Jim tried this cleanse a year ago and he went for over a week eating nothing and drinking only the lemon/maple syrup/cayenne concoction. The only other "drinks" you're supposed to consume are some salt water in the morning and an herbal laxative tea in the evening. Oh joy. My friend Margie also did this cleanse (3 days) and she said it was easy, she wasn't hungry, and when you see the sludge your body rids itself of, you swear you'll never eat meat, or cheese, or chocolate, or wine, or coffee again. Until, of course, you do.
The thing is, I'm a healthy eater. I never eat red meat. But I do drink wine and espresso every day. Also, I'm not a big lunch person, so instead of consuming the recommended 4-6 servings of vegetables and fruits daily, I maybe eat half of that because lunches for me usually consist of black licorice and rice crackers. I'm much better at eating a wholesome and complete breakfast and dinner. For some reason I'm always at a loss mid-day, hence my less-than-appetizing lunch. This doesn't mean I don't open the fridge and the pantry cupboards at least 12 times waiting for something to miraculously appear. It's not that I necessarily want to eat licorice, it's just that nothing else seems as simple, or tasty. So I thought it would be a good idea to "reset" my system by doing a cleanse. Give it a break from the wine and cheese and espresso and licorice and instead treat myself to lemons, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. Mmmm.
I originally intended to start this cleanse yesterday, but I woke up hungry and I sort of panicked. Just one more day, I thought. Also, I wanted to give my body something to really cleanse, so I was extra careful that I consumed enough caffeine, wine, etc. just to make sure this cleanse wasn't for naught. Choosing what to eat for dinner last night was like deciding on my last supper. I settled on sushi a salad and white wine, followed by some soy delicious chocolate "ice cream." It was tasty and knowing that it would be my last meal for three days, I savored every bite and ate slowly.
This morning I've already suffered through the salt water (ick) and have made it through two cups of my "lemonade." I feel pretty good, not terribly hungry, but I realize it is the ritual of food that I'll most likely miss the most during the course of this cleanse. I love coming into the kitchen and greeting my hot-pink Francis!Francis! espresso machine. We chat it up and share our dreams from the night before while she cooks up some tasty espresso. Next I plunk a bagel into my super cute toaster from Paris. I partake in this morning ritual nearly every day, and I find much comfort and enjoyment in this. It just wasn't the same measuring out maple syrup and juicing lemons...Jim said this about the cleanse when he did it as well. It was the ritual of food preparation that he missed.
For now I'll have to find enjoyment sipping lemonade and staying out of the kitchen.
1 comment:
You should try my cleanse. Go eat Taco Bell once a month, it will cleanse you out for at least 3 days:-)
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