulation from sugar and prolonged dopamine signaling, a tolerance builds up in the brain, requiring more sugar to achieve the same pleasurable result. The problem with this increased sugar intake is that it spikes our blood sugar, putting us on a blood-sugar roller coaster. Studies have shown that sugar alters your gut microbiome and plays a role in how you feel emotionally, In fact, studies have shown that lower levels of beneficial bacteria—bifidobacterium longum and lactobacillus helveticus—are found in those struggling with anxiety.

The Kroma Wellness Reset is said to increase mental clarity. How does fasting and doing cleanses like this affect our mental health?

Fasting and doing resets like the Kroma Wellness can help shift our bodies from relying on sugar as fuel to relying on fat, which is a more sustainable source of energy that only enhances our brain health. By focusing on cleaner food sources, we are able to heal our body’s reliance on sugar and create better habits surrounding the food we choose to eat on a daily basis. Fasting has also been shown to have powerful effects on inflammation, specifically brain inflammation, with studies linking intermittent fasting to improved brain function and mood through an effect similar to antidepressant medication.

From a physical perspective, why are cleanses/resets so important to our health?

Since toxins and our modern diets can contribute to these underlying dysfunctions, a cleanse or reset brings us back to basics with clean, whole foods that help you detox, calm inflammation, and restore gut health by providing you with necessary nutrients that your body thrives off of and nothing that it doesn’t. (I’m looking at you, sugar!)

 After getting Cole’s feedback, I felt more than ready to ditch the sugar and take on a new five-day challenge. Take a look at my Kroma journal below to see how I felt each day.

Day 1: Monday 

9:48 a.m.: Today is my first day, and I’m feeling good, but it’s only 9 a.m. The porridge isn’t that bad, and the spicy chai latte was surprisingly refreshing. My porridge is a little watery because I didn’t measure the milk. Rookie mistake. 

11:46 a.m.: Okay, the blueberry smoothie may be my new favorite thing. Not sure what’s in it, but my energy has done a shift. I’m no longer grumpy. 

1:30 p.m.: I’ve actually never had broth, let alone vegan broth, but this is pretty good. I’m still hungry though.

2:00 p.m.: This Supergreens Elixir is keeping me from craving crazy things. It’s midday, and I’m not thinking of downing a whole bag of dried mango. You know what that’s called? Growth. This couldn’t have been named anything better because, to eat as little as I have, I feel not only full but fueled!

3:09 p.m.: I’m a huge snacker, but this Spicy Passion Latte is delish!

4:47 p.m.: Feeling pumped!

6:40 p.m.: Warming up more broth.

Day 2: Tuesday

8:58 a.m.: I broke my fast with the turmeric latte. 

10:40 a.m.: I just ate some porridge and made my boost smoothie because I’m a bit hungry. I miss food. 

1:45 p.m.: I ate my lunch and my smoothie at the same time. I’m more hungry today than I was before.

Day 3: Wednesday 

10:45 a.m.: I broke my fast a little late today, and I have to admit I woke up feeling tired but not that hungry. I decided to have the extra kick Change Your Life later today, and let me just say that mushrooms are powerful. I was feeling stressed this morning with work, and now, I’m calm. Is it magic? It might be. 

2:45 p.m.: I added cauliflower rice and avocado to my miso broth, and it felt way more satiating.

4:07 p.m.: Since I was full from my broth earlier, I drank a latte for dinner.

Day 4: Thursday

Morning mood: Whew chile, one more day.

9:07 a.m.: I broke my fast with another shroom latte. So yummy and such a mood booster.

1:47 p.m.: Work has been crazy today, so I’m just now eating my porridge.

4:45 p.m.: Had my fuel supergreens drink, and it always gives me energy when I was used to crashing at this hour pre-cleanse. I just warmed up my broth, and today, I added veggie pasta. 

7:00 p.m.: Finishing the day up with a spicy latte, and it’s curbing my appetite. I’m going to skip my evening broth.

Day 5: Friday

Morning mood: Mama, we made it!! It’s the last day, I’m feeling good, and I’m starting to see the light.

9:45 a.m.: I started my day off a little differently by drinking the Change Your Life latte and the boost blueberry smoothie. I add extra blueberries to it, and it’s probably the tastiest thing of this cleanse.

11:15 a.m.: Eating my porridge at the office today. Didn’t add fruits because I didn’t pack any.

4:12 p.m.: I had my lunch broth a little late today. 

7:09 p.m.: Skipped my dinner tonight and just drank my Supergreens Elixir drink. I’m still feeling good. 

Aftermath

Post-cleanse, I still feel very energized. I’ve done almost every cleanse I can think of, and I can honestly say I was the happiest on this one. My sleep wasn’t good because I had a migraine the first night. So I can’t say that it has improved. However, I have so much energy. By 2 p.m. I'm usually crashing like I’m about to fall asleep into my computer, but after this Reset, I’ve noticed that I am more focused than ever before. I can tell my focus has improved because of how engrossed I am in my work professionally and personally. I’ve also never gone to the restroom as regularly as I did during this Reset. I’m assuming it’s because I was consuming various liquids throughout the day between the lattes, water, and tea. My body feels lighter, and so does my mind. 

When it comes to the taste of everything, I didn’t like the taste of the Supergreens Elixr. It just wasn’t good. The broths were filling once I added avocado, which helped me feel full and satisfied. Physically, I definitely notice a difference. I lost six pounds with the cleanse alone, and this is with minimal exercise. I normally run throughout the week but I decided to give my running shoes a rest and go on peaceful two-hour walks for the duration of the cleanse. Pre-Reset, my stomach would be upset every other day. Regardless of how many pre- or probiotics I consumed, I had constant digestion issues. It was almost unbearable. Throughout this cleanse, I didn’t have one stomach ache. I was amazed. I would do it again solely for my gut health. 

Lastly, as much as I think everyone should experience this cleanse just to genuinely feel better on the inside, I’m aware of how expensive it is. I was privileged enough to receive the kit for free, but I know that everyone doesn’t have the means to spend $495 on a cleanse. My suggestion for those on a budget who want to try this cleanse out is to start off by doing the 1-Day Reset, which I believe would be very effective considering I felt great after the first day. Another option is to test out the individual items like the Change Your Life Chai Latte, the Veggie Broth With Plant Protein, and the Blueberry Acai Plant Protein Smoothie. Those were my three favorites. If you want to reset your body and really tap into self-care, I suggest doing the 5-Day Reset. 

Up next: How Miranda Kerr's Self-Care Ritual Helps Her Glow From the Inside Out