Cleansing

This week marks the one year anniversary since I began my quest to a healthier lifestyle. I jumpstarted this whole endeavor by doing a 10 day master cleanse (also commonly referred to as the lemonade diet). It was certainly a challenge for me but through that experience I was able to launch the positive change I have experienced this past year. The long term benefits I have reaped include eating more nutritious foods, working out on a consistent basis, and discovering my food intolerances. I wasn't sure at first if I would be able to keep the momentum going, but so far I'm very happy with the progress I have made. In order to commemorate this full year of positive change and renew my commitments I decided to start off this May with a juice cleanse. While nowhere near as intense as the detox and much shorter (only 3 days) it proved to be a good little boost for me. Instead of sharing a recipe this week I thought I would spend a little time briefly explaining my reasoning for cleansing and some of the benefits.

I know a lot of people criticize detoxing and any sort of fasting, but my response is simply that it is not for everyone but, if done correctly, can be very beneficial for those who are interested and committed.

Let me begin by explaining what a cleanse is not. It is not a weight loss program or a diet in the traditional sense. Yes, most people will experience moderate to significant weight loss for the duration of the cleanse, however this was not MY motivation and most of the weight will come right back once the program course is complete. Secondly, it is not a long term solution. While there are studies showing it is possible to continue cleansing for much longer periods of time, once the toxins are expelled from your body there is no need to remain on this regimen. What instead must take place if you wish to carry on with this new outlook is a lifestyle change. Simply put, you cannot go back to eating exactly how you did before and expect the detox to have any long term affect. Finally, the detox (at least for me) was not as physically exhausting and difficult as I would have imagined. The challenge was primarily mental. I wanted to eat, even if I wasn't hungry.
I was programmed to eat at either a certain hour, or in specific social situations and this made it difficult at times. I would crave a certain food, see someone else eating, or smell food and this would create the desire to eat. There were points of boredom where I realized in everyday life I would have grabbed a snack. Sometimes I was simply tired of drinking liquids and felt almost a need to just chew something. But as time passed I discovered that my cravings changed. No longer did I want chicken or pizza or sandwiches. I was longing for a slice of tomato or some cucumber.
I quickly was able to distinguish wants from need. As long as I was consistent and drank the appropriate amount of lemonade every couple hours I was fine. Amazingly it actually made me feel full. My energy was normal, sometimes even higher. After I finished the detox it was as if, not only had my stomach shrank (decreasing struggle with portion control because I was full much sooner) but it was like my senses were heightened. I could honestly taste individual ingredients in food. If something was too salty or too sweet it didn't even appeal to me. The first few days after transitioning myself back to solid foods the simplest things would taste amazing. It was a whole new discovery of flavors and textures. Most of all I came out realizing I was stronger than I thought. I had given myself a goal and I met it! I never gave up (I always knew my stubborn side would become useful) and if I could achieve success through these 10 days I felt like I could do anything.

So here I am, one year later, and have just finished my second cleanse. This time I choose an all liquid cleanse (100% fruit and veggie juices and herbal teas) for a duration of 3 days.
It again has been a test of my wills, realizing how large a part of everyday life food is. This cleanse has been a significantly smaller undertaking than a full detox but I am hoping to reap some of the same benefits. My main goal in this year's cleanse was to remind myself what I am capable of and kick off another year of commitment to a healthier life. Other benefits of cleansing include: increased energy and creativity (the body typically expends up to 30% of its energy just to digest food) and a much needed break for the ever active digestive system. We consume so much food on a daily basis that the body is constantly working to break it down, taking sometimes up to 18 hours to process a single meal. A juice cleanse allows the entire system to flush and helps eliminate toxins from our body. It is very important to remember when liquid cleansing to include a laxative portion to your daily routine. I have found that smooth move herbal tea works quite effectively and is a fully natural, caffeine free supplement. Without this ingredient, since the body is not receiving enough fiber, the toxins you hope to expel from the body are actually being released internally and can cause a counter productive and often uncomfortable reaction. Ideally for optimum results you would fresh squeeze the fruit and vegetable juices right before you drink them throughout the day, and while I did use a hand-juicer to make some fresh orange juice a couple of times, I knew for me this would not be practical for the entire cleanse. I opted instead to purchase 100% juice (no cocktails, no sugar added, no preservatives) and have a ready supply on hand. In addition to the juice and twice daily laxative tea, I drank water and other herbal (caffeine-free) teas throughout the day. After the three days of juice cleansing I spent one day transitioning, instead of jumping immediately back into eating solid foods. On this day I had 2 protein shakes (breakfast and evening snack) an all fruit smoothie (lunch) a bowl of squash soup with seaweed crisps (dinner) and a few raisins that night. Now, by day five, I'm back to "regular" food.
My goal, besides continuing with the commitments from last year, is to try to eat smaller meals throughout the day instead of 3 large traditional meals.

So upon successful completion of cleanse number two, here's to another year of progress. I can't wait to share more of this journey with you!