Many Verdicts...

I couldn't boil this experimental cleanse down to a single conclusion. There certainly were many discoveries. Ultimately, this has indeed been a helpful exercise. Most of us have imbedded routines that, if we were to never stop and examine them, might be causing us harm or imbalance. Shining the spotlight on sugar, for me, was the most helpful of the week long discoveries. Since we had agreed from the start that natural sugars would be allowed during our cleanse, eliminating all other sources of processed/refined sugars was a thought provoking undertaking. As I'd mentioned in earlier posts, SUGAR IS EVERYWHERE. So many products you'd assume were sugar free, do indeed have added sugar in their ingredients. Why? I'm not too sure about that, but it is likely some combination of preserving the product, and the realization that the American consumer simply wouldn't buy the product if sugar weren't added. Too bad, because as tricky as this component of our cleanse was for me, it will be the one I carry forward most intently. More vigilance with labels and ingredients will make the process of cutting down your artificial sugar intake much simpler. Consuming whole foods is the best guarantee, but it's not always as practical as we'd like.

Caffeine:  Only on Friday afternoon, almost five days after we stopped drinking caffeine, did my headache go away. With the exception of the intense migraine on Wednesday evening, I had a low grade headache the entire time. Not fun, and definitely unproductive. So why did I experience such acute caffeine withdrawal symptoms? I consider my caffeine intake low to moderate. I have one travel mug of HALF-CAF coffee in the mornings....that's it. I long ago stopped drinking coffee after 3PM because of the stimulative effects it had on me going into the evening. But this was the first time in, who knows, at least a decade, since I consciously went this long without consuming caffeine, and the results were startling. I happened to be impacted more acutely than Joli even though I drink less caffeine than her. Remember, the goal here was never to quit caffeine. I am completely comfortable with my levels of caffeine intake, but boy was I surprised how my body reacted when I stopped consuming caffeine. I took my first sip of half-caf coffee this morning, humbled, knowing the power that exists inside this cup.

Alcohol: No problem. Other than the couple of times after work when Joli and I both thought how great a cold, yummy beer would be right then, it wasn't something I missed, or thought about that much. I don't think I experienced any "symptoms" related to not drinking.

Here's what's interesting. Presumably, in addition to wanting their systems cleansed, people who subscribe to trendy cleanses, also want to feel good. I didn't feel particularly good during this cleanse. I can only imagine how people feel who only drink cayenne pepper water with lemon for 3 days, or just juices & smoothies. Yes, I took comfort knowing that I was banishing these non-productive invaders from my body, and yes, I was pleased by how closely I was monitoring labels, and sure, I even lost a few pounds. But I felt just fine before our experiment.

Life is ultimately a short journey full of so many things to enjoy, foods and drinks being among them. Being thoughtful about these choices actually enhances the journey. It's when we flip the switch to "auto-pilot", and consume without thought, that we tend to see maladies and imbalances emerge. Stay engaged in your food choices. Health and happiness is created, not inevitable.

-B