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My First Cleanse: Written by Dana Bielinkski

This year winter seemed especially long.  After spending the past 6 months cooped up in my tiny apartment I felt like I was stuck in a rut.  I knew I needed something to help jump-start my health and revitalize my body.  The fix was simple, I needed to Purify- the Healthy Living Cleanse designed by Whole Health Nutrition.

I have never done a cleanse before.  The thought of only drinking juice for 6 hours, let alone a day terrified me.  I opted for a 2-day cleanse. The first day I planned on allowing myself to have supportive foods when needed, as a way to ease myself into the cleanse. Day 2 would be strict juicing.

Day 1 began bright and early (for a college student) making my way to Healthy Living at 8am.  I was greeted with a giant box of colorful juices and started sipping away.  Everywhere I went I carried my juice and a handful of supportive snacks with me, just in case.  Inevitably the hunger was setting in, but much to my surprise it was already 3:30pm!  I had a handful of nuts and kept on juicing.  The next thing I knew it was time for bed and I was thinking to myself “Hey, that really wasn’t that bad!”

Day 2 I swung by HL again at 8am, but this time I was more full of energy.  Waking up early didn’t faze me.  I was feeling confident that I could last this entire day only juicing.  My day was a little busier, so I brought my juices with me while I ran errands, went to work, my classes, and even the library.

My morning went well, but then my belly started to grumble.  It was the early afternoon crash again.  I had a meltdown-I was overwhelmed, mostly full of self-hatred for putting myself through this experience.  I sat wallowing in my own pity and agony, and then my alarm went off-time for a 4:30pm juice! After guzzling down my Antioxidant Blend (my favorite juice), my moodiness subsided, and I was on my way back to my normal daily routine.

Finally day 3 came around.  I woke up feeling energized and refreshed.  I felt like all my troubles had been washed away, I had a clear direction and mind moving forward.  I noticed I was craving healthy foods instead of junk.  I was able to make healthy and invigorating decisions regarding food.  My life was Purified thanks to HL.

Beginners tips:

1. Don’t go at it alone- its much easier to have others on your side. If you can’t find a cleanse partner, tell all your friends and family about your cleanse so they know about your cleanse so they don’t try to make dinner plans or offer you sweets.
2. One sip/bite at a time– don’t think of the cleanse as a whole 24 or 48 hours with only juice. Focus on one juice or bite at a time.  If you opt for a bite to eat, don’t think that you blew your entire cleanse, remember to be mindful with your eating and drinking.  If you’re new to cleanses, it may take time to be comfortable with just juicing.
3. Treat yourself – Your cleanse is a time to treat your body.  Relax, allow your body to detox, recover, and revitalize.