A Diet That Will Cleanse Your Body While Strengthening Your Mind

So, to start this journey off I’m going to give you a little bit of background. I was a sophomore in college, and I wasn’t where I thought I should be in life financially, mentally, or physically and was in need of a breakthrough. So, like most of us, I thought the gym was a good place to start. After a few months I was seeing decent results. I even went as far as meal prepping on my own to ensure I was eating a healthy amount, but I still wasn’t seeing progress in my lower stomach area (which is my trouble area). So, one day I ran across this 3-day juice detox on an Instagram page and decided to give it a try. But what began as a detox for my body, ended up as a major test of my mind.

The Cleanse

Now, in this cleanse it lists the ingredients to three different shakes, which you’re supposed to consume one for each meal of the day, and also gives you time frames and supplement recommendations. You’re  allowed to drink green tea and water of course, but that’s it. No solids, whatsoever. I went to HEB and purchased the ingredients and blended all three shakes for the first day on a Sunday afternoon so they would be cold on Monday morning.  Below is a list of specific ingredients and instructions of the detox found on Pinterest.

Day One

I woke up in a super optimistic mood and was ready to take the challenge on. After the gym, I had my first breakfast shake and loved it! It was sweet and had a fruity flavor to it which was a pleasant surprise! The shake filled me up like I had just had a big breakfast, so I went on about my day with high hopes. Surprisingly though, around 2pm that afternoon I was struggling…badly. I had already drunk my lunch shake and my stomach was still touching my back, so I fought through the rest of my work day and went home. When the evening came around and I was getting ready for my last shake, I. Was. Over it. I hurried to sleep so my mind couldn’t sit on it too long.

Day Two

This is where things get interesting. The second morning, I reluctantly swallowed my shake while thinking about all the reasons I didn’t really need the detox at all. I told myself that I could lose belly fat another way and how this diet was unreasonable. Later, on my way to work, I had an audio book playing and the author was discussing people controlling their thoughts. He claimed that if people could learn to control their minds, they would have a lot more control over their futures. The topic stuck with me for the rest of the morning. Ironically, as I was scrolling through social media five minutes later, I see a quote that has remained one of my favorites. It states, “You must learn a new way to think before you can master a new way to be”, and then at that moment, it clicked.

The shakes were providing me all the nutrients I needed throughout the day, so I wasn’t starving, I just wanted to eat more food. My wants were trying to override my needs, just like they were in other aspects of my life. This detox wasn’t just about the toxins in my body but the toxins in my mind. My mind was trying to see if it could achieve what the body already had.

Day Three

I had a new focus this day. I was hungry as all get out, but my mind-frame had changed. My mind was. . . quiet. My thoughts were more in order and for someone like me that was refreshing to say the least. When I was feeling weak and like I wanted to eat, my mind was able to redirect my thoughts and help me focus on my reading or homework and in the gym, I felt that I went harder and longer. I came to see that we have the potential to access and be the best version of ourselves when we have our mind made up. Once the mind is firm in something, the body will follow and I mean that literally and figuratively. Finishing my last shake that night was beyond rewarding.

So, diet wise, my stomach was on flat flat. I can’t recall if I lost any weight on the scale, but it definitely took a bit off my waist. The most valuable takeaway from this cleanse for me was that if you feel like you don’t know what direction to move in or if you feel stuck, you might need to cancel out all the outside noise. Sometimes, doing that requires you to push yourself out of your comfort zone and actually hold yourself accountable for your life. most times major elevation will require major isolation. You already have it in you, you just have to access it.

Featured Image Source: https://www.foodnetwork.com/healthy/packages/healthy-every-week/healthy-tips/foods-to-fuel-your-brain