26 March 2014

3 Day cleanse

I've always thought cleanses were kind of stupid.  But after a decadent couple of months, and a few extra lbs, I was craving a way to just reset myself.  To get hold of the reigns again.  I knew that this local restaurant Puravegan offered cleanse packages ranging from all 2-5 days, all liquid to some liquid, and all of a sudden, it seemed manageable and even desirable.  
For first time cleansers, they recommend phase 1, which is 3 days, and consists of 1 juice, 1 smoothie, and 1 raw food meal.  All juices and smoothies come pre-made in mason jars, and the dinners in to-go containers.  Everything was incredibly tasty.  These people know their way around a smoothie!
When you pick up your cleanse from the restaurant, they sit down and explain the hows and whys of everything.  This is a nutrient dense program, and not particularly low-calorie.  The idea of the juice and smoothie is to give your body a chance to heal itself rather than using all its energy on digestion.  And it is designed to make your body more alkaline.  I don't know what that means exactly, but I know it is preferable to an acidic body.  
kale collard wrap with sprouted quinoa and cashew almond spread
The other benefit to the cleanse is that you rebuild your relationship with food.  This was the biggie for me.  99% of the time I eat really really healthfully.  But I also think about food constantly, and often go back for seconds, and when I do add up my calories from food and cocktails, it is far more than I need to be consuming.
carrot and walnut tacos in a cabbage shell
 Could I make by own juice and smoothies?  Sure, but I would end up making them twice as big and would not know when to stop.  The advantage of having them pre-made is that when it is gone, it is gone.  No more til the next meal.  This was kind of a major revelation for me.  I realized that I haven't been truly hungry in years.  I LOVE eating, love it, but I looked forward to these meals like a kid looks forward to a birthday party.  They tasted amazing, and I relished every bite.  And because I wanted it to last as long as possible, I took the time to savor and CHEW them completely!

sweet potato curry pasta
I had my concerns about having enough calories to get through my 2 hour a day workouts, but honestly, it was a non-issue.  I usually burn about 600 calories at the gym.  It is not like I'm an ultra-marathoner or something.  This cleanse provided plenty.  

They say to supplement your dinner with extra raw veggies if you want to.  I did have some pepper strips with the wrap, and snap peas with the tacos, but I didn't need them.  It was just psychological.  I also broke the rules and had some clementines between lunch and dinner.  Not a mortal sin, but so much for the digestion break!

We're going to do this cleanse once a month!  Next time I think I will be able to really own it, and not worry so much about my fear of hunger.  The first night when I went to bed, I felt sorry for myself, but then my mind went to people who are literally  starving all the time.  You feel like an asshole for even thinking you know what it means to be hungry and you get over it.  


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