It's Getting Better All the Time

Well, dear readers, I have completed a whopping four days of my self-imposed cleanse and I feel terrific!
The first day was rough, I will admit. I am have a habit of gulping down a big mug of coffee with cream and sugar every morning at 5:30am sharp. Instead I gulped down a glass of warm water with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Just not the same.

The headache kicked in about two and a half hours later. This is relatively early and made it very clear that I had consumed a heck of a lot of sugar over the holidays. I was a smoker back in the day and when I quit smoking cold turkey on January 1st 1998, I was slammed with a pretty gigantic headache. This one was not as bad but bad enough. The thing is, you can't take an Advil for a headache when you are cleansing. That defeats the purpose. So, I went to the gym instead and re-introduced myself to the Elliptical. I hate that thing. Have I mentioned that?

The only down side to this is the fact that you have to be on top of things. Meals and snacks need to be planned ahead. It is critical to have a large selection of fish, chicken and vegetables and fruit to prevent a moment where you are hungry and confused and can't figure out what to eat so you grab a handful of crackers or eat a hunk of cheese out of desperation.

The benefits make it well worth it. I feel lighter, clearer in the head, less agitated, calmer and my skin even looks better. If you want to do something like this, please be aware that the first three days are the hardest. You will want to give up. You will want to cheat. You will convince yourself that you're too stressed, too tired, to busy to follow something like this. Ignore those messages! Move forward! Each day you resist the urge to gobble down a bag of chips or eat a dozen cookies, each day that you persevere  and carry on, that :inner critic/saboteur will lose power and you will become more and more resilient to that harping and harassing. If the very thought of going without dairy, red meat, all sugars (natural or otherwise) and wheat/all flour products, frightens you, please know that there is a glorious amount of grains, vegetables, fish and fruit that you can eat. Lemon juice, olive oil (I prefer light tasting), herbs, sea salt, pepper, hot sauces and spices can turn a piece of salmon or a stir fry into a gourmet, flavourful meal. Before you know it, the cravings will pass and you will be getting excited about quinoa and salads.

If you have any questions, comment below and check back for my answers!