Day 1 Cleanse

I'm beginning a new adventure of sorts.  Today I am starting a 21-day cleanse based on the Standard Process Cleanse (SPC), and thought that this would be a good place to stay accountable by cataloging my ups and downs, the foods I eat, and (hopefully) the progress I make.  




Why Cleanse?
There as many reasons to cleanse as there are people who cleanse (ok, maybe not that many, but there are a lot of good reasons).  You can find out more here.  Some of the more popular reasons are as follows: 

• eliminate toxins
• weight loss
• increased energy/vitality
• better digestion
• less bloating
• clearer skin and shinier hair
• better sleep
• clearer thinking
• disappearance or lessening of previous conditions (acne, arthritis, stress, etc)

I have been resistant to cleansing in the past for several reasons...

1. The truth is that I'm pretty lazy (there, I said it).  Some might say "busy" (and while that may also be true, I usually feel like I can barely keep up with my life as it is.  My husband, my kid, my house, my dogs, my bills, my self, etc...  AND it takes a lot of effort to plan, shop for, and prepare meals to a particular dietary specification - especially when I have to prepare an entirely separate meal for the rest of my family who aren't cleansing.
2. I'm afraid that a cleanse will be too restrictive and I will end up binging on "bad" food.  I am going to do my best to keep up with this blog (again with the lazy...) which I hope will keep me accountable.  Also, I am doing this with a friend so there's another layer of accountability built in.  
3. THREE WEEKS.  That's a long time.  Three weeks...  It's just 3 weeks... 21 days...  I can do anything for that long, right?
4. This is perhaps my biggest excuse and also the biggest reason I should do the cleanse. I'm Melissa and I'm addicted to caffeine and sugar.  BIG time.  This cleanse calls for an elimination of refined sugar, animal protein (until day 11), simple carbs, most salt, and caffeine.  I have decided that in order to keep from feeling too overwhelmed I will keep my morning coffee (with half and half) and will occasionally eat sugar-free ''desserts'' like pudding or cool whip.  I would rather modify this experience as needed than give up or quit.

My biggest goals are to...

• lose fat

• increase energy

• reduce headaches

• reduce bloating

• improve skin

What I ate today


Breakfast: 
coffee and plain non-fat greek yogurt (fage), 1 diced peach, 1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil, 2 tablespoons wheat germ


Smoothie: 
almond milk, spinach, one-half banana, 1 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder


Lunch: 
Avocado Chutney (a seriously tasty recipe I found here at The Mommypotamus)


Dinner:
asparagus fries, sauteed mushrooms and onions, half cup of long grain wild rice


Smoothie:
almond milk, one-half banana, 1 T almond butter