In December, I wasn’t feeling my usual spunky self so I decided to go to a new Integrative Medicine doctor. I told my doctor my symptoms, I was feeling super lethargic, no energy especially in the afternoon and I was gaining weight that I could not lose. I couldn’t sleep to save my life. My appetite for carbohydrates was especially voracious and once I unleash that beast, it’s all over for my willpower. She listened and at the end of my soliloquy, all she said was, “you need to do a cleanse.” Ill see you at the end of February. Huh? What did you just say? a cleanse? I need something to help me now. She just walked out.
I left the exam room and went to the counter to buy the supplies for the cleanse. The lady handed me a brown paper bag with a bunch of bottles and a bigger container containing the SP Complete Dairy Free Smoothie Powder. She charged me almost $300. What?!?!
When I got home I read about the SP Cleanse. Oh, it’s not fun. No alcohol, caffeine, nuts, dairy, eggs, grains (wheat, barley, rye, corn, rice, bran, bulgar, couscous, semolina) and no processed or refined foods. Basically, the only beverages allowed are the SP complete shakes, spring water and herbal tea that are organic and non-caffeinated. That is tough! The first 11 days are vegan. I didn’t even know what this meant. Basically, no animal anything. Ugggh, I love meat. I had anxiety, mainly because I had just spent $300 on all this stuff and I wasn’t even committed. This was supposed to last for 21 days??? OMG.
I went to the doctor on a Tuesday and it took me a whole day to process what I needed to do. This would take a HUGE mental reorganization for me. By Thursday, I was somewhat ready. I started. The smoothie was good and I was able to add some fruit to it although the lady at the office said that if I wanted to lose weight that I should avoid bananas. Ok, I can do that. I used strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. Sweetness added by adding organic dates. I switched my unsweetened almond milk to coconut milk. That was an easy change. I changed my peanut butter to sunflower butter, it was an ok change, sunflower butter is not as yummy as peanut butter or almond butter but I was able to do it. The smoothies were good.
For the rest of the meals, I made stuff out of avocados, sweet potatoes, salad, lentils and beets. I can’t recount how I sustained myself. I had a LOT of smoothies. Finally, on day 11, I could make a roast chicken and it was divine! I made it to day 16 and that was it for me. I felt pretty good and my sleep was so much better. I went to the Korean Spa and I saw a scale and decided to step on it, I honestly did not feel like I had made a difference to my body but I had lost 5 lbs. and for me that is a lot.
I was happy. At day 16, my sleep was multiples better and I had lost 5 lbs. My energy though was not great, I was still super tired and forget about playing tennis for me. I was way too tired. Without my coffee and at least some food that I like, I was lacking energy but I learned a lot from this cleanse. Here are my take-aways:
- You can do whatever you set your mind to do. Where there is a will there is a way!
- I still drink the smoothie and continue with coconut milk. The mix is full of vitamins and fiber and I like it. I add fruit and dates and I still think it is delicious.
- I replaced all my nuts with sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Seeds instead of nuts. They are both full of protein and very nutritious. They contain healthy monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats and vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. When consumed as a part of a healthy diet, seeds can help reduce blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure.
- I cut out fatty foods. I used to do a semi-Atkins diet that was basically all protein/high fat/low carb. I was ALWAYS constipated. I know, TMI but it’s the truth. Post-cleanse, I am sticking with a low-fat diet comprised of chicken and fish. I do love steak so I am limiting beef to once a week instead of five times a week. LOL.
- I am no longer afraid of lentils. Even though they are a carbohydrate, they are full of fiber and help me stay regular. I make a big batch in my Ninja pressure cooker and eat my soup all week long. It’s very satisfying and fills me up and it’s delicious.
- Beets. People either love beets or hate beets. I am in the love beet category. They are great in salads, smoothies and as a side dish. Beets provide some impressive health benefits. They are a low-calorie food and are a great source of nutrients, including fiber, folate and vitamin C. Beets also contain nitrates and may help lower blood pressure.
- Quinoa. What the heck is Quinoa? It is an Andean plant which originated in the area surrounding Lake Titicaca in Peru (Highest lake in the world) and Bolivia. It is a flowering plant in the amaranth family and is grown for its edible seeds. The seeds are full of protein, fiber, B vitamins and minerals. I have replaced all my rice and pasta cravings with quinoa.
- Sweet Potato. It is a root vegetable that is sweet and for me replaces my french-fry cravings. They are full of fiber and contain lots of vitamins and minerals. They are a good source of Vitamin C and B and are high in the antioxidant known as beta-carotene.
- Pooping. We cannot undermine the value of going to the bathroom at least once a day. After my cleanse, I realized how much better my body felt if I was regular. This means, every day I focus on eating enough fiber, drinking plenty of water and making sure I poop every day! Sorry, TMI, again. LOL.
Have you ever done a cleanse? How did it go? How did you feel? How do you stay motivated? What did you implement from the cleanse? I would love to hear from you!
