I always wanted to go on a juice cleanse when I turned 40. When the time came, I decided to seek help from more experienced people and signed up for a 5-day juice cleanse at a wellness center.
One of my goals when I turned 40 was to do a 10-day juice cleanse. I knew this wasn’t going to be an easy feat, so I decided that the best way to make this goal achievable was to get some outside help from those who do this every day. I decided to sign up for a 5-day juice cleanse at a wellness center.
What Made Me Want to Go on a Juice Cleanse
I have been intrigued with juice cleansing for nearly 12 years. Research shows that juice cleanses (or juice fasts) can help the body eliminate toxins, reduce inflammation, and give our bodies a reset from the normal foods we eat. That sounds good to me! I have also always enjoyed learning more about my own body, what it needs and more importantly, what it doesn’t need, so changing my normal diet will hopefully give me more insight into foods that I should or should not be consuming.
The other reasons I want to go on a juice cleanse is because this will not be easy and I love a good challenge. One of my goals for 2021 was to take uncomfortable action more often and this, no doubt, will be uncomfortable. But I have found that the more I take action steps in my life, the stronger, more confident, and more resilient I become. When I walk through my fear of the unknown, or when I achieve something that I didn’t think I could, I feel proud. I feel like there is nothing I can’t do. And that feels empowering to me. It is also a deep-rooted reminder that I am in control of my life and my health. This is also the message I want my children to understand and live out in their own lives.
What Is in My Juice Cleanse
I will be traveling to Palm Springs, California for my cleanse at a wellness center. I knew that trying to do my first several-day cleanse at home would be impossible with kids, work, and our busy life, so I am packing up my laptop, some cool clothes for the 100-plus degree temperatures, and I am taking a personal trek for clarity, commitment, and cleansing. For five days, I will be drinking my meals. But that is only one part of the program.
The other part of the program includes colonics, or colon hydrotherapy. This is when large amounts of water are flushed through the colon using a small tube inserted into the rectum. Okay, so maybe now you are wondering why anyone would actually pay money to be on a liquid diet and have tubes inserted up their back sides for an extended period of time. Hey, I never said this was for everyone.
But what if, just what if, this juice-and-colonic combo resets my digestive system? What if it helps my body eliminate toxins more effectively, calms the inflammation I experience in my gut and joints at times, and what if I experience the most health and vitality I have ever experienced afterward? To me, those potential health benefits are worth the discomfort.
Research is on the fence about colonics. Some doctors say that our bodies already have a built-in detoxification system, so trying to use external ways of eliminating toxins and waste is unnecessary. But the reality is that every year, 62 million Americans are diagnosed with a digestive disorder and a recent survey found that 74% of Americans suffer with gastrointestinal issues. Whether it’s the foods we eat or the environmental toxins or something else, the numbers show that our bodies are having a hard time keeping our guts healthy.
Before My Juice Cleanse
I don’t know about you, but when I commit to something, I commit fully! I didn’t always get straight A’s when I was in high school or college, but when it came to subjects I was passionate about, I was a straight-A student. That’s the same when it comes to projects, workshops, or programs I am involved with. As part of the preparation for my 5-day juice cleanse at the wellness center, it is recommended that I eliminate coffee, sugar, caffeine, meat, dairy, nuts, grains (basically everything except raw or steamed veggies and fruit) four to five days before my cleanse begins.
Well, that wasn’t good enough for me. I wanted my body to be even more prepared, so I gave up my glass of wine nearly three months ago and gave up my beloved coffee nearly two months ago. Giving up drinking was not a big deal for me at all, as I felt like my body needed a break from it anyway. But coffee, my wake-up buddy for over 20 years, that was a little harder. But again, when we do things that we don’t think we can, we are taking control of our bodies and our minds.
Coffee for me was always my energy crutch. When I was getting 45-minute sleep intervals when my twins were newborns, coffee was just about the only thing that helped me get through my days. But more recently, I felt like coffee had become my false source of energy. I felt like coffee—not me—was the driving force of my energy and not my own doing. So, I gave it up cold turkey. Now, when I feel a dip in energy, I hop on my spin bike, do a 30-minute workout class, take a walk, or swim laps in the pool to create my own surge of endorphins. I do that, not coffee. I am captain of my ship, not coffee.
After My Juice Cleanse
Would I recommend a juice cleanse? The quick answer: ABSOLUTELY!
If I could hop on a plane and do another five days of this program, I would, in a heartbeat. I thought I would be hungry, grouchy, and missing food the entire time I was there, but I honestly did not have hunger pangs more than once or twice the entire time. I had the opportunity to detox not only my body, but I detoxed my mind as well.
What does that mean? It means that while I was releasing toxins from my liver, my kidneys, and my digestive system, I was also releasing toxic thoughts that had been making me “sick.” Thoughts like, “you’ll never be a successful writer,” or “who is going to want to listen to you?” These are stories (lies) that I have told myself over the years and they are not true and they were part of storing toxins in my brain.
It was time to release all of those toxins, both physically and mentally, so that I could make room for healthier nutrition and inspiration to flow through me. And this cleanse program was the perfect catalyst for lifelong change. I came home rejuvenated, renewed and felt like my body’s metaphorical “Reset” button had been pushed. In fact, I felt so good that before I left the program to come home, I booked myself for next year.
