So fresh and CLEAN 2

We are finishing up week 2 of our Clean Cleanse (woo hoo) and it just keeps getting better.  I could extol the benefits of this experience for paragraphs but you can go to the website and read through hundreds of stories like mine and my husband’s going on about bright eyes, clear minds, boundless energy, slimmer hips and a peaceful heart.  So, here a couple of details, tips maybe, to acknowledge that like most good things, this experience also has it’s challenges.

1.  Just want to clarify my husband and I are not doing “Clean” through the pre-packaged program they sell on the website.  We are following the whole program based on the book, so $5.98 from the used book store makes this information accessible to most people.  That said, having a juicer and a high-powered blender (my choices are Breville and Vita-Mix) do make this process a whole lot easier!

2.  Defining your hunger and confronting the ugly truth – People have different goals when doing a cleanse, loosing weight wasn’t on my list so when I make my morning shake it is anything but low-calorie.  I’m talking half an avocado, almond butter, walnuts, cashews….and sometimes that’s all together in one shake.  SO, a few hours after ingesting said shake I know I’m not “hungry” but my body is craving something and sending signals that seem a lot like hunger.  Identifying that I’d been using food as a distraction or a comfort has made me face the truth that I need some additional stimulation in my life.  I need to “grow my garden” as a wise friend once told me.  This is easier said than done of course when parenting and lack of “free” time are the facts of my foreseeable future.

3.  Eating raw garlic and taking tablespoons of olive oil is hard and unpleasant.  ‘Nough said there.

4.  What goes in must come out…..right?  I, but not my husband, have experienced some traffic jams with the end of the digestion process – please don’t make me spell it out, I’m not that brave.  But my whole reason for doing this is to get the bad stuff out and that fact that that wasn’t happening as smoothly and effortlessly as I expected has been a challenge.

5.  Fast-forwarding to the finish line – We still have a week to go with this cleanse and I already find myself thinking, “I don’t want to loose this good feeling, what are we going to do when we are eating ‘normally’ again”.  Have I learned nothing?!  My job right now is to stay present in the process and to focus on getting the most out of this for my body to heal and restore itself……this too, I find difficult.

For more Do’s and Don’ts this is the Clean Food list:

image via Clean website