Okay, so we finally finished the cleanse on Sunday. Because of everything that's been going on, I didn't really feel like getting on with my petty complaints about detoxing. But I figure I should close it out somehow.
Right now, we feel good. The half-way point was probably the worst. We never did reach that point of feeling clear and enlightened and wonderful or whatever people say they feel while they are cleansing. I think it's safe to say that I will never belong with this crowd, and I will probably never do something like this again. I can't deal with the same flavor for ten straight days. I don't get enough of a high or the right amount of self-satisfaction that the stereotypical health nuts get from depriving themselves of things. I think they gain validation in abstaining. As for me, I believe life is too short to be a crazy vegan health nut, and I also think that many of those people are not as healthy as they think they are.
My biggest complaint was the lack of caffeine in my life. The actual caffeine withdrawal lasted about four days, and after that I just really missed the deliciousness of the coffee and the comfort of the ritual. Matt and I always have a cup after breakfast to start the day. If I'm working early in the morning, it accompanies me on my commute. Coffee is just one of those things. So while some will squawk about caffeine addiction, I'm just not willing to worry about it.
We used to share a bottle of wine almost every night, but we kicked it during the cleanse. Now we will have a glass or two every couple days. I feel a lot better. I've also noticed I'm more inclined to drink the right amount of water every day. I think this is another habit I picked up, for whatever reason, while we were detoxing.
The first chocolate I had tasted AMAZING, but I feel a have a little more self control with the sweets. This shall be put to the test this weekend, when my mom and I bake the most amazing Christmas cookies you've ever seen.
What else? I have a better gauge of how much I need to eat (not nearly as much), and how often I need to eat. Detoxing always makes a person more sensitive to unhealthy things, and that's a big plus for me. The sensation is not quite as much as I expected. All the advice makes it seem like food is going to be this super traumatic thing and that it will take almost a week to get back to your normal eating habits. Matt and I were back to normal in about 3 days. We took probiotics and just went a little at a time. I had some very minor stomach cramping the first day off the cleanse, but that was the only issue. I wish it had been harder, actually. I wish the idea of rich food nauseated me. Oh well. Vegetables and I had a very happy reunion. Hopefully this doesn't all go to waste over the holidays. I plan on enjoying the spread, but maybe this time it can be within reason. This year I can't afford to gain the Christmas weight. Perhaps there's something to do in Idaho besides eat and drink. I guess we'll find out!
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