Yesterday I started feeling the effects of the cleanse...which is a good thing!!!! But I will definitely feel worse before I feel better. My main complaint was that I was tired. I had a hard time getting out of bed in the morning and felt like I never fully woke up! I went through the motions of my morning, put my son down for his nap, made a delicious lunch and did something I rarely do...laid down and watched tv! It was crappy outside, husband was out of town, and my body was telling me it needed rest. Instead of pumping it full of caffeine or sugar to falsely wake it up (which causes more long term fatigue overall because it is SO taxing on the body!), I listened to my body and gave it the rest it was asking for. Imagine that! I know that my natural energy levels will kick in soon and that all the nutrients I am pumping my body full of will be far superior at keeping me going. But first my body needs to adjust to fewer calories. It won't take long and my body will be seriously grateful to have a nice long break from having to expend so much energy on digestion!
Today was my roughest day yet! Not only was I really feeling the fatigue and body aches that can come in the beginning of a cleanse, but I got my monthly cycle which naturally includes cramping and other pleasantries! Plus my recurring issues with low back and foot pain were at their worst. Add to the mix the fact that it is Mother's Day and my husband has been out of town for the entire weekend. That is one whopping recipe for a no good, very bad day! I was all set to throw in the towel and call it quits! BUT, even though I did cheat a little, I didn't do nearly the damage that I was trying to talk myself into! And now I am back to feeling strongly committed and ready for a new and hopefully brighter day tomorrow! After icing my foot and heating my back throughout the day, my pain levels are much more tolerable. And the first day of my cycle is always the worst. Things usually get better fast after that! I need to remember that even when things don't go my way and my motivation begins to diminish, I can recover! Motivation levels will not be 100% strong 100% of the time so instead of letting the times when it is low defeat me, I can just ride out the dip and wait until it rises again. Each minute of each day is a new opportunity. Even if I do mess up, I can make the right decision the next time. It does not have to be all or nothing!
Last year I maintained a strong commitment to my diet but once I started allowing certain things back in, it wasn't long before I was hooked! Now that I am in the early stages of cutting the very same foods out of my diet that I previously learned to live happily without, I find it fascinating how much I think about these foods! Our culture is obsessed with food and almost every person living in this country has a relationship with food other than for purely nourishing the body. Once I started feeling the effects of eating dirty food, it started a downward spiral until I recreated the negative relationships with food I had previously debunked! I mindlessly snack out of boredom and loneliness when Jamison is napping. I eat when I am tired and in pain just so I can enjoy something when I am feeling miserable. I indulge on the weekends because it is something fun to do as a family. I use food or Starbucks to get me out of the house when I am too fatigued and unmotivated to get moving. I cheat on my cleanse on Mother's Day because after having a horrible day, gosh darn it I deserve it! Deserve what??? Empty, poisonous calories? Bloating, fatigue and guilt in return for 5 minutes of satisfaction? So I am really using this opportunity to pay attention to my cravings and listen to what my body is trying to tell me. Food is definitely a substitute for something deeper so hopefully I can figure some things out! One thing I did notice today is that the majority of the times I was having intense cravings, I wasn't actually hungry. Now that my body is getting used to less food and more water, I am really beginning to feel what it is like to actually be hungry versus just wanting to eat. Good to know!
Breakfast
Day 2: Energy Smoothie (1/4 C almond butter, 1 t cinnamon or ground cardomom, 1 C water, 1/2 C coconut water, 1 C frozen peaches, 1-2 t agave, 2 kale leaves, 1/2 C ice)Day 3: Kombucha Smoothie (1 small cucumber, 2 kiwis, 1 C ginger kombucha, 1/2 C coconut milk, 2 kale leaves, 2 T cilantro, 6 ice cubes)
Lunch
Day 2: Thai Vegetable Wraps with Almond Sauce (to make sauce blend 1T almond butter, 1t grated ginger, 1/2 juiced lemon, 1t apple cinder vinegar, 1 clove garlic, 1 t gluten free tamari. Roll shredded cabbage, matchstick carrots and cukes, sliced avocado and scallions into Romaine lettuce leaves and drizzle with sauce)
Day 3: Grilled cheese on Gluten free bread with avocado and spinach (one of my cheats!)
Snacks
Day 2: Cinnamon Sunflower Truffles
Day 3: Rice crackers and chocolate chips with peanut butter (another cheat!)
Dinner
Detox Green soup both nights
Activities
Day 2: epsom salt bath, stretched, meditated
Day 3: dry brushed, alternated hot and cold in the shower
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