I heard the first birdsong of the year today! Spring gets an early start here on the coast, and at our house the snowdrops are out, the crocuses have pushed their shoots from the soil, and the lilac tree is making the beginnings of new buds on its branches.

Spring is the perfect time for cleansing, as fresh energy is very supportive for our own renewal. I try to cleanse twice a year (but not always), and after 15 years of juice fasting, liver flushing, master cleansing and all other kinds of protocols, I have quite a lot to say about the good and the bad ( sometimes soooooo bad) of cleansing. So I thought I would share some of my thoughts with you as I embark on another cleansing experience.

Cleansing Sucks.... 

Okay, unlike many of the health gurus and experts out there who try to sell you promises of radiance and clarity and skip over the realities, I will be straight with you..... cleansing is terrible. Well not the whole thing, but the first few days.

I usually go into a cleanse with a lot of optimism and excitement, until the first morning when I reach for my espresso pot and realize that I can't have coffee. Then the stupidity of the whole enterprise comes crashing down upon me and I feel a combination of anger and despair. Why??? Why???? It is so unfair!!!!!!! Who decided this?? Oh... wait.... I did. Darn!

Then I get it together, bust out the juicer, and get on with the day. But that feeling never leaves, and I am basically just dreaming of coffee for seven days. Why is coffee so good, why can't I have it???? AAARRRRGGGGHHHH....Why is this salad not coffee???!!! And so on.

Uh... So Why Do It?

For me, I like the opportunity to confront my habits head on, and just give my body a little break. I am not completely sold on the idea of detoxing, as a healthy human body is very efficient in detoxification. However, there is an obvious benefit from taking a break from sugar, caffeine, and all the little treats that I am not always aware that I am nibbling on in a day. And I lose a few winter pounds, my clothes fit better, and I end up eating tons of fresh veggies, what's not to like? 

What do you eat... grass?

Well after depriving myself on so many weird cleanses over the years (liver flush.... barf), I take a much more gentle and self guided approach. For the first 2 days I just have fresh green juices in the morning, followed by salads for lunch and dinner. Then I switch from juices to smoothies for a little more bulk. Basically I just eat gigantic salads for a week, and then go back to normal eating (which for me is mostly giant salads and vegetables and whole grains... plus cookies).

So next weekend is go time! I will be sure to share a bit of my process with you, and if anyone feels inspired to join in, go for it!