I woke up last Monday morning knowing I needed a cleanse. The urge had been brought on by an exchange Keith and I had had the day before:
Keith: “Did you know I paid $10 for that bag of nuts?”
Me: (feeling indignant, with a mouthful of peanuts and cashews) “……..”
Keith: “Maybe you should try to exercise more self control.”
So enough was enough. I knew a cleanse would help me get rid of the food cravings that had been creeping up on me and also help to slim me down a little. Not that I’m overweight, I just have this extra layer of something (fat) around the middle developing, and I don’t want to get used to it.
I turned to the Standard Process Purification program. This program has stood us in good stead in the past, both in helping our clients and also for ourselves. Keith reminded me that he had lost 30 lbs. in the past when he followed the plan for a month.
The general gist of the Standard Process Purification program is that you eat only vegetables, fruits and green shakes for 10 days, after which you add in some solid protein for the rest of the cleanse (10 more days). So it’s a 21-day program. The vegetables can be cooked or raw. This is a great time of year to do this cleanse because there are plenty of wonderful vegetables and fruits available.
You can find the full Standard Process Purification guide here.
Key food items to cut out are: nuts, dairy, meat (at least for the first 10 days), and cheat snacks like sugar free chocolate and protein bars. I would have to find other foods to snack on.
When I announced to Keith that I was going to do a cleanse, he suggested, “maybe I should do a cleanse too!” And thus we are doing the cleanse together. It’s great to have a partner to encourage you through the cleanse!
Cleanse update so far: I began last Monday, July 18. I felt great the first day. The second and third day I had some tiredness and mild headaches. This is normal when cutting all junky foods out of your diet, as the organs begin to recover. By day 4 I felt fine with lots of energy. On day 7 I felt a major energy drain and realized it was because I needed protein. So I added in some salmon. Most people can wait the whole 10 days before adding in protein, but I know myself and adding the meat and fish was necessary. Still going strong today on day 11! And I am down 3 pounds. I might just keep this cleanse going even after day 21, so I can enjoy the beneficial effects as long as possible!
Here is my food journal for the first few days on my cleanse:
Monday, July 18, 2016
AM: coffee with butter, water with whey protein (pre-workout), SP Complete shake (post-workout)
Lunch: SP Complete Shake
Dinner: SP Complete Shake, peppers and cucumber with guacamole
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
AM: Coffee with butter, SP Complete shake
Lunch: SP Complete Shake
Snack: SP Complete Shake, carrots & hummus, green pepper, 1/2 avocado
Dinner: SP Complete Shake, cucumber, green pepper, guacamole, 1 roasted beet
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
AM: Coffee with butter, SP Complete Shake
10 AM: 1/2 avocado
Lunch: SP Complete Shake, green pepper, cucumber, guacamole, carrots, hummus, 1 red beet, mango
Dinner: 2 dill pickles, SP Complete Shake, cabbage, onion, summer squash curry with coconut milk and cilantro
