clean reset...

 I am grumpy. Grumpy beyond belief yet, I feel AWESOME! Then again, I'm only a quick quip away from a retaliative neck-punch! My neck-punches are lethal :) If you haven't figured it out, I've been cleansing for 6 days now. 

BUT, my body feels like it's re-set on many levels. I feel lighter and less lethargic. The big thing is the clarity I feel. I feel like I'm carrying around less weight, craving less and ultimately, finding that my mood (other than the grumpiness) is more consistent.

I am a lover of chocolate but with everything, I overdue it and when I do, I get killer headaches which put me in a funk. This weeks extreme clean eating (or juicing) has eliminated that. Oh yeah, DING, DING, DING, I've also lost 7 pounds! I'm confident too that if I keep up healthy food portions after I finish this cleanse that I won't yo-yo back. In general, I'm feeling ready for Spring, warm-weather and more activity!

I'm a big believer in the MASTER CLEANSE but believe you me, it's not for the faint at heart. First, cayenne pepper in a drink is less than fantastic and second, which is the most important piece, I think it's dangerous for your health if you don't follow the plan properly, prepare accordingly and aren't a healthy person to begin with. So don't jump into this without some careful planning and caution or, without consulting your Physician. 

Here's what I followed: 

It takes three days to get to the actual lemonade cleanse...
Pre-Cleanse:
DAY 1   | fruits + vegetables only
DAY 2   | juiced fruits + vegetables
DAY 3   | orange juice

LEMONADE CLEANSE | You want to go as many days as possible. Sadly, my record is 5 days on the lemonade.
1 part lemon juice (use the real stuff--juicer) and 3 parts water + 1 oz. maple syrup and 1 tbsp. cayenne. 
[lemon = cleanse, syrup = sugar aka. energy and cayenne = meal suppressant] 

Post cleanse: 
DAY 1   | orange juice
DAY 2   | juiced fruits + vegetables
DAY 3   | fruits vegetables or light solid food--greens! *don't be slamming back a chili dog

For me, tomorrow I look forward to re-introducing  solids; fruits and vegetables. I've never been so pumped for a salad! On the whole, I'm shocked at how much energy I've had after sufferings through six days on liquids but for the most part, it's been pretty painless--minus the grumpiness. As a tip, I might suggest having two little ones under the age of 4. It's a great distraction...keeps you busy and away from the fridge. :) 

Even though snow is in the mix for Northwest Connecticut tomorrow, I'm feeling ready for Spring. I'm ready to get out and get active and for the first time post-winter blahs', I'm feeling comfortable about peeling off a few layers. I've always come out of winter with a plan to lose weight or get back into game shape. This year, I dove in, took control of my eating via this cleanse and I'm feeling ready to go. Bring it April and May!