#extremelygreendetox

My, what a difference a week makes!

Week 2 was a much different experience than Week 1. I owe most of the thanks to my hormones! I struggled Tuesday through Thursday with eating light. I was so preoccupied with cravings for sweeter, denser items like dark chocolate and almond butter. Both of these items are "allowed" on the detox in small quantities, so I definitely savored every spoonful of almond butter I snuck in :) It was just a very different experience than the prior week, which had been so effortless and graceful. Suddenly I was fiending for food, bloated and puffy, and just feeling, well, blah. For the first time during the detox, I felt discouraged. Like everything was reversing and I wasn't going to truly transform. But I knew better...

Every month, a woman's cycle is literally a shedding of unecessary stuff. We know what most of that "stuff" is, but along with it also goes toxins that the body has been storing. Consuming so many raw, leafy greens and juices awakens a lot of old, deep-seated toxins in the body. It can sometimes cause the body to swell and puff up until these toxins are released. I knew that's what was happening to me, but hello, it's downright depressing to feel bloated and tired! Instead of giving in to any cravings other than the allowed items, I gave myself a pep talk. I told myself exactly what was happening, and that once my cycle was over, I would feel great again. I didn't always believe what I told myself, but I knew that I should.

Sure enough, I emerged on Friday with excellent results. I weighed less than I did before my cycle, my energy was restored, and the puffiness was totally gone. I felt, and still feel, amazing! My hope is that with continued deep cleansing, my cycles will become more and more tolerable. Many detoxers I know have had a positive experience over time. I am very proud of myself for staying strong and trusting the process. It was not easy, but now I have the confidence to keep it up!!!

Oh, and here's what I ate this week! (Links will go live tonight!)

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Well, I wrote an awesome blog post last night about Week 1, and then my internet connection freaked out and I lost it. Sadness. So here is a distilled version of said post:

Week 1 was amazing. Every day I stepped on the scale from Monday to Friday, I was down another pound. It was nuts. I ate so well. I tried so many new fabulous raw vegan entrees, dips, and snacks. It was a blast! The only detox symptoms I had was mid-back pain and dry/cracked heels, but regular application of coconut oil helped that! I was on vacation all week, which made it extremely simple to rest up, take it easy, and enjoy the process. It was very harmonious. I was super inspired to make new dishes, and it was truly a joy to prepare them all!

Here's my visual food diary of every single thing I consumed each day during Week 1:

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday