Whole Foods Cleanse Part 2

So how did the cleanse go, you ask!?
*If you missed Whole Foods Cleanse part 1, you can check it out here.

Well, the first day I felt amazing. I was proud of myself for picking something that was do-able, and that I was going to stick with.

And then days 2, 3 and 4 came.  Oh boy, were those rough! I had tons of headaches, felt hungry a good portion of the the time, and just generally not well.

There were very clear warnings that this would happen.  I was even warned that I may feel like I had the flu as the process of detoxifying our bodies can be like that.

Thankfully it never got that bad.  But let me tell you, those days weren't that great!

Come on, thinly slicing up zucchini, topping it with tomatoes, onions and garlic, and calling it spaghetti is JUST.NOT.SPAGHETTI.  And I wanted spaghetti!  Which is a little ironic, because other than mac-n-cheese, I could really do without any form of spaghetti.

But then from day 5 to 7 it got better.  The first week was done, and I had stuck to it!

I had never juiced so many green veggies in my life...and LOVED it!!  I had never found avacados to be the smoothies, creamiest, delicious treat in the entire world.  And wow, what an amazing bedtime snack was blueberries and almond milk!

I may have even been heard saying "Wow, those blueberries and almond milk are like a milkshake!"...several times.

Yes, its true, I'm now one of "those girls" that used to drive me crazy!  But really, after eating tons of leafy greens, your taste buds change quite a bit, and suddenly almond milk and blueberries are the best milkshake ever!

OK, well, definitely not better than a chocolate moose tracks milkshake, but that's what got me here in the first place!

So back to the cleanse.

The second week was pretty easy overall.  Yes, there were times that I wanted some chicken.  There were times (ok, many times!) where I just wanted a glass of red wine.  And daily, there were the times that I so desperately missed my morning cup of coffee and the experience that it lends me (decaf herbal tea is SO not the same!).

But 2 weeks came and went.  And not one single morsel of gluten, dairy, caffeine, alcohol, animal products, refined sugar, or sweet fruits passed my lips.

In the process I lost 7 pounds, and a total of almost 5 inches (between my hips, thighs, stomach and chest) Unfortunately most of the evidence of this is found in my now-too-big bras, but hey, at least it's a start!

And now, it's been about 2 weeks since we officially completed the cleanse.  I have had FAR less headaches, and when I do get them they are much less severe (even despite working so many night shifts lately, which was when they really would creep up on me!).  I feel lighter, cleaner, and overall more healthy.  And what's even better is I feel like this is a lifestyle and eating style that I can sustain.

The plan is to start to re-introduce animal products, mostly shrimp, salmon, chicken, and lean ground turkey back into my diet.  But no longer do I feel the need to eat it every day!  I am still making a green juice every morning because it makes me feel amazing afterwards.  And I still look forward to the few nights when avacado in some form is on the menu!

The cleanse opened my eyes to a ton of greens that I never even knew I would enjoy (mostly in juice form), like swiss chard, kale, collard greens, and mustard greens.  I inadvertently bought the last 2 on accident and found they worked just as well in a green juice (what in the world do all these plants look exactly alike for!).

And we are now following the 90/10 rule, which basically means that 90% of the time during the week my meals are healthy. Many are vegetarian, vegan or raw.  The other 10% of the time, I can pick my pleasure.

What that really boils down to is 2 meals a week, Jon and I enjoy a nice juicy cheeseburger, or a slice of turtle cheesecake, or a glass of wine with dinner, or a sausage, mushroom and cheese pizza.  And because it's just 2 meals, I don't have to feel guilty.

So if you're looking for a cleanse, let me know and I'll give the the link.  And certainly, if you have more specific questions about what foods to choose, or what recipes I found to be better than others, hit me up in the comments section and I'll get back to you.

I have to say, this cleanse gave me the jump start that I needed to eat right and get back on track.  I've been there before, but had swayed a little too far off the beaten path to get there completely on my own.  And now that I'm back, there's no place I'd rather be!