Post Cleanse Analysis

So the cleanse is over and I have had a couple of days to really think about what the process was like and what the results are like.

When I started out I had a determination and intention to do this cleanse very seriously. I wanted to follow everything to the letter and not give in to temptations. I always thought I was very weak, especially if I saw a delicious cake or fresh bread in front of me. This was the first lesson. I can do anything once I am determined and also when equipped with the right information. Going into something, determined to do something without a plan is a sure way to ensure you don't complete the task. Knowing what to eat, what to grocery shop for, what to avoid, and why was so helpful.

At the beginning of this cleanse, I was dealing with a cough, that I have had on and off for most of my life. It drives people crazy around me, and makes them worry that something is wrong with me. I also had an issue when I ate, then I was immediately bloated. I had seen many doctors about my cough so I knew nothing was medically wrong. I knew both the cough and the bloating would probably be helped by the cleanse. I had no idea that the cough would be gone. In the grand scheme of things, 15 days doesn't seem like a lot of time to effect a change. But the removal of certain inflammatory foods helped reduce the acid reflux, which in turn actually got rid of the cough. This has been a phenomenal development. That cough caused so many other problems, lack of sleep, stomach aches... I am relieved to know that food can change things for the better.

The bloating I am still working on. I think I probably need to do this program for longer to see a real change.

I talked to the nutritionist about adding foods back and she gave me clear instructions on how to add foods back and how to cook the lentils. All the questions I had she answered. Also another important piece of this puzzle. Having someone to ask questions to was so helpful. The few things I have reintroduced have caused some stomach discomfort, so I will be more careful.

The bigger take away from doing this cleanse was very affirming to me. I had done my training to become a health coach with the premise that the gut holds 70% of our immune system and most diseases begin in the gut. Therefore altering what and how we eat can affect our health, especially long term. Seeing it happen in real life, with my own perspective was very eye opening. Advocating for people to be mindful of the quality of ingredients they consume, plus knowing the things that are causing issues and should be eliminated is very important to ail the problems that plague us every day. Our lifestyles, quality of our foods, and stress have increased exponentially from even 10 years ago. We can't live the same way we used to because everything around us is different. So making the dietary changes as a first step was very important. And as a skeptical person, I needed to see it for myself.

Going forward, I think I will retain quite a few things that I learned. I think I will eliminate dairy and gluten completely, except for the rare item (like birthday cake). I am also going to go back to stopping eating by 7:30 pm. It was better for me and I think I slept better, I am definitely going to keep my water consumption at around 100 oz. And I am going to increase my vegetable consumption.

I am very happy with the progress I have seen so far, and appreciate you reading about my journey. I am posting a picture of the bloating before and after. I judge myself so critically, but the only way I can make a real change is by accepting things as they are and improving what I know will work.

Day 14 & 15

Well, it is the end of the cleanse. Yesterday was day 14 and I got on the scale. Not a great thing, but I was warned about this. The scale was up a pound. The thing that stood out to me is that nothing had changed. You know I have been pretty much eating the same things. The only thing that was different was the stressful conversation I had the night before and the late dinner. We know there is a direct correlation between stress and weight, and here was the proof right in front of me. I had maintained a pretty low stress level for most of the cleanse, even when I was super busy.

Once I figured that out, I continued with my day. I had a lot of running around to do which was fine, but it meant I needed to plan out my meals and snacks. I did cook dinner before my last meeting and made a Thai vegetarian curry. It was pretty good, lots of vegetables, but I think it became a little salty.

Today was the last day, and out of curiosity, I got on the scale and the weight was back down a pound. Very interesting that it came back down, but that is what stress can do.

I stayed the course until the evening. I was really craving a pizza so I made a cashew cream and homemade pizza sauce on a gluten-free crust with lots of vegetables. It was so good, and the cashew "cheese" was good. Probably need to tweek the recipe.

I feel good. I am ready to let you know my thoughts about the whole process tomorrow.

Day 12 & 13

It is getting close to the end, and I have learned so much! First the food. I have been on repeat because I was too busy to explore new recipes. I miss my tacos, so I made a pseudo version with some mixed vegetables cooked with a little Mexican spice. A very beautiful avocado with a little lemon and salt. So yummy. The banana smoothie was a staple in my breakfast. I told the nutritionist I was so sleepy on day 12. She suggested many things I could do including not eating rice and potatoes in the same meal. But the one thing I did was have some caffeinated ginger tea. I added coconut sugar and some almond milk. Was pretty good. Not like the original but it would do.

I also kept edamame as a staple for snack time. The 20 grams of protein that it provided was something I desperately needed. I also asked the nutritionist about why I hadn't seen much weight loss. And basically, that is not the function of the gut cleanse. It is to get the gut healthy so it can process some of the things that get added back. Afterwards, I will be able to add a vegan protein in and keep up with the weight training to see some weight loss.

There are times when I feel hungry and want to reach for a snack. This would be a time pre cleanse that I would eat some processed stuff from the pantry. It is so interesting that somehow I am able to resist eating those snacks now. Hopefully this continues when I am all done.

On the evening of day 13, I had some stressful conversations which caused dinner to be late, around 8 pm. Which of course, caused heartburn and reflux. After not having it for a few days, it was very uncomfortable.

We are going to get instructions on how to reintroduce foods back in and I am very curious. I am also curious about what my discipline will look like after.

We will see, almost to the end.