Spring Cleanse

Spring is the perfect time to do a cleanse.  The days are getting longer, it's the season of regeneration and renewed growth... and it is the prelude to swimsuit season.

This is the second year that I have chosen to undertake a 21-day spring cleanse based on Kathy Freston's 'The Quantum Wellness Cleanse'.  In this program she advises eliminating 5 things from the diet for 3 weeks:  caffeine, alcohol, sugar, gluten and animal products.  I suppose some of these items are open to interpretation...  like sugar.  Does that include all other sweeteners, or just refined sugar?  Is a smidge ok, or is it a zero tolerance program?  I suppose that's up to you.  I must say that my interpretation last year was different than this year's. 

Last year at this time, I had not yet adopted a vegan diet and as such I found cutting dairy, eggs and cheese out of my diet a bit of a challenge.  To compensate for the hole that these foods left in my diet, I allowed myself the occasional 'treat' of potato chips or french fries, which are technically allowed, but come on....  is that really a cleanse?? 

This year, after being vegan for over half of the past year, animal products obviously were not an issue.  So the challenges for me have been sugar and gluten.  This could be because I have tweaked my definition of sugar to include refined sugars, cane syrup, corn syrup AND honey.  And I have decided to avoid even the occasional potato chip or french fry.

It's been a week now, and I personally think the first week is the hardest.  Cutting out caffeine and sugar and wheat and all of those go to comfort foods like bread and pasta put me into a sugar withdrawal and I got a touch cranky (my family may have a different interpretation of this mood).  But after the first week, the cravings have mostly gone.  I feel energized and crystal clear...  like a fog has lifted from my mind.  This could be because I'm sleeping better, very soundly, with fewer interruptions.  My mood is more stable with fewer highs and lows.  I've lost 2 pounds and my belly is flatter.  It really is remarkable, the effect that diet has on our mood, and our outlook on life.  When we are properly nourishing our bodies it shows in our hair, our skin, our eyes, even the way we carry ourselves.

This is what the first week of my cleanse has shown me.  I wish I had documented how I felt on last year's cleanse!   It has also reminded me that a vegan diet is not necessarily a healthy diet.  All those processed vegan foods, refined sugars and caffeine take their toll on our bodies as well.

On to week two!