A Conscious Cleanse to Feel My Best
Many are skeptical when they hear the word “cleanse.” It evokes images of deprivation, crash diet, and short term fixes. But that’s not what the Conscious Cleanse is about as it is a food-based cleanse. During the cleanse, you eat food, and plenty of it. Second, the changes you make are not meant to be short term. Yes, you will go back to some of the things you cut out, but the main point is to learn how different foods affect your body and which foods make you feel your best. And that’s priceless to me.
What I Learned from Doing the Conscious Cleanse
I have done numerous cleanses over the years, and I learn something new every time I do a Conscious Cleanse*. Here are some of the things I learned about myself and my body (obviously, this is different for everyone):
- I cannot process gluten correctly. When I eat it, I get stomach pains, gas, joint pain, a “foggy” feeling, irritability, and “puffiness.” - This discovery was HUGE. It truly changed my life. And, yes, there are many who are skeptical when I say I’m sensitive to gluten. My husband always says to feed me some gluten and spend a few days with me; he is certain that everyone will believe me after that...
- Preparation is everything. The Conscious Cleanse is a food-based cleanse. In an ideal world, the way I eat on the cleanse is how I would eat every day - plenty of delicious vegetables and fruits with some fish, chicken (meat and fish are optional on the cleanse) and grains added here and there. But without preparation, it is really hard to eat that way. There is a plethora of delicious recipes that come with the Conscious Cleanse, and if I spend some time a few days a week making the recipes ahead of time, the cleanse will go much better. This is of course also true for “real life.” Whenever I spend some time on food prep, we eat better. And many of the recipes that I make while doing the Conscious Cleanse have become a regular part of our rotating menu.
- Self care is very important. The Conscious Cleanse is about so much more than “just food.” It is about taking care of yourself - food, body, and soul. One of my favorite parts of the cleanse is daily journaling first thing in the morning.
- Support makes all the difference. There is lots of support when you do the Conscious Cleanse, and it really makes a difference as it gently guides you in the right direction when you feel discouraged or run into difficulties, uncertainties and questions. A team of health coaches is on call to answer questions during the cleanse. You also get daily emails that highlight what you should focus on that day - I love opening my Conscious Cleanse emails; they are just the affirmation I need to start each day of the cleanse. Plus, there are five live tele seminars where you can ask questions (the seminars are also recorded for your convenience). Finally, there is a private Facebook group where current cleansers support each other and the health coaches answer questions.
The Conscious Cleanse in a Nutshell
- You will start every day with warm lemon water and a green smoothie (or another cleanse-approved breakfast).
- You will eat lots of vegetables throughout the day - there are plans for vegans as well as meat eaters, and you will add grains or an animal or vegetable protein.
- Five days before the cleanse, an optional transition period begins where you make one change a day. I find this period very helpful to gear up for the cleanse; my husband, however, prefers to just “jump” in on day one of the cleanse.
- The cleanse lasts 14 days; at the end of the cleanse, you will reintroduce foods you cut out during the cleanse (such as dairy, sugar, gluten, alcohol, and coffee) to test how your body reacts to them and how you feel if you ingest them. You can then make the decision whether to include them in your diet or keep them off your plate/out of your glass.
- Review of my first Conscious Cleanse in January 2013 - a long, comprehensive post about my experiences doing the cleanse for the first time
- My Decision to do the Conscious Cleanse again in May 2013 - includes a list of things I learned from the cleanse that I incorporated into my life (many of them I continue to do to this day)
- Conscious Cleanse food and experiences during the second cleanse
- Thoughts after finishing the second Conscious Cleanse
- 5 Things I Learned from Doing the Conscious Cleanse - you can incorporate them into your life at any time without doing the cleanse
- Conscious Cleanse-friendly Beverages
- Tools and Lessons I Have Learned from Doing the Conscious Cleanse
- How the Conscious Cleanse Helps me to Deal with Stress
If you feel you haven’t taken care of your body the way you should have - food, movement, and spirit - I think the Conscious Cleanse* is an amazing way to reset everything and allow yourself to feel your best. It’s truly a gift to yourself. It’s a gift I’m going to give to myself.
The January 2017 Conscious Cleanse* starts on January 4 with a five day optional transition period. Click here* for more information about the Conscious Cleanse and to register. If you have any questions about my experiences with the Conscious Cleanse, leave them in the comments or send me an email at andreaswellnessnotes[at]gmail.com.
Updated on 12/29/16: I just confirmed that my readers can get $25 off with code AND25.
Questions: What will you do to feel your best in 2017? Have you ever done a (food-based) cleanse? If so, what were your experiences? Are you interested in doing a (food-based) cleanse? Why or why not? Leave any questions you may have about my experiences with the cleanse in the comments.
Be well,
Andrea
*Disclosure: I’m a Conscious Cleanse ambassador, and I will earn a commission if you sign up for the cleanse using one of my links in this post. As always, all opinions in this post are my own.