CLEAN

My husband & I just finished a 21-day detox program based on a book called "Clean,"by Alejandro Junger, M.D. It required us to forgo all dairy, sugar, caffeine, and wheat for three weeks. We had two liquid meals (breakfast and dinner) each day, with "real" food in the middle of the day. At first it was excruciating. We were starving! But soon we got into an excellent groove, making delicious green juice for breakfast (usually a mix of kale, spinach, ginger, lemon, cucumber, apples, and celery), having some funky new meal for lunch (millet risotto with artichoke hearts, anyone?), and making a smoothie of almond milk and frozen fruit for dinner. We counted down the days. We talked endlessly about our cleanse. We sat down and had lunch together every day, which was wonderful, and only possible because Mike works from a home office. As the end neared, we fantasized about what we would eat. Mike kept talking about "loaded fries." I was thinking more about a glass of good red wine, and maybe something sweet. Saturday, the day came. Mike quit a day early, as he didn't want to have another weekend of smoothies and green juice. He called a friend, and they gleefully went out for beers and a nice juicy burger. I stayed home and drank my smoothie. But finally Saturday night I ended my cleanse. Sunday I ate like a normal person and felt awful all day--tired, low energy, sluggish. I realized that I missed my cleanse. Part of me was sad about this. What about the coffee I love every morning? Am I no longer a coffee drinker? What about my love of chocolate? Why don't I want any? What is wrong with me?!? I decided to go back to what felt right. So today I got up, made my green juice, and feel like I'm back on track. How long can I happily go without sugar? Only time will tell...