Aside from the days when I was strict vegan, Id never consciously given up anything.
I have friends who are gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, etc.
I wondered why that didnt appeal to me.
Was there something I was unaware of in my own body?
Do I, too, have sensitivities that should be addressed?
To find out, I decided to do a serious cleanse.
Heres what I learned.
How to identify real hunger versus emotional hunger.
Real hunger comes on gradually, while emotional hunger seems to strike immediately.
Sugar is not my friend.
Even natural sugars, like dried fruit.
A few days after the cleanse I had a small bag of organic, all-natural dried mango slices.
Shortly after, I went on an evening bike ride.
Gluten gives me brain fog.
I notice it more when the gluten is heavily processed like crackers or cereal.
Tequila is truly the best alcohol choice for my body.
Im a fan of top-shelf sipping tequila shaken on ice with a lime, thank you.
I completely stay away from mixed drinks with sugar now, too.
I need less sleep when I eat clean.
I also wake up with a new pep in my step!
My aches and pains have basically gone away.
Six months after a car accident that jacked up my neck and shoulders, I am still recovering.
A week into the cleanse, all my pain just disappeared.
My chiropractor may not be as happy, but I am over-the-moon with the results.
I crave smoothies like nobodys business.
Smoothies are hands-down the best way to get all your food inone easy-to-assimilate format.
In fact, Im having one as I write this.
Coffee makes me feel crazy.
I have an on-again-off-again love affair with coffee.
I know too much isn’t good for my body, but I havent been able to kick it.
Hot lemon water and brewed teas are fantastic substitutes.
Plus its much cheaper than a latte.
Grains are not as awesome as I once thought.
I have trouble digesting most grains gluten-free or not.
Quinoa seems to be the one exception to this rule.
Eating out on a Clean Program diet is not that difficult.
Sure, it took a little digging to find solutions, but most restaurants were able to accommodate me.
Cheat when you want just ensure you appreciate the hell out of it.
When I want to make exceptions, it will be full-on and guilt-free.
you might still be social.
I had friends say, See you in a month!
when they found out I wasnt drinking.
I was determined not to let this cleanse get me down in the middle of a killer Colorado summer.
Its been the best summer I can remember.
Dating on a cleanse is the ultimate test.
As luck would have it, I met someone special in the first week of the cleanse.
Getting to know each other sans alcohol was a wonderful way to gauge our potential for a meaningful relationship.
Plus, he got bonus points for cooking me a Clean-approved homemade meal.
I feel much sexier, leaner, and have a healthy glow.
Naturally, I lost a bit of weight.
What I didnt expect was howmy skin would start to glow.
Also, there seemed to be an overall decrease in inflammation and a reduction in bloat and water weight.
CostCo is a mecca for smoothie ingredients.
They even sell a heavily discounted VitaMix if you need one.
Pooping has never been so good.
Oh man, I could go on and on about this.
Suffice it to say that regular has a whole new meaning to me now.
People will react very differently.
I now consciously choose every single thing that goes into my body.
Treat breakfast as a time for breaking the fast.
This gave my body a much-needed break to completely digest and eliminate before starting the process over again.
I now make an effort to do this as much as possible.
Including friends is fun.
During and after the cleanse, I had multiple friends jump on board.
Some did their own rendition of the program while others signed up for Clean Programs 21-day cleanse.
It made group dinners so much more fun and gave me an opportunity to pay the health benefits forward.
After doing this, I feel like I really can do anything.
And it wasnt as hard as I thought.
As the saying goes, Perfect is the enemy of done.
Youll be surprised what you could achieve once youve taken the first step.
For more on how to start eating clean, check out our tips formaking a healthy grocery list.
