How a three day cleanse gave me major shift in perspective
On December 27th, 2017 I hopped on a three day juice cleanse. This one if you're wondering.
I didn't do it to lose weight or for some other narcissistic reason (not that there's anything wrong with occasional narcissism—do I look thin in this photo?). I did it for my sanity. Inside somewhere I felt broken, as hell.. like I wasn't me. So I sought out for some clarity by way of detox.
I feel compelled to mention that I ate, with no regret, three too many Krispy Kreme donuts on the night before my cleanse started. I was trying to go out with a bang. Also, so that if I felt tempted to cave on Day 1, I'd be taunted by all the damn sweets I consumed the night before and feel too guilty to mess up. In hindsight, I realize my logic was terrible but I'm comfortable in knowing everything played out exactly as it should have.
Anyway, here's what happened:
Day 1 : six juices and mad water.
I recorded this as the first day in a long time that I felt like my "normal" self.
I felt anxious, but productive (also something I hadn’t felt in a while).
My thoughts, all of a sudden, seemed clear.
To my surprise, I felt a deep and strong sense of optimism.
Maybe this juice cleanse wasn’t such a bad idea after all…
Day 2: hella juice, even more water.
My thoughts are clear.
Even in the midst of a fresh cycle, no cramps.
My mood is at an all time high, I'm upbeat and energetic.
I FEEL INSPIRED.
I am excited about life again.
Now this is different.
Day 3: ALL, THE, LIQUIDS.
Cramps are minimal, in fact super manageable.
I’m productive and nothing can stop me.
My discipline is at 100% with temptation at a minimum.
Clarity is in the air.
I’m, ironically, fueled all the way up!
I feel light.
This calls for an extra day.
December 31st marked Day 3.5. While bringing in the new year on a light stomach is cool and all, it wasn’t my prerogative and my detox’s purpose, at this point, had been fulfilled. I met up with some friends and indulged in my girl’s Chef Lauren Von Der Pool’s vegan cuisine (@queenofgreen on Instagram btw). We laughed, we played and when the time came, counted down the seconds ‘till the new year. I picked a lighter version of the cleanse back up for the next two days as I eased my way into solid foods again. I felt great and, best of all, renewed, This was everything my spirit had been looking for.
I’ve held that moment to myself for nearly two years. It was one of many deep transformative times for me and maybe that’s why I kept it to myself despite having the overall intent to share it with you all. In hindsight, this was the very moment I realized what a temple my body truly was; and its connection to my mind and spirit. For months prior to the cleanse I felt lost and this was the ultimate pick me up.
Now I’m not saying a cleanse will solve your problems, because doing this sort of thing for the wrong reasons will ultimately produce “wrong results” so to speak. And so I’ll leave y’all with this and close it out until next time—because this was the biggest gem behind my cleanse…
Prior to detoxing I sat down with myself and set an intention; a why. I recited a prayer—probably wrote it down—and just meditated on it for some time. I reflected on the purpose behind this mini journey I was about to partake in. I reflected on the change I wanted to bring forth into my life and focused on all the good that was about to come. I manifested my discipline. I refused to fail, and I succeeded. I came back home (ATL at the time) after almost a month in LA ready to take on the world with my renewed self. I had cultivated a discipline during that month away and especially during those 3-4 detox days. And that was the most significant thing behind it all..
Moral of the story: set your intentions before you do EVERYTHING. It helps.
Drop your favorite cleanses in the comment section below and tell me what are your reasons for cleansing or detoxing. I’ll be doing another one of Doctor Holistic’s month long detoxes pretty soon and tell you guys all about it. I completely my first one back in January 2019 and was very please with the results. Check it out here.
- xo