Happy Thursday everyone!
After I dropped Ben off at work this morning I swung by Target. I needed to return a pair of running shorts that has been sitting in the car since April. Not that I haven’t been to Target since April, its just one of those things that I always forget. So after returning the shorts I walked around the store (obviously) to pick up a few extra items. And suddenly, it hit me. An intense urge to go to the bathroom. I don’t know why, but for the last two years almost every time I go to Target – regardless of time of day – I need to use the restroom! Its the weirdest thing. It even happens in different cities! So anyway, after I finnished “business” I started to think about my overall health state and decided that I am going to start a detoxifying cleanse regime ASAP. Going through a cleanse is an idea that I’ve considered before, but I never felt motivated enough to actually follow through.
Perfect Oatmeal and Latte
What gave me the extra push? I think I can trace it back a few months. Since the begining of the year I’ve been through a serise of strange internal events. In early Janurary I called my dad while laying on the bathroom floor writhing in extreme pain. Ben wasn’t answering his phone and I needed him to take me to the ER. As it turned out I had a small kidney stone about 3mm wide trying to push its way through my ureter. I knew that the stone was partially a result of letting my water intake slide and so I became religious about drinking adequate amounts of water.
Then about 3 months ago I went through a period of constipation. And for a girl who is a 2-3 per day-er that situation was not good. I tried more water, extra raw veggies, probiotics and fiber supplements. It helped a little but what really brought regularity back was training for a 5K. Physical activity. Duh.
To top it off, about a week before the race I developed what I thought was a bacterial infection. I held off going to the doctor for a couple of weeks to try and cure it with some natural remedies. But nothing worked! And so reluctantly I made an appointment with a doctor. Luckily, it was an easy fix and I didn’t need to go on an anti-bacterial regime.
Since those three events my digestive system has been out of wack. I feel bloated and heavy after I eat meals – vegetables make me feel lighter but still bloated. And the overall consistancy of my BMs is not up to par which is an indication of poor digestion. I also have a few other symptoms that coincide with poor digestion such as mild joint pain, acne breakouts, and fatigue.
The purpose of a cleanse is to give the digestive organs (liver, kidneys, large/small intestines) a break by consuming foods that promote gut health and carry low levels of toxin producing chemicals. This means no dairy, meat, grains (except wild/brown rice), sugar or processed/refined foods. So whats left? Vegetables, fruit, beans/legumes, and brown/wild rice. There are several different cleanse and detox programs out there, I prefer the Standard Process version. This cleanse protocol incorporates different supplements that will aid in the cleansing process. Supplementation is not a necessary component of a cleanse but I want to get the most “bang for my buck.”
SP Cleanse Booklet
All that to say, I feel my body is telling me to do some Spring Cleaning and a cleanse is just the ticket. I am going to order my supplements today and I can’t wait to get started. Hopefully I’ll have everything ready by next week 
