Channeling My Inner Gwyneth

After three weeks of complete over-indulgence and one too many pieces of pie (never mind, that is not possible), I embarked on a three-day cleanse/fast this week. I very loosely followed Dr. Oz's three day fast (you can find it here) and, though it was not a walk in the park, I'm glad I did. It's interesting what you learn by shifting your routine every once in awhile.

Here's what I discovered about the actual cleanse, which because I didn't follow the directions too well was more like a fast:

• I have to admit, I have never really been a fan of smoothies. I was hoping the cleanse might make awaken my smoothie-lovin' sense, but alas, the blender is tucked back into the corner where it will likely stay for awhile. I enjoyed the breakfast smoothie, liked the first couple sips of the lunch smoothie and then found the rest to be pretty unpalatable, and can't say that I enjoyed the dinner smoothie at all. I honestly think I would have preferred just eating the fruits and veggies whole, though I understand the reasoning behind the cleanse menu.

• The first day of the cleanse, I drank two smoothies rather than three: the breakfast for lunch and the lunch for dinner. I was going to make the dinner smoothie later that night, but never did because I just wasn't hungry. I drank green tea with lemon instead. I only drank the dinner smoothie on Day 2 and was not overly hungry. On the final day, I drank the breakfast smoothie at noon and then planned to choke down the lunch smoothie at 7. However, while chopping the vegetables, I just couldn't do the smoothie. I skipped it and drank green tea at a girlfriend's house. (I brought my own lemon slice and did not add sweetener.)

• I purchased my first jar of almond butter for the cleanse. I used it in a smoothie and it smells great. What else should I do with it? I'm looking forward to the possibilities!

• The part of the cleanse that I LOVED was the incentive to take a bath each night with epsom salt and lavender. Twist my arm…I love baths.

Here's what I discovered about my body and spirit:

• In case you're curious, I didn't do this cleanse to lose weight. I am fine with my current weight so that wasn't the point. However, I felt really gross after the holidays when I allowed myself to eat anything and everything in the name of celebration.

• My cravings were made very apparent over the last couple of days...
• Coffee. This was not unexpected. I get very sad and cranky when I don't drink coffee. In fact, I lasted a whole eight hours on Day 1 without drinking coffee...and then I caved and made three cups. I drank one cup of coffee on Day 2 and Day 3. Oh well.
• I really, really, really struggled after the kids went to bed. That's when life slows down and I want to taste something. You know what I wanted most? Red wine and olives. (Weird, but true.)

• I swear that I laughed more. Honestly, I did! Why is this? Was it because I wasn't concentrating so much on the food in front of me or planning the next meal? (I did still cook for my family on Days 1 and 2. They ate take-out with Jake on Day 3.) Dinners were fun even though I was drinking a smoothie or tea and everyone else was eating.

• Speaking of my family, because I don't want my kids to see their mom "dieting," I presented the cleanse as a re-grouping and an exercise of discipline and healthy eating. They watched as I put what seems like a lot of food into the blender and I explained my reasoning clearly.

• I wouldn't say this cleanse/fast was intended to be a spiritual exercise, but I did communicate with God more than usual over the last several days. It might sound silly because, really, it was only a three-day cleanse, but in the moments I felt hungry and cranky, I said a little prayer asking God to give me the strength I needed in the moment. I think there is a lot to fasting as a spiritual discipline. Whatever our distractions are—whether food or gossip or Facebook or alcohol—when they are eliminated, there's more room for God.

• The cleanse/fast was an exercise in gratitude. I am thankful to be able to buy fresh fruits and veggies. I am thankful that twinges of hunger are not something that I have to live with regularly like so many do. How blessed am I to be able to feed my children and never hear them complain of pangs of hunger. This weighed heavy each night as I lay in bed, stomach grumbling. A fast, no doubt, helps you remember such things.

Overall, it was a good way to re-center. I feel like I can now go back to eating in moderation and exercising regularly. I got lazy about the food that I put in my body and the bodies of my children over the holidays and now feel that I've been able to recalibrate our food life a bit.