Spring Cleanse - Day Six

I'm almost halfway through my first cleanse! Yay and boo hiss!

Yay because I've stuck to it. Boo hiss because I'm actually starting to enjoy it (yes, in an odd way) a lot and its going to end in 8 days.

My coffee addiction has taken a backseat in the past few days. I no longer crave it. I certainly miss my morning cup of joe but I've realized that my morning coffee is more about habit than about anything else. That being said, I have made the decision that if and when I return to coffee ('cause, who is kidding whom) I'll be ordering a small coffee. No need for these bigger-than-life cups anymore. I want to enjoy a hot cup of coffee and not try to guzzle an extra-large so its warm down to the bottom.

The other new item is my craving for sugar items has diminished greatly. As much as I love chocolate, when I'm stressed or down I tend to turn to pure candy. Usually sour gummie-bears or swedish berries or jelly beans. That was really hard to deal with over Easter weekend but I managed it well. I miss the taste of something sweet like that in my mouth but I don't go looking for it anymore. Bananas have become my best friends again. I used to eat them constantly as a child and occasionally as an adult but now, they are my candy bar of choice!

Drinking water all the time has been hard to get used to. I like a glass of orange juice on occasion and I really miss a nice glass of wine or beer at dinner sometimes. But again, I've dealt with it. And I'm pretty sure its part of the reason my bloated body has resumed its normal shape. The other benefit is that my skin looks great and my dry skin is getting better. I'm eating in a much healthier way. I didn't eat that poorly before but I've realized I haven't been eating that well either.

Speaking of which, here's an interesting case study...for about 8 months now I've had a skin rash on my right shin that I've been unable to get rid of. True, having a doctor look at would have probably helped by now but I've been busy - so sue me. Its crazy itchy, uncomfortable and doesn't always look pleasant (even with panty hose on). It was starting to flare up again over the past few weeks. HOWEVER, since I started this cleanse it hasn't been itchy at all. As a matter of fact, I just looked down at it and its not red at all. Its nearly completely healed; doesn't even have a rash pattern anymore. Coincidence? I think not.

And last, but not least, has been the change to my constant state of fatigue; specifically after work.  I would get home from work (with or without my boys) and I was exhausted. I mean really, really tired. Both mentally and physically. Cooking was work. Laundry was work. Cleaning up after dinner was a LOT of work. By the time 8 p.m. came along I was done. I was a walking talking blob of blah. For the past two nights, however, I've been OK. Not with an enormous amount of extra energy but OK. Enough energy to get those items listed taken care of and still have energy afterward. Honestly, if this cleanse had just given me this extra energy, I would have been thrilled. And it has, with all the other bonus items too.

So far, so good. This weekend is going to be a good test of my will power. My man Scott (12in12.ca) is going for buckle number FOUR in as many months in Pekin, IL. I'm going too and will be crewing mostly but I might be pacing as well. Aid stations for ultra-marathon races tend to be filled with both good stuff and bad stuff (chips, jelly beans, chocolate, coke, etc. for quick doses of energy). If I run, I won't be able to take gels or anything like that with me because the sugar contents are very high. I have to be good; very, very good. But with all the amazing changes that have happened in the past 6 days, I have little desire to fall back now.

I can't wait to see what positive changes will happen to my body over the next four days. Regardless of my "flu day", this cleanse has been simply amazing (so far!).