Master Cleanse - Day 1

Today was DAY 1 of my cleansing experience. I had no idea it would be so difficult. (Looking at that picture of me holding the chocolate assortment is making my mouth water!) The day started early with a refreshing 32oz salt water breakfast. It took me 45 minutes to get this salt water concoction down the hatch. Feeling as if I were back underway, with my stomach slighly queasy and the lingering taste of sea salt on my lips, I thought, "Oh well, only 9 more mornings like this and I'm done." Perhaps not the most upbeat way to start my 10-day journey; but, who can really remain upbeat when salt water is flushing through the system, finding a quick and determined exit at the other end?

It took a full two hours to recover from the flush. I still can't believe this is to become my morning ritual for the next 9 days. Man I miss my coffee! Salt water and the morning paper just doesn't have the same appeal!

When I finally started into the lemonade drinks, I found that they are actually quite tasty! Who would have thought a blend of freshly-squeezed lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper could be so good? Good enough, I found, that the cravings for them occurred about every hour-and-a-half throughout the day.

I called my girlfriend Amy, who initally turned me onto this idea, numerous times throughout the day. "Should my tounge be turning white and fuzzy ALREADY?" I asked. It just seemed too soon. To her credit, she fielded these questions and continued to check in on me throughout the day. Her quiet confidence ensured me all is normal and my mouth is supposed to taste icky at this point. "Your body is detoxing itself" she said. "Give it a few days." The website says the tongue is supposed to return to bright, clean pink after the body has fully detoxed. Some people take longer than others to reach this nirvana. With my luck, I am looking at YEARS, not days!

Going without food for this entire day was tough because it made me begin to understand how much of our culture, our lifestyles revolve around it. We get together for drinks. We go out for dinner and a movie. The kitchen is the hub - the HEART of the home. I am not saying this is a bad thing. In fact, I think it's great! The part that is disturbing is how PROGRAMMED we all are to it. How much we take simple things such as eating, or our lifestyles which revolve around it, for granted.

In these next 9 days, I resolve to get back to my roots. To achieve a better sense of GRATITUDE for the simple things. As I am struggling to get through tomorrow morning's sea salt delight, I will focus on the positives - on the fact that it is a new day, a new morning, a new opportunity to do something I have not done in order to help make the planet a little better, a little brighter, one sip at a time.

Nourishment

You are what you eat, or so the saying goes. Along those lines, I truly believe we are also a product of what we think. I have spent quite a bit of time purging myself of negative thinking habits, and, through meditation, journaling and spirituality have found inner-peace beginning to blossom.

So, it is time to work on the vessel. One of my girlfriends turned me onto the Master Cleanse over a year ago. While I was intrigued, I was not at the point where I could mentally commit to ten days of lemon, cayenne pepper and maple syrup drinks. Even now the thought is rather daunting!

The problem is, I LOVE food. I think this gastronomic appreciation stemmed from my father, who used to take exotic weekend trips to France because his palate demanded the Nouveau Bougelais. I grew up in a household where we were expected to clean our plates (we never did have a dog to help us out) and seconds were encouraged.

While I would like to say this type of nutritional construct was balanced, it was actually way off kilter. In fact, I have ALWAYS struggled with my weight, and continue to do so. Five years ago, I made a solid effort to battle the bulge and lost nearly 50 pounds. Working with a personal trainer, I reassessed my thoughts about food, exercise and lifestyle choices. Now I find I spend a lot more time at the gym and playing outside, reaping the benefits of fresh air and exercise. However, food still tempts me. Especially CHOCOLATE!

Even so, it can't physically be SO difficult to give up food for 10 days. It's more of a mental challenge. Even though I will start each day downing 32 ounces of salt water, and drink nothing but spicy-sweet "lemonade", the challenge really lies in wrestling with my own attitudes towards food.

When I consider my social life, most of it revolves around food or drink. A cup of coffee, going out for dinner, it all centers around the stomach. How in the world will I find anything to do (besides schoolwork) for the next 10 days??

For me, this is the next step in my journey of self-growth and self-care. Ridding the toxins from my body is just as important as ridding the negative thought patterns from my brain.

I'll continue to blog as I progress through this journey. I promise to focus more on the journey than the physical symptoms. Even when my tongue turns white and fuzzy during the detox phase, I will continue to write about the journey. Talking, it seems, may be a bit trickier!