Today’s the day! It’s the last day of my 21-day Crazy Sexy Diet Cleanse.
And to be honest… I’m happy for it to be over!
When I started this cleanse, I was convinced that I would keep going well beyond the initial 21-days. I felt so great at first! However, three-weeks-later, I now find myself frustrated that my weight-loss has plateaued (my doctor and I have agreed upon a healthier weight for me, and I’m not there yet) and that I’m craving sugar like crazy. (perhaps from my increased grain-intake over the past few weeks?)
I think my struggles were actually less about the vegan diet, and more about committing to a cleanse that had a “start” and “end” date. For one thing, I don’t believe that “cleansing” can be done in a mere 3 weeks! Sure, you can definitely see some benefits after a few weeks, but personally, I prefer to make small changes gradually that become life-style habits. Otherwise, I know I’m at risk for bouncing right back to where I started before the cleanse! (or worse– rebounding into a cycle of binging!) They say that it only takes 21 days to form a “habit,” but I can tell you from personal experience, it takes me much longer than that– especially if I’m trying to do it cold-turkey!
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While I do believe that a vegan diet is very healthy when done correctly, I don’t believe you have to be vegan to cleanse your body. In fact, my go-to “guru” Natalia Rose , believes including a few high-quality animal products is actually more beneficial for cleansing– especially in terms of women, as she explains in her book Detox 4 Women . Here’s her protoge’s recent response on the trend towards veganism:
First, please carefully investigate your reasons for remaining vegan. Large-scale agriculture has the same devastating effects on the planet’s animal populations as commercial goat dairy farming and fishing industry practices. Please understand that you are not doing mother earth a favor by abstaining from the animal products recommended on this program (see Natalia’s blog on veganism ).
Second, a vegan approach is not the Detox 4 Women approach. You are not doing your body any favors, either. We do not recommend veganism as the best way to get your body where you want it to be. Women transition best when they include small amounts of animal protein in the form of goat and sheep cheese, fish, and organic eggs as part of their weekly regime. This is the true Detox4Women approach that is recommended to detoxify the body, lose weight to achieve your optimal physique, and end the addiction to refined flours and sugars. The density of the cheese, eggs, and fish keeps my clients true to the program for a longer period of time because they enjoy meals that keep them feeling satiated and indulgent.
[exerpt from Ana Ladd-Griffin, on the Detox Community ]
This response was just what I needed to hear, at just the right time. Has that ever happened to you? Perhaps it was cosmic intervention? 
–
While reading Kris Carr’s AMAZING book got me very excited about trying a fully-vegan diet again, along with some other positive lifestyle changes, I guess I just wasn’t ready to dive head-first into the deep end of the vegan swimming pool. I’m a big believer in listening to your body, and adjusting when it’s ready. I’ve naturally gotten to the point of being vegetarian about 98% of the time, without any “start” or “end” dates, and I think the same thing will happen to me if, or when, I’m ready to eat more vegan meals. After all, being a “vegan” or “vegetarian” is not my end goal. Being a cleaner-celled human being, living a healthy, happy life is really the end result I’m looking for!
If nothing else, this cleanse was a good reminder that I need to just stick on the steady path I was already on– eating properly combined , cleansing meals that will keep me satisfied in the long-run! There will still be plenty of vegan meals in my diet, they just won’t be exclusively what I eat!
–
Speaking of vegan stuff….
I’m still working on that vegan dessert I told you about yesterday! Attempt #2 held together better than my first batch, but the flavor isn’t quite there yet… hopefully the third time will be a charm!
–
Reader Feedback: For those of you who have tried a cleanse or a new diet, what did you think of it? Were you happy when it was over? My nutrition school definitely encourages us to experiment with new diets, to see how different foods make our own individual bodies feel– so I’m glad I tried the vegan diet again! You never know how your body may respond to something until you try it! 
Today’s the day! It’s the last day of my 21-day Crazy Sexy Diet Cleanse.
And to be honest… I’m happy for it to be over!
When I started this cleanse, I was convinced that I would keep going well beyond the initial 21-days. I felt so great at first! However, three-weeks-later, I now find myself frustrated that my weight-loss has plateaued (my doctor and I have agreed upon a healthier weight for me, and I’m not there yet) and that I’m craving sugar like crazy. (perhaps from my increased grain-intake over the past few weeks?)
I think my struggles were actually less about the vegan diet, and more about committing to a cleanse that had a “start” and “end” date. For one thing, I don’t believe that “cleansing” can be done in a mere 3 weeks! Sure, you can definitely see some benefits after a few weeks, but personally, I prefer to make small changes gradually that become life-style habits. Otherwise, I know I’m at risk for bouncing right back to where I started before the cleanse! (or worse– rebounding into a cycle of binging!) They say that it only takes 21 days to form a “habit,” but I can tell you from personal experience, it takes me much longer than that– especially if I’m trying to do it cold-turkey!
–
While I do believe that a vegan diet is very healthy when done correctly, I don’t believe you have to be vegan to cleanse your body. In fact, my go-to “guru” Natalia Rose , believes including a few high-quality animal products is actually more beneficial for cleansing– especially in terms of women, as she explains in her book Detox 4 Women . Here’s her protoge’s recent response on the trend towards veganism:
This response was just what I needed to hear, at just the right time. Has that ever happened to you? Perhaps it was cosmic intervention?
–
While reading Kris Carr’s AMAZING book got me very excited about trying a fully-vegan diet again, along with some other positive lifestyle changes, I guess I just wasn’t ready to dive head-first into the deep end of the vegan swimming pool. I’m a big believer in listening to your body, and adjusting when it’s ready. I’ve naturally gotten to the point of being vegetarian about 98% of the time, without any “start” or “end” dates, and I think the same thing will happen to me if, or when, I’m ready to eat more vegan meals. After all, being a “vegan” or “vegetarian” is not my end goal. Being a cleaner-celled human being, living a healthy, happy life is really the end result I’m looking for!
If nothing else, this cleanse was a good reminder that I need to just stick on the steady path I was already on– eating properly combined , cleansing meals that will keep me satisfied in the long-run! There will still be plenty of vegan meals in my diet, they just won’t be exclusively what I eat!
–
Speaking of vegan stuff….
–
Reader Feedback: For those of you who have tried a cleanse or a new diet, what did you think of it? Were you happy when it was over? My nutrition school definitely encourages us to experiment with new diets, to see how different foods make our own individual bodies feel– so I’m glad I tried the vegan diet again! You never know how your body may respond to something until you try it!