Cleanse Completed // What I've Learned

It's crazy to think that I completed my cleanse just over a week ago now... time really does fly. I have not had the proper chance to sit down and write out what I thought of the whole thing since finishing, so guess what... today is that day!

I guess I also need to say, I am sorry if talking about a cleanse is gross to you. I did not realize until chatting with a friend that the topic of detoxing could be offensive to some. If you fall in this category, understandable. However, you might want to stop reading this post and come back tomorrow for a different topic. I am not going to get into any real gross details over here (that's just not my style) but I get it. 

(great meal planning options:  layered salads from back to her roots  /  freeze-ahead smoothies for the week from juicy juicerton  /  pre-prepped afternoon snacks from babble)

So, a week of eating a very heavy vegetable diet mixed with lean proteins, some fruit and no carbs, sugar, caffeine or alcohol did terrify me a bit and rightfully so. I am a foodie to the core and typically follow the motto 'anything in moderation'. Yet, I set a goal and can say I made it through with a great appreciation to the entire detox process. Yes, I was hungry. Yes, it was more work than I initially expected. Yes, I had some stomach pains. Yes, I wanted to quit at some points when I was craving coffee in the afternoons or was still hungry after dinner. But, I did it and realized a few key things from the process... 

- my body feels and functions much better when I don't consume a lot of dairy

- I eat way too much sugar and don't even realize it

- having an regular eating schedule helps me make healthy food choices

- I sleep so much better when I don't eat junk food

- I don't drink enough water most days

For me, the goop cleansed showed me that meal planning needs to be part of my weekly schedule. I drank more water, made better food choices and overall felt better throughout the day when I packed my meals. While my portion and ingredients moving forward will differ a bit from the cleanse, having a set schedule with snacks and meals made it so easy for me to stay away from the gigantic candy dish on every desk in my office from 2-5p. Speaking of candy and sugar... o.m.g. I really had no idea that sugar was in nearly everything under the sun. Call me naive, but I really did not get it until now.

I really do feel much better after completing my cleanse and would 100% recommend one to someone who is looking to reset their system. While I am in no hurry to do another anytime soon, I know come new years I will be itching again to reset the damage I will most-likely cause over the next 10 months this year. But until then...