Review: Tara Roscioli’s Meals 2 Glo 5 Day Cleanse

by Marcy Clark
I had the immense privilege this January of trying Tara Roscioli’s fantastic Meals 2 Glo 5 day cleanse by her company Highway 2 Well. I was really impressed with the cleanse. How it works is that Tara drops off one or two days of meals at a time, in the most pretty pink insulated bags. I loved that it was real, whole, organic foods, instead of just juices. I have been vegetarian for almost 20 years, and grew up with a nutritionist mother, so I do know how to eat well, but anyone can get into a health rut when they are busy.  I was excited to try something new and focus a whole week on my health.

I felt that the Meals 2 Glo cleanse was really well thought-out and I learned a lot about my cravings and needs for food in the process. There were 3 meals and 2 snacks each day, meals and snacks were simple. Breakfast was sometimes Berry Overnight Oats, Pineapple Cucumber Mint Juice with a homemade Oat and fruit GLO bar, snacks included Baked Apples, Homemade Trailmix, Veggie Crudite with Hummus, Tara’s homemade Kale Chips, and Edamame with Pink Sea Salt. Lunches included the GLO-2 Kale Salad (one of my favorites!), Beet and Avocado Salad, Zucchini “Pasta” Pesto (so delicious!). Dinners might be Indian Lentil Stew, Sauteed Broccolini with Brown Rice, Sweet Potato Stew with Indian Spices and Chinese Stir Fried Quinoa with (really awesome). I learned that my eyes are definitely bigger than my stomach. And that I can get full on just a simple meal of vegetable stew, especially if I ate protein or fat earlier in the day. I was Vegan for a year, so this shouldn’t have surprised me – but it did!

Women’s Mafia: What is your philosophy with the Meals 2 Glo cleanse? Why is it so effective at helping people lose weight?

Tara Roscioli: My philosophy in creating Meals 2 GLO was to show my clients how eating clean whole foods would allow them to lose excess weight, curb their sugar cravings and help to restore their energy. Gimmicks and fad diets simply aren’t necessary and while they may work in the short term, they simply aren’t sustainable. I created this anti-inflammatory program to help clients reduce toxicity in their body. The foods are easy to digest and allow the body to work overtime to reduce the sludge that has accumulated in their system due to poor eating habits. Clients have reported anywhere from a 3.5 to an 11 pound weight loss in just 5 days and while some of this is water, it certainly is a great jump start to a healthier way of eating. Clients have also reported less bloat or digestive upset, improved sleep, fewer cravings for sugar, more energy and even an improvement in their skin (less acne or eczema). The best part is that this is a very sustainable way to eat!

WM: How do you eat on a normal basis? Are you vegan, organic, sugar-free and gluten free? Can you share some of your go-to foods/meals?

TR: I am a vegetarian since the age of 14 though I do eat some fish. Other than that, I don’t really eliminate any foods from my diet but I do limit dairy as I am prone to sinus infections and find that the dairy contributes to my congestion. Sugar is my downfall…it has been since I was a kid. I noticed that if I can go a few days without sugar, I can get over the hump and I do feel much better without it.

WM: What aspects of the cleanse do participants usually have the hardest time sticking with? Any tips?

TR: The hardest thing for most clients to get over is that day 2-3 when they start to feel the effects of the detox. Usually it’s just a headache as the sugar leaves the system but on the more severe side is some nausea. But after those first days, their energy starts to soar. My suggestion is to flush with water and get a massage if time permits as it will work the toxins out of the system.

WM: What cravings / habits are most of your clients trying to break? What do you think makes the biggest difference in long term health and weight loss?