I cleansed. It's kindof a big deal. To me.

I'm DONE!!  It feels so good to have made it! I decided to do 7 days instead of 10. Not a decision made on a whim or because of temptation - I just really felt DONE. I accomplished everything I wanted to and got what I wanted from this quirky little experience and test of willpower.

Bennett REALLY liked my green raw smoothies. Totally worth
getting your head stuck in a Vitamix blender. 

I really didn't think I'd make it the entire time. I'd rather have done something easier to prove my personal strength - like ran a marathon. =)  In fact, initially I had just planned on 5 days. That's a week, right? All the week-days, anyway. Close enough. But then I got that far and thought - I'm half way there! Maybe I could do 7 days. That sounds better. And that would mean doing it over a weekend, which is the hardest! Weekends are meant for treats and overindulgence, right? And this was even our ward's fast Sunday weekend, so I had to break a 24 hr fast with vegetables and fruit! Sheesh!  I don't think I've ever done anything like this. It feels good to just know I've made a commitment and stuck with it!
Day 1 in the evening was actually the hardest. It's gotten easier since then. I had a BAD headache for about 7 hours. It was a sugar withdrawal. Isn't that crazy? Such a strong physical manifestation of detoxing from substances that most people wouldn't even think twice about consuming. And I wasn't even going crazy on sugar - just normal things like granola bars, chocolate, yogurt, cereal, bread. My "fixes." I'm excited that I did something hard. I broke a bad habit. I showed willpower and self-control. That's amazing me to, because I've always been such a fan of instant gratification. :) Those are the intangibles. Tangible benefits: my skin looks so much better. My nails look better and stronger. I have a wonderful steady energy all day - no highs or lows. Just constant. And my favorite - 9 pounds off, thus clothing fitting better. Maybe that's not my favorite actually. Because when mama goes raw, the whole family gets raw-er! Everyone's been eating more fruits and veggies - as snacks, and in smoothies. It makes me feel awesome to see my fam drinking green superfood concoctions! I reallyreally believe that everyone should eat this way at least 50% of their day. They'd be so much happier. Raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. It's filling and fullfilling in so many ways.

Uh-oh!  Someone got caught green-handed!

Let's review: -Completed seven days of eating "raw" - fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds. -Done with some friends and the group Cleanse America. -Only cheats: I drank tap water instead of the recommended purified water, ate nuts that weren't raw (it's tough to find truly raw nuts - they're all roasted to get shells off), and ate more nuts and seeds than were recommended for best cleansing results (they said all the fat would get in the way of nutrients being absorbed.) -Withstood major temptations: ward party treats, GNO treats, Vosen's bakery, and kid's leftovers!! -Lost 9 pounds that I really wanted gone. I don't know if anyone else would notice, but Brian does and I do and my clothes do! :) -Feeling super duper empowered from the whole experience of delayed gratification and self mastery! -Pretty sure eating all those bunches and bunches of green leafy veggies (kale, collards, spinach) have ensured that I will live an extra decade or two. -I broke my cleanse with a scrambled egg breakfast and a chicken salad lunch. Aaaannnd a bowl of Frosted MiniWheats. And a couple jelly beans. I still have a long way to go :)