Monday, April 11

Welcome to my online Cleanse journal!
All last week I ate a restricted diet as I prepared myself for a cleanse based on the book Clean by Dr. Alejandro Junger.  The philosophy is to rid the body of toxins by controlling your intake.  Unlike juice or water fasts, this cleanse is three weeks and includes two liquid meals, one solid food lunch and snacks as necessary.  His book and website provide multiple recipes designed to provide the right balance of nutrients to your system so that your body will not go into starvation mode but rather function optimally.  Both liquid and solid meals are comprised of largely organic foods, and these foods are selected from a carefully restricted list.  Many foods may not be eaten during the cleanse to help eradicate any toxins (from processed foods) or irritants (from foods that contain previously unknown allergens). 


Last week I made steps to cut out "elimination" foods from my diet including all gluten, soy and processed products.  Certain common allergens such as strawberries, peanuts, etc. are not allowed and neither are foods that are acidic or cause your body to create acid to break them down.    Most fruits and vegetables are ok, as are wild game, chicken and turkey, millet, quinoa and brown rice.


 Last week was difficult and saw many late afternoon headaches.  It only took a few days to stop feeling hungry in between meals, and I was able to notice by the end of the week that I wasn't always hungry when I felt like eating.   True hunger pangs can be warded off without much difficulty, but the desire to eat is tougher for me. I often felt foggy, on Wed or Thurs I noticed increased sensitivity to light. I have enjoyed drinking more pure water - I went to the Jewel and bought a jug that I keep near my desk at work.                  
 

 At my place of employment, we always have snacks and coffee in the lounge.  It's really tough to go in there and not be able to eat the goodies. This week I plan to avoid the room as much as possible in order to avoid the temptation.

Yesterday I prepared a meal from the elimination recipes that I ate for lunch today.  I had a smoothie for breakfast with added fiber to help cleanse my digestive system.  For dinner tonight, I will have my first liquid dinner.
 
Side effects:  Saturday there was a family party, so I fell off the wagon.  Once I had eaten things that were meant to be eliminated, it got pretty bad, especially with the sweets.  On Sunday, I felt tired and hassled.  My husband and I were at each other's throats all day.  Probably the worst day of our three year marriage.  I can only attribute this to sugar withdrawal!

 I'm hoping tomorrow will be so much better!