Yesterday. Good ole yesterday was my official last day of “Clean”. *sigh* I made it. I did it. There are no exclamation points because, quite frankly, I don’t feel finished. I actually feel like, getting to the end of week 3 is actually like I just got through how my week 1 was supposed to be. Considering I eased myself into the process anyway, this is really no surprise.
I’ve decided to add two more weeks to my cleanse, as I mentioned in my last post. I feel like the last three weeks were practice for the big show. And now comes the big show. I guess the mind fuck aspect of it for me was seeing if I could get through it virtually unscathed. I did. I lost 5 pounds I didn’t really need to lose. My eating habits are nutty organic and healthy by now. I love making and drinking my smoothies during the day and I love the recipes I’ve found for my solid meals, now that I feel like eating solid food again. I know, weird.
I actually do feel much better. My first two weeks were kindof like I was high on nutrition or something because, obviously, my body wasn’t getting any (or as much as I thought it was) prior to this Cleanse. So I felt awesome and optimistic and ready for the world. The end of week two is when it all bottomed out or balanced out–whichever. I had a weird anger “burst”, followed by a dose of even, pleasantness. I’ve found I’m able to better manage my many, many thoughts. I don’t feel nearly as overwhelmed, but I do have a few not so awesome habits I still have to put some work toward.
I do feel clearer. Less groggy and puffy. I still have mucus, but not as much. As an added TMI I’m way, way, way more regular than I’ve ever been in my entire life. Food goes in, stuff comes out. Which apparently is the way God intended. I told you. TMIIIII. And yet, it’s all a part of the cleaning process. Gosh.
I have a little ritual before bed where I take my 2nd dose of Ayurvedic supplements (and my priobiotic) and drink my Triphala tonic tea. I usually give myself a massage for 10-15 minutes with organic sesame oil, take my shower (hot and cold) and sleep like a baby. I picked Ayurvedic supplements because they resonated with me more than western ones and seem to go well with my international food choices.
Some things I’ve noticed with regard to vanity is that my skin is much clearer. The whites of my eyes aren’t as white-white as I was looking forward to and was actually expecting, but it may also be my initial cleaning wasn’t quite thorough enough. My hands are weird dry–I have no idea why that is–I use completely natural hand soap. If there is any way my body can be more defined–it is. And generally I feel like, just now, I’m coming to a place where my innards are beginning to balance themselves out.
I still have cravings for starchy stuff. I want to make cake for some reason. I haven’t yet and I’m actually weeding through recipes for the perfect egg, dairy and gluten free one to test out. Um… I eat sweet potatoes just about every day. I don’t think I’ve ever liked or eaten sweet potatoes this much in my life. Come to find out they’re one of the healthiest foods on the planet is a huge coup d’etat.
That’s about it. I made it through this social experiment and I feel pretty proud. I will say I did have a small battle with the tiniest piece of fried shrimp earlier this week that I wasn’t proud of (it’s all my dad’s fault), but believe–it didn’t stay long. :0
Should you be on the fence about starting your own Clean regimen, I give it my highest recommendation. Should you not be a highly creative type like moi, you may not want to venture far from the blueprint in Dr. Junger’s book until you get in the swing of it. I say, like with anything new, ease yourself into it a bit. Start bare bones like I did and then add the layers. Should you get to week three and want to keep going full speed ahead–do it. That’s what I’m doing. Should you get to week three and want a cheesesteak. Um… among other things, it probably won’t stay long (and you probably won’t like how you feel after). Either way, it’s your body and your health. The only person you’re doing this for is you. The only person you have to impress or not is you. The onliest person looking back at you in the mirror is you. Do your best and see what comes of it.
The best I can say is that it’s worth a shot. I hear from others who’ve tried it and completed it that it’s great for weight loss. Some folk have lost 20 pounds in 3 weeks which is kindof awesome if you have 20 pounds to lose. It’s also good because it puts you in practice of daily activity and asks only 5-10 minutes of meditation or “mind calm” per day, which is a great habit to have anyway. Plus learning the ways food works in your body is a huge asset to have as you go about making future food choices. Doing a few google searches about food you’re unfamiliar with opens your perspective a bit about why you’re eating it. How something that seems so trivial like fresh, home made coconut milk versus canned or home made almond milk, versus the store bought kind literally changes the entire dynamic of what you’re putting in your body. That, once you understand what it really is, is huge. It was for me.
If you’re worried about time. It’s of no consequence. I’m the 2nd busiest person on the planet and I can zip open a young coconut, pour the water in a bowl, scrape out the meat, blend it all together, add my berries and what not and have my smoothie done in less like 5 minutes. It’s not a game. The almond milk takes a little longer because you have to soak the almonds for several hours, and there’s a straining process after, but still. It’s not hard or really that time consuming. ( I mix the discarded almond pulp with brown sugar and olive oil and use it as a body scrub–skin like butta) Plus, once you know how to do this stuff it’s a health skill that you’ll have forever. No need to run to the market if you buy your almonds in bulk. All you need is a bowl, a blender, a strainer and some pure water. You can get young Thai coconuts at Whole Foods AND Super Walmart btw. Although, I’ve reseached a place in Florida that’ll ship them and there’s no controversy about how far they’ve come (another blog post, for another day).
So that’s the scoop and nothing but my point of view. The way Clean works is really about staying away from our current staples like eggs, dairy, gluten, bread products, processed foods and anything that can be an allergen and replacing those things with whole foods and vitamin rich liquid foods to help your body heal itself of current damage and give it the tools to be healthy and stay that way. If you’re looking for a way more healthy eating style, this could be your gateway to it. If you just feel *uck*, like I did and had no real interest in a clean from a box, Clean is an awesome choice. The rule of thumb is to Clean every new season or once a year, depending on your level of *ugh*. The lessons you’ll learn whilst on Clean however, will stay with you for life. Give it a try if you dare and feel free to share your own experiences with me here, on FB or Twitter. I love hearing from you any old way.
The moral of this story. Can’t call it. Just some food for thought. Thank you for reading this though. Peace and Abundant “Keep on Cleaning” Blessings! Love, -e-