Detox (Jess)

I have done all sorts of detoxes and cleanses over the years. This was my first 48 hours cleanse, and it was the hardest. As I am working on my 60 days of healthful eating, it seemed like a great time to do a quick cleanse. Since my experience was very similar to Katie's recap here, for this post I will focus on some thoughts I have about the process. By no means am I a doc, I only have my personal experience to go off of.

This last weekend I learned a few crucial lessons on having a successful cleanse. I suffered from not thinking ahead and I came away with some thoughts on preparing your body, calendar, fridge, and family for what is about to happen.

Preparing your body:

It seems simple enough. Follow the recipes, eat the snacks, drink the tea, and whamoo-bamo you'll be feeling like a million bucks. Not so much. It is crazy how much our bodies come to depend on the little indulgences we have throughout our day. I know this cleanse would have felt a whole lot better had I taken the few days before to cut back slowly on my caffeine and keep an eye on my sugar intake. Instead I over indulged on both the days leading up to the cleanse, and paid for it with a headache and foul mood. 

Preparing your calendar:

I cannot stress enough how important it is to give your body rest over the cleanse. Trying to press through and do life as usual is really tough when you are low on energy. I also slept great (thanks to the caffeine break) and appreciated the early bedtime. Cleanses and detoxes are a great way to jump start new habits or get back on track with healthy eating, but make sure your jump start happens at a time where the focus can be on what you are doing for your body. 

Preparing your fridge:

Look ahead at all the recipes. Read up on why you are eating this or that. Think through what that meal time will be like. Unlike Katie, I didn't stick to the meal plans 100%, I used all the same ingredients, but in different ways to make new meals for lunch and breakfast on the second day. The smoothie was great, but it felt more like a breakfast option to me, quinoa wasn't too bad either, but I loved it cold with veges and the lemon/olive oil dressing. I was careful not to add new things but I did want to feel good about what I was eating. Also, Katie noted that the recipes made way more than what we needed, so looking it over before going shopping would have saved us some serious cash. 

Preparing your family:

If being by yourself for 48 hours, focused only on your food and body is not reasonable, welcome to real life. I think all of us struggle, no matter what our family looks like, to carve out time to take care of ourselves. Talking through your plans with your family and either doing it together or having someone who can pick up the slack for your lagging energy is going to make everything easier. Justin worked late on Saturday night and I was cranky and irritable by the time it was bed time for the girls. It was a mommy fail. If I had planned it more carefully, it would have been more enjoyable for everyone. 

Again, these are just my thoughts. Little things I learned along the way this last weekend. I am glad I did it, I always learn a lot when I am being conscious of my food. It is an ongoing journey to be healthy and balanced, I am always grateful for a new challenge and experience that keeps me focused.

Jess

Your thoughts:

Have you tried a cleanse or detox?

What advice would you give?