Green Smoothie!

It didn't look like it was going to taste good at all lol. However, it was smooth and great! I fully enjoyed them and plan on having them every now and then even now that my cleanse is over. I have a magic bullet blender and I highly recommend them for those who like to blend and go!

21 Day Cleanse... Finale

Week 3 was much better! Again, I began the week with a 24 hour fast. I began stretching every morning as well and made sure to take my supplements and bee pollen. I was very busy this week in school and in other areas of my life. I had to make sure to find time to take care of myself in the process.

I began posting a quote of the day on my Facebook page. This helped keep my Spirit fed and gave me the beneficial task of finding a quote that fit my state of mind and my new attitude. I began dry-brushing this last week as well. This is exactly what it sounds like. Before my morning showers, I would take a dry natural bathing brush and brush my skin in a circular motion over my entire body. According to Drybrushing.net :
   
This technique not only promotes healthier skin by removing dead skin cells on the surface of the skin, but also by stimulating and increasing skin cell production, giving your skin a healthy glow all year long.  But the benefits are not just skin deep – dry brushing both increases blood flow and circulation and enhances detoxification through the skin.  It is also said that the gentle pressure and brushing sensations have a calming effect – just like a massage!  But be aware that the increase in blood circulation will also give you that “awake” feeling, so a dry brushing session before bed might not be so convenient.

You can visit the site and see the other benefits of dry-brushing. It made an enormous difference in my skin. My face seemed to glow and even the cellulite on my thighs seemed to be decreased! How's that for a good excuse to try it!!??

Since I had gotten used to fasting on Mondays, I added an extra day to my cleanse so that I could fast. It was a pretty smooth week after coming up with solutions to many of my problems during week 2. All in all, I felt amazing, I lost 6 pounds, I felt light and healthier, and I was extremely proud of myself! Thank you all who were interested and supportive of my journey. I plan on keeping up a newer, healthier lifestyle. I also plan on sharing as much of it as I can with my blog readers. So stay tuned! Until next time readers!

In Beauty and Love Always
~Wyzdom D. Vine

21 Day Cleanse... Week 2

Where do I begin!!??? This has been such an amazing experience! I have also been unbelievably busy, so I wasn't able to keep up with the journaling like I wanted to. I apologize for that. Now let's catch up on things!

I began week 2 by fasting for 24 hours. I consumed water, green juice, and herbal tea all day. The next day I was sure to take my organic, vegetarian supplement with pre and pro biotics and a tablespoon of bee pollen. My body and mind felt wonderful after that! I expected to feel hungry and cranky, but that wasn't the case at all.

In week 2 I also added a digestive enzyme (all vegetarian) with every meal, even with juices. This decreased any tummy discomfort I was having. I also had to really delve into my meditation. Week 2 was very emotional for me. The detoxing process was taking place in my body and it had a lot of gunk to get rid of. I realized that I also had a lot of emotional and mental gunk to get rid of as well. Also, sugar and processed foods are definitely addictive. Coming off of them was very similar to coming off of a drug. Sometimes I could smell french fries and sweets from far away, and I began to go through withdrawal (haha). At times, it made me a little mean too. My poor son!

By the end of the week, I was feeling better again and the symptoms had starting to take a new form. My baths and reflections really helped and set me back in the right state of mind. I constantly had to remind myself of the benefits and hang in there. Quitting was not an option for me.

21 Day Cleanse: Week 1

The week went pretty well. It was kind of up and down and I had a rough start. Since day 1 was also my first day of class, (and I also have a 12 year old in school) I'm sure you can imagine how hectic that morning was. I began my morning with two 8 oz glasses of water and some herbal tea with lemon. I was able to get about 5 to 7 minutes of meditation time in and then it was time to leave the house. That morning I got my first juice from my local juice bar (which felt like cheating but I later found out that it wasn't). I had a beet, carrot, celery, apple juice and a 1 oz shot of wheat grass. I sipped purified water from a 25 oz personal water bottle all day. At lunch I was still running around and I hadn't begun packing lunch yet so I ate at a whole foods market/cafe. I had variety green salad (medium sized), bean bell pepper and corn salad (small sized), and a cup of soup with zucchini and tomato in a clear broth (vegetarian of course). For dinner I made myself a quick brown rice and steamed veggie bowl and large plate of variety greens salad with home made vinaigrette.

I weighed myself since it was the first day. Even though I don't believe this should be a focus for the cleanse, I know some of you will want to know the affects (if any) that it had on my weight. I ended that night with a luxurious lavender salts bath by candle light. I had brown rice cakes and hummus for a late snack and all together I drank about 100 ounces of water. I didn't get any physical activity in (other than running around campus) and I didn't stop snacking until about an hour before bed (the recommendation is 3 hours).

The rest of the week was similar to the first day. I got better at managing my time so I was able to juice at home and also incorporate green smoothies. The green juices seem to have a much different affect then just a regular veggie and fruit juice. I didn't have many detox symptoms this week. My skin felt dry and itchy especially at night. My remedy for that was to make a moisturizing oil using almond oil as the base and adding a few drops of sweet orange and grapefruit pure essence oils. This is now my favorite part of the evening. Taking those luxurious baths and ending with this decadent oil feels so wonderful. I have also maintained my promise to myself to use only (mostly) natural products. It is hard finding things that are 97 to 98 percent natural at least. But the juices and the products have made me feel more pampered then deprived this week. I have also increased my meditation time to anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes in the morning.

I found out half way through the week that I was over doing things. I read more and realized that the salads I had every lunchtime and dinner time were not the only way to get those alkaline veggies in my system. I played around with lightly steamed and sauteed veggies in different recipes. I made I tofu salad that was almost as good as my grandmother's potato salad and I have fallen in love with soups. It just goes to show how being healthy should not be a punishment. A person can change an rearrange things to fit her or his lifestyle and taste buds. Eventually, your body starts craving the things you need and they become the things you want. This cleanse is getting me on my way to an even more healthful and bountiful life. Tune in to find out how next week goes!

Until then, Remain in Beauty and Love and
Good Health Always
~Wyzdom