This year I wrote about the changes in my life and how I want to be the best I can be.

I decided to go back to school for philanthropic studies. I began classes a couple weeks ago at Ivy Tech and in Spring I will be transferring over to the only School of Philanthropy in the world. I am extremely excited and so blessed to know what I really want to do with my life. I am intrigued by the study and cannot wait to learn more so that I can start my own non-profit in the future.

Yesterday I started a cleanse. I already am feeling pretty good. I had no problems with hunger and my energy was just fine. I was able to work out with no problems. I am excited about this cleanse and thought I would share it.

Here is an overview of my quarterly cleansing—with an emphasis on a summer cleanse, a 10-day fruit and veggie experience:  During my 10-day seasonal cleanses, I eat five times a day, every two to three hours—generally around 7:30 a.m., followed by a second meal at 10:30 a.m., lunch at 1 p.m., a mid-afternoon meal at 3:30 p.m., and dinner at 6 p.m.

My Summer Cleanse:  10 Days of Delicious Fruits and Veggies
(via http://www.gardenofearth.com)

Day One
For my Summer Cleanse, the first day is a mono diet in which I eat the same fruit at each meal for the entire day, marked by five fruit servings (one or two cups of fruit for each serving). The best fruits for cleansing have a lot of water: watermelon, grapes, apples, and oranges. (Note:  bananas don’t have nearly as much water.)

Days Two through Four
On Days 2-4, I eat four servings of fruit during the day, separated by two to three hours, followed by a healthy salad for dinner containing all the vegetables I can think of. Greens and sprouts are wonderful high-fiber foods, but I also add slices of cucumbers, carrots, red onion, cabbage, tomatoes, and celery. I then garnish my salad with half an avocado and add two tablespoons of a healthy raw salad dressing (or I make my own).

Days Five through Seven
On Days 5-7, I follow a similar pattern as days 2-4—except that I add raw nuts and seeds to my salad.

Days Eight through Ten
On Days 8-10, One serving of fruit during the first two meals of the day. For my third and fourth meals, I eat one type of fruit and four ounces of whole milk plain yogurt or kefir and one tablespoon of honey.

Add raw cheese and fatty fish (like wild-caught salmon) to the salad meal. This makes a great transition back to an established healthy eating plan once the summer cleanse is over.

 

I believe that cleansing is a great thing when done safely.
I will continue to post about this throughout the process and share my results after the 10 days.
This is just a jump start to my weight loss journey.