Wednesday, May 28, 2008

How to make lemons fun...

Today is DAY 8 and I am happy to report that I'm still alive. I feel great when I'm doing things that aren't strenuous, but felt stupidly silly when hoeing the garden was exhausting me...but in a couple days I'll feel up to full strength again. I'm having this dreadful craving for popcorn...the kind that has lots of olive oil on it and salt...But really, any food sounds particularly nice right now, like juicy salads with one of my favorite dressings and my raw chocolate milk and my raw cereal bars and my...

Ok, I better stop now. I have purposed at this very moment NOT to think about food...

Anyway, here's some tips and tricks that I've picked up these last 8 days to make the Master Cleanse bearable, and even fun...

  • Don't always drink your lemonade the same way. My favorite way to drink it lately, has been nice and hot, and then cuddle up in a quilt and a good book while I sip it. Pour your lemonade over ice and stick a fun straw in it. Break up the monotony.
  • If you have chosen to continue to eat meals with the family, involve yourself. Don't just sit there, wishing dinner over. Put hot lemonade in a bowl and eat it like your family eats soup, with a spoon, talk about your day, and keep your mind occupied (believe me, it can be hard watching others eat, lol)
  • When you feel tired of drinking lemonade, buy some good, herbal tea (preferably organic) and sip on that. If you don't want it hot, pour it over ice, or refrigerate it. I imagine it would be perfectly acceptable to sweeten it with a small amount of maple syrup, since it's used in the lemonade.
  • Exercise lightly, nothing hard or strenuous. This helps with the cleansing process, as well as aiding your breathing. I recommend a light Pilates workout, which is what I like.
  • Get lots of rest at nighttime, and have a nap in the afternoon if you feel the need for it.
  • Bathe or shower each day. I have been saving the lemon rinds from the lemonade and I just throw those in my bath water. It smells beautiful and I like to use them for a natural sponge sometimes.
  • Try to use a loofah or a dry brush every day, which is also stimulating and cleansing for the body.
  • Get involved in some of your favorite activities, whether it's a good book, going for a lap around the pool, bowling with friends, shopping, jump on the trampoline, going for a long walk, talking with a friend over herbal tea, or playing guitar.
  • Avoid recipe books with beautiful pictures of food...glorious food. This has been my biggest mistake, lol, I look forward to all the recipes I'm going to make. This makes it really hard to be content with good ole lemonade.
  • Pack your lemonade with you in a travel-friendly container or water bottle, so that you never get starved. Temptation is hardest to resist when you're hungry.
  • Take your blender and instead of making your lemonade the normal way, add ice and water, as well as your cayenne, peeled lemon (even the seeds), and maple syrup, and blend it into a frothy slushy.
  • Freeze your lemonade in freezer-friendly (plastic) cup. When I was little I used to do this all the time with ice-tea. I would watch a movie or read a book, while hammering away at my frozen concoction. It took a while to eat and made things that much more fun.
  • Read articles on detoxing or fasting...this is encouraging for me and also familiarizes me with the common detox symptoms and of what to expect.

Make your fast/detox fun in some way...and if that means playing tennis in bare feet or dressing up in your clothes backwards for a day...do it!

Have fun!

2 comments:

HiHoRosie said...

Great ideas and tips Charissa! Time sure has flown by (at least for me reading your journey - maybe for you not so much?). These last two days should be easy!

Charis said...

Thanks Heidi! Actually, today was my last day...Hallelujah! :0)