Cleansing is a personal, yearly spring ritual. I am currently on day 6 of a super tasty 2 week whole foods cleanse protocol. Visit our Spring Inspiration Guide to learn more about taking part in a Spring whole-foods cleanse!
Modern life, city living and poor food choices throughout the year encourage the build up of toxins in the body. By cleaning up the diet & eating whole foods that are easy to digest for a week plus, the body and its organs get a chance to work at optimal function. Spring cleaning is the result, the ultimate self care ritual! Eating this way is an incredible ally to boosting energy, staying hydrated and feeling great. It is a worthwhile challenge and I sure was put to the ultimate test this weekend.
I went to an annual ladies getaway out on Mt. Hood. Where coming together for meals was priority second only to skiing & snowboarding, there was so much good food day in & day out. Normally I love planning, cooking and sitting down to eat with everyone. But this time I had a tid bit of anxiety about the weekend’s festivities, all those chips, wine & cheesy pasta dishes. Forecasting the challenges made me plan ahead to make sure I had a water bottle, lemons & fresh veggie snacks like celery! (Celery is the best snack food- filing, hydrating and dippable!) So I prepared all of my good, clean food at home, packed it up and toted it to the mountain.
I found that I was actually hungary at different times than the other ladies, so as much as I Iove eating as a group, I ate when I was hungry. When the smells of savory pasta dishes, sausage & maple syrup filled the air I was nice & full. Coincidently there was another woman up there who was doing a similar cleanse, so it was helpful to chat with her about the experience and we both shared a pot of ginger tea, while the rest of the ladies where enjoying wine, beer & cocktails.
Upon reflection these following notions got me through:
*Sharing with people what I was up to & why was helpful.
*I also kept my hands busy and was always chatting with someone, to stay engaged.
*Since I was already 4 days into the cleanse my mantra was: I am committed & have already done so much work.
*I was so clear headed that the thought of drinking was not appealing.
Getting through the weekend finds me here, very proud of myself & wanting to inspire those of you interested in cleansing. The connection between the body & mind during times of cleansing is stronger than ever. There are so many powerful psychological connections we all have to food regarding how & when we eat it. I have found that cleansing is only as limiting if you allow it to be. With a little extra preparation & a great mind set any thing can happen!