Why is it that all of us who are busy taking care of others never seem to have time to take care of ourselves? Just a bad habit maybe. I can blame it on generations of self-sacrificing mothers. But right now I feel good.
Todd and I did the Cleanse. It's been at least six years since I did the BMRR program. It's great to be reminded of why we are excited about what we're doing here. Now I want to do it every year, at least once. I feel clearer, lighter (5 pounds), stronger. My little aches and pains are about 80% gone, digestion is working better. I'm pretty sure my liver, kidneys. heart and blood vessels are happy, too, though I can't prove it. Todd said his eyes are no longer bigger than his stomach. In other words, it reset his appetite. Throughout the week he kept saying that giving his system a break felt really good. Here are some things I noticed, doing the cleanse at home, that might be helpful.
Support is important:
Do it with someone but only if that person is a positive force. Todd probably wouldn't have done it if I hadn't set it in motion, but I could have been talked into quitting after a few days if Todd hadn't voted to keep going. I wasn't thinking about food until I looked in my pantry. Don't talk about food, watch it on TV, or have it around where you can see it. Don't dwell on that feeling of being deprived or fantasize what you'd like to eat. Remember, it'll all still be there when you're done.
Make a plan and prepare things before you get too hungry:
Don't get too hungry, then you'll get grouchy and discouraged. You might eat more at first but strangely you'll probably start to feel less and less hungry each day. Do the best you can. If you need a little extra something to keep going don't worry about it. It's your cleanse. I've heard people say "if I eat any cooked food I'll ruin my cleanse" and other such nonsense. Not true. My confession, I drank green tea. I just couldn't kick the caffeine addiction.
If you're tired, rest (or at least slow down):
This may seem obvious to some of you but in my world it is a last resort. I did some decadent things like watching a movie in the middle of the day and taking a nap.
Clean your colon:
If you want to feel good this is going to make the biggest difference, not just in your digestion but those back pains, joint pains, headaches, neck aches, leg pains, negative thoughts etc., they all improve when your colon is clean. It's amazing! Which leads me to the topic of next weeks blog, "Why does doing an enema seem like such a big deal? Stay tuned.
I hope you'll take some time for yourself and give your system a rest and your health a boost. Also don't forget to get out in nature, exercise mindfully, and breathe deeply.
