Into the final week #rawfood

Fresh squeezed OJ, mango, banana smoothie breakfast (I added spinach)

I made it through the first two weeks of the cleanse with no real cravings. As I move into the last week, though, they are suddenly rearing their ugly heads! I was a little surprised by the intensity of the cravings I have had during the past couple days. I think it is partly mental; the deep cleaning week is over and end is in sight! It might also be because I have been cooking such good food for the rest of the crew. (I don't know why I always feel like cooking especially tasty meals for my kids when I am fasting/cleansing!)

Yesterday was the first day I cheated at all during this cleanse. It was sort of a slippery slope that started with some raw "potato" salad and a handful of raw cheezy kale chips at the co-op. I told myself it was ok because, while not exactly cleansing, they were raw foods. However, in the evening I could not hold back and had several bites of the vegan lasagna I made for the kids' dinner. And then I finished Miss H's glass of hazelnut mylk. The more I think about it, I think that it is my natural tendency to want to EAT after doing a fast. Compared to what happened after my Master Cleanse, this was nothing. I think Jinjee and Storm (creators of the 21 day cleanse) have done a really good job with the transition in and out of the fast and deep cleansing segment of the program.

Moving into the last week, I am about 6 or 7 lbs. lighter than I was when I started, and am at my preferred weight. There is still some work to be done on the jiggly areas, but I'm back into a rhythm where I want to work out every day and don't feel quite right if I skip a day. The workout videos that come with the 21 Day Cleanse are good, but I also discovered this free yoga podcast that I had subscribed to on iTunes months ago and never listened to; the three classes that I have done so far have been really, really great.

My skin has also cleared up a lot. I'm still getting hivey, but it seems to be calming down again since cutting out the coffee and doing all the juice. I feel happy and in love with life, connected.