Day 2: Spark! Wellness / Choosing Raw January 2010 Cleanse

By ellen on January 21, 2010

As I mentioned before, I am participating in the Spark! Wellness / Choosing Raw cleanse. Today is day two for me after a week of “pretoxing.” Basically, a pre-tox baby-steps you into the cleanse by eliminating certain toxins (like caffeine or sugar) gradually to lessen the withdrawal effects.

I actually should be on day four (it started on Monday), but I didn’t start my pre-tox on time and wanted to give it the full attention it deserved. On the cleanse, my eating day consists on different combinations of veggies, brown rice, quinoa, green smoothies, and chicken. As for beverages, I’m drinking herbal tea, coconut water, and loooooads of plain water.

While I have had some fairly intense sugar cravings (headaches and a throbbing “arghhh gimme gimme” feeling), I been doing very well. I mean, I haven’t caved! It’s actually made me acutely aware of these cravings and how often I submit to them without ever thinking. It’s like instant gratification – me want, me get. It seems simple and so obvious, but it was really a lightbulb moment when I realized how often I don’t even listen to my actual hunger cues. I have successfully quelled all of my sugar cravings with either coconut water or an herbal tea. I’m thrilled that I’m learning this lesson so early on in the cleanse too.

What has been your lightbulb moment regarding your health?

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What’s In a Name? (Or January 2010 Cleanse!)

By ellen on December 15, 2009

When I hear the word cleanse, I think either rubber gloves and Mr. Clean, OR rubber body suits and cayenne lemonade. I know, right? Neither is terribly appealing. Luckily, the Spark! Wellness / Choosing Raw January 2010 Cleanse will be neither of these!

When I read about the cleanse on Choosing Raw, I was happy to see that Gena, the author of the blog and a sponsor of the cleanse, debunked the cleanse connotations that I’d feared. This cleanse is marketed as “anti-fad.” So, rather than thinking of it as a means to drop weight quickly before a party or some crazy thing, it’s more of a stepping stone to clear the slate for longer term goals.

I’m always up to try new things, and I think I’m still finding what my feel good, balanced “diet” is. And to be clear, I don’t mean diet as weight loss, but diet as in how I eat. For example, I thoroughly enjoyed my vegetarian trial in October. I have since gone back to eating meat – albeit, not often. I’m hoping that this cleanse will clear the slate and help me to realize which foods make me feel great, and which I feel better without. And the kicker for me was the part that mentioned that “glow in the skin” argh! I’m constantly going for the skin glow, haha.

There’s still time to sign-up! I think it’s going to be a really great program and it offers support on a few levels. I can’t think of a better Xmas gift to myself – or way to usher in 2010!

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