I’ve done it–I’ve finally committed to it: a ten day dietary cleanse.
No, I won’t be drinking maple syrup solution, fasting, or eating only cabbage soup for the next week and a half. This cleanse, brought to you by Health and Wellness Coach Michelle Bailen, simply asks that you eat only natural, unprocessed foods over the course of ten days. Sounds easy enough, but that means:
* No alcohol
*No dairy (hello, coconut and almond milk)
* Avoiding meat, chicken, or fish (Michelle says organic is okay a few times during the cleanse, but I’ll try to cut it out)
* No gluten/wheat, white rice, etc
* No refined sugars
* Basically, no foods whose ingredients, as Michelle says, your grandmother wouldn’t recognize.
What will I be eating? Quinoa dishes, soups like kale and sweet potato, gluten-free oatmeal, nuts, fruit and spinach smoothies (can’t taste the spinach, I swear!), brown rice and bean dishes, and lots of fruits and vegetables.
The cleanse promises to help identify food allergies, boost energy, and get rid of belly bloat. While I’m no junk food junkie, I do tend to reach for that sugary snack mid-afternoon, even though I know it’s only going to lead to a crash later on. I’m looking forward to trying out new foods and recipes in the 50+ page guide Michelle’s sent out–and to being more mindful about what I put in my body over the course of the next ten days. I’m also eager to see how I do without processed sugars and gluten in my diet (based on a blood test, a nutritionist identified that I have a dairy allergy, so I’m already leading a mostly dairy-free life. Aside from the occasional Coke I don’t drink many caffeinated beverages, so that should be relatively easy to conquer too).
A nutritionist suggested I try this a year and a half ago, but there always seemed to be something in the way that kept me from finding a ten-day block to do it–a trip, a big party, a wedding or other celebration where I knew I wouldn’t want to limit what I was eating. With no temptations on the calendar over the next two weeks–and daily emails of support from Michelle throughout the process–I’m hoping I can pull it off.
The cleanse starts Wednesday, Sept 5, so stay tuned and see me suffer, struggle to turn down happy hour invites, and discover new favorite meals on my way to healthier living!
