As an entrepreneur my work schedule is quite different than most people.  While I don’t work a 9-5 job, I am almost always “on”.  I LOVE what I do and one of the biggest areas of wellness I support my clients with is the importance of self-care (i.e. stress management), yet rarely participate in much myself.

This past week however I have been on vacation and am proud to admit I have hardly done any work!  Yes, I have checked my blackberry daily (except weekends, which is a feat for me) and made an occasional phone call, but overall I have completely disconnected from my work world.

In doing so, I realize how important it is to rejuvenate our minds, whether it’s daily, weekly, monthly or even yearly.  While disconnecting from my business I have been doing some soul searching and discovered meditation MUST be part of my regular practices (up there with exercise and drinking water!).  I now can see how imperative it is for me and others to recharge in order to function at our best.

My last and final day on the cleanse.  I must admit I am so pleased with myself for committing to do a 7-day challenge.  I also am VERY pleased to have completed it.  I find myself in a better mood than day 6 and also waking up with a burst of energy which enabled me to finish my work as well as go on a long leisurely walk.  As I reflect back on my week of “cleansing” I realize while I might not have encountered the usual amazing things people see on a cleanse, I did give my body a break from the everyday foods I usually consume.  Fortunately I am a healthy eater so it really was not too much of a shock to my system.

I also believe a lot of the fatigue I was experiencing was probably because my body requires a decent amount of protein and somehow plant-based was not completely cutting the mustard for me.  As I prepare for my week (which includes making hard-boiled eggs!), I am excited to have the freedom again to eat a wider variety of foods.   My last supper consisted of sole marinated in rosemary, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic (which, on a side note, is FANTASTIC roasted).  I am glad I finally did a cleanse and would definitely recommend anyone interested in experimenting with their eating habits to go for it!  A subtle change or awareness is better than none!

All week long I usually look forward to my weekend breakfast ritual of my husband cooking us scrambled eggs with spinach and goat cheese along with waffles and peanut butter.  Well, obviously on a cleanse these are all no-nos.  So I decided to experiment and make a homemade quinoa porridge which actually turned out pretty good.  I  did notice I was very IRRITATED all day long.

There was a local farmer’s market I stopped at where they had some delicious homemade pesto, nut butters and of course produce.  I think when you are excited about seeing baby beets there might be a bit of an issue?

I also noticed my energy is not as stellar as it was on Day 5.  I did try and nap but my mind wanted no part of resting.  Dinner consisted of fish again, which I have been enjoying very much since I usually do not go through the effort of buying and preparing fish.   Unfortunately I learned that I am allergic to raw beets (of course after using the leaves and all to make my delicious salad). My day did end in quite a relaxing way though.  I decided to indulge in some self-care in the form of an Epsom salt bath enabling me to relax and thankfully sleep like a baby.

Happy Friday to me!  Normally this marks the start of fun dinners out with friends and maybe a cocktail or two to unwind.  Obviously this plan of action is not in the cards for this weekend.  I am looking forward to having the weekend to relax and rejuvenate.  Luckily there is a local cafe by my house that makes delicious vegetable juices so I “treat” myself  to one as a great way to end my hectic week.  All of our friends have been quite understanding and supportive.  In fact, we met friends for a “spring cleanse” dinner and had a blast determining exactly what we were eating and taste tasting fresh wheat grass juice (which I DON”T recommend).

I am definitely bored of my wild salmon lunches yet notice my hunger levels are a lot less than anticipated.  Believe it or not living a Pescatarian  lifestyle is quite filling.  My workouts have been lagging this week, including the motivation, which normally is not a problem for me.  On the brighter side, I am noticing my sleep has been better and my dreams have been quite amusing and interesting.   While I do wish I was experiencing more of the positive effects, I am certainly recognizing the subtle changes.

I am at the halfway point!  One word comes to mind, TIRED.  I am extremely tired upon rising and notice my energy does not really increase too much as the day progresses.  I should mention that I am having a rather hectic week, including higher amounts of stress than is probably recommended to handle during a cleanse.  I am a little bored of my choices, especially since I am not eating any soy products (tofu, tempeh, etc.) while making sure I am consuming enough protein.

The whole reason I “signed up” for this cleanse was to support my husband while he alleviated his allergy symptoms (chronic cough/wheezing in particular).  Unfortunately I cannot say they are really any better, which is a little concerning since we have eliminated so much!  He also is not  experiencing any increase in energy or mental clarity.

Some things I have noticed:  I went to shoot a video at Fairway Market yesterday, which normally is one of my favorite grocery stores) and I was not interested in anything!  As a “foodie” I LOVE food, yes healthy food, but food none the less.  I am noticing I do not miss anything and in fact could take or leave food at this point.  I am hoping this is a “side effect” of boredom or lack of exciting things to eat rather than a shift in my relationship and appreciation of food.

I am in the home stretch now and have a new found respect for vegetarians.  While I completely respect and appreciate the choice I now realize I need animal protein in my diet as well.  Of course organic and grass-fed when possible.

