CLEANSING: DAY 1 - 10

i made it!!
if you have been following me along on instagram you've seen me post some #21daycleanse pictures over the past few weeks. well that's because i have been on the standard process purification program, basically to hit the 'reset' button on my body.

the process has been amazing. feeling clean and understanding what i put in my body and what my body needs has been a great lesson. at first i thought i would feel super weak, hungry and tired. but i was able to keep my work and workout schedule just as before and never felt rundown or faint. although there were a few days in the beginning that by 3pm i could have used a nap or maybe just some sugar or caffeine!

here's the skinny:
 days 1-10 shakes and added protein, as recommended by your doctor. fruits and vegetables only.
(supplements include: SP cleanse, SP green food and gastro fiber)

days 11-21 shakes and added protein, as recommended by your doctor. fruits, vegetables PLUS lean meat. like organic chicken, fresh fish and maybe a lean cut filet if you need one!
(supplements include: SP green food and gastro fiber)


r e a l t a l k : the first 2 days i drank a mild green tea with a pomegranate flavor to avoid caffeine headaches. and the first 4 days were the hardest for me. not having a bite of chocolate after dinner (sugar cravings), apple and peanut butter around 3pm and i missed cheese, fresh and melted alike.
after that it got easier. however, your stomach does shrink a little buy day 4/5 and smaller portions fill you up. but by day 8 was really craving something besides fruits and veggies. eating those first few slices of chicken on day 11 were divine!
being around mexican food was the hardest. chips and dip- my weakness. not drinking alcohol was the easy part, i gave that up for 30 days in january and really enjoyed it then as well as this time around.
i still have some carb cravings... chips, pasta, and pizza commercials were painful. until this cleanse i never knew my mouth would actually water over foods... but its a fact- it happened!

f a v o r i t e    r e c i p e s   f r o m   t h e   c l e a n s e :
(below are my favorite recipes from day 1-10)

to keep from getting bored with the same old veggies and tastes every day, it is recommended to try new veggies and new combinations. so i did just that and actually had a few new favorites turn out from it all. im pretty sure the acorn squash dinner will be in my regular rotation!

a c o r n    s q u a s h    d i n n e r 

1/2 acorn squash - backed face down 30min evoo s&p @ 375

1 ear of summer corn - boiled 20min

broccoli boiled until tender 

1/2 avocado 

1 large roma tomato - diced

light drizzle of evoo and balsamic 

1-2 tbsp dijon mustard 

salt and pepper to taste 

g a r d e n    s t e w

1 onion - diced

2 garlic cloves - minced

2 tbs evoo

salt and pepper

fresh oregano and parsley 

> saute the above until tender

then add any and all veggies you love!

i added:

carrots- sliced 

brocoli 

zucchini 

red paprika 

additional options:

eggplant 

mushrooms 

or any of your favorites 

once you've sauteed the onions, etc, add all the veggies, chopped to you liking, reduce heat and let simmer 30-40 minutes    (or until veggies are tender) 

i used my dutch oven to make a big ol' pot of this yumminess!

i loved mixing the raw and cooked vegetables together- this is the garden stew on a bed of arugula. 

by day 3 of the garden stew... i needed a little change. so i pureed the stew and served it over spaghetti squash! so yummy! you can also have spaghetti squash with your homemade tomato sauce - getting creative with vegetables is key to keep you on track with the cleanse. especially during the first 10 days of fruits and vegetables only!

be sure to check back tomorrow for days 11-21!