Day 3 of my cleanse went well.  I am not really noticing any of the positive “side-effects” you usually hear about on a cleanse (increased energy, mental clarity, etc.).  I think my changes are much more subtle.  The only meal I am really struggling with is breakfast, in particular getting enough protein.  I am much more aware of my water intake.  Inspiring to workout was a little more challenging than normal, although I did motivate.

Salmon has become my staple lunch and I am frequenting my local fish store for dinner options.  I have been experimenting with many different homemade sauces, dressings and have concluded that garlic is key.  I hope to report some exciting positive changes soon!

Ok, so I might have spoken too soon yesterday when I said the cleanse was going easy for me!  Around 230/3pm I started to notice an overwhelming tiredness I thankfully have not experienced since my chronic fatigue days!  My husband was more fortunate in the fact that he lasted until around 530pm.  Holy cow (no pun intended here) were we in for a surprise.  I did manage to cook us a fantastic pesto halibut dinner accompanied by sweet potatoes and coconut oil sauteed cauliflower.  In staying true to the cleanse and necessary prep work (which is A LOT!) I made our lunches for today while preparing dinner.  I must say I have become much more creative – making an avocado/basil dressing to use on my salmon salad as well as a pineapple and blueberry cacao smoothie for breakfast.

While I did go to sleep around 930pm, falling asleep was difficult.  My mind wanted me to write things down I had “to do” today and this week.  I caved and jotted down some notes on a pad I keep on my nightstand.  I finally fell asleep around 1am.

Today has been much better for me (it is around 415pm so I am past the 230/3pm exhaustion).  I went for my morning walk and felt refreshed.  I had a networking lunch to attend so I ate beforehand (which luckily I prepared last night).  I am noticing I am more alert than yesterday but my mind is having trouble focusing.  Tonight I have another meeting so I cannot prepare dinner.  I stopped at a local vegetarian cafe in my neighborhood to pick up some cleanse worthy goodies.  I am concerned about doing tomorrow’s prep work but hoping my husband takes over for tonight.

One big observation I will share is I have been extremely thirsty!

Last week my husband and I decided to embark on a one-week spring cleanse.  Actually, he decided to do something about his horrible allergies and sinus problems and I was being the supportive wife.  As it turns out I am very excited about this cleanse, maybe even more so than my husband.  Last night we set our “intentions” for the cleanse and figured out exactly what we can and cannot eat this week.  My intentions are to have more mental clarity, energy and elasticity.

So far today has been going extremely well for me.  While my usual hard-boiled eggs were missed, I did enjoy the nut/fruit mix I substituted in.  For lunch I deliberately paid more attention to my eating (mindful chewing) and noticed I was full quicker than I would have anticipated considering what I was eating.  I went to my local fish store and bought some wild halibut for dinner (which I will probably marinade in a homemade pesto sauce).

You do have to plan ahead, be creative and have an open-mind to really embrace the goal of a cleanse.  At first I was nervous about what to eat (luckily I do not consume caffeine!) and how much shopping and prepping was needed.  I look forward to sharing my cleanse experience with you on a daily basis.

When our hands are dry we grab moisturizer. If our hair is dry or oily we grab a specific conditioner. Seems like reasonable ways to solve our problems, right?  We just stop by our local grocery or mainstream store and there is an abundance of natural skin care products claiming to be “pure” or “natural” and maybe even containing “plant extracts”.  What do these terms even mean?  Well, mostly nothing, except maybe charge the consumer more money and have them believe they are better products.

Problem: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) categorizes cosmetics and personal care products, but it does not require testing/safety studies and with the exception of a handful of prohibited ingredients, companies can use almost any material (ingredient) in product formulations without FDA approval.

Want to play it safe?  Make your own beauty products by using organic food ingredients, which might even be yummy enough to eat!

Lavender-Coconut Hand Treatment
Add 10-12 drops lavender oil to 1/2 cup coconut oil and mix well.  Slather on your hands before going to sleep (use cotton gloves) and let the moisturizing oils work their magic while you sleep.

Nuts About Bananas Face Mask
Mash 1 small/medium banana, then whip until smooth and creamy.  Beat in 1 tbsp. macadamia nut oil and 1 tbsp. honey.  Smooth it onto your face and let it sit for about 10 minutes.  Rinse well with with water and gently pat your skin dry.  Apply a couple of drops of macadamia nut oil to lock in the moisture.

Avocado Hair Treatment
Mash 1 small/medium avocado.  Place needle size hole in 1 vitamin E capsule and squeeze onto avocado.  Also put a needle size hole in a vitamin A capsule and squeeze onto avocado.  Mix it all together.  Apply the mixture to freshly washed damp hair.  Wrap your hair in a towel and let it sit for approximately 15 minutes.  Rinse your hair out thoroughly and if possible let it dry naturally.

All leftovers can be kept in glass jars in your refrigerator.