Detox Update

My Standard Process Purification Challenge ended on Monday, just a few days ago.I'm SO GLAD that's over!

Some of the highlights: - I felt a surge of energy on some days and I felt a little weak and tired on others - I never felt hungry - I felt really bloated a lot of the time, I realized I was eating too much fiber, despite that I was only drinking 2 shakes a day (some peers were drinking 3 or 4) - check out my detox belly, which grew during my cleanse: - my stomach felt "busy" (for lack of a better description) a lot of the time - I was very regular…but not in a bad way at all

The worse part: I had major cravings for things I normally don't eat, like donuts, brownies and bread. I followed the program as much as I could, but I gave into the cravings a lot. I think my mindset was a little thrown off and I wasn't ready for something like this right now. Also, because I'm generally a little more deficient than others because I have lupus, it was pretty tough. Your body craves what you need, and I was not getting enough carbs. Also, I'm a rebel at heart…and the idea of so many restrictions did a mind bend on me. I think that's why I do better on my own cleanses, with my own rules, because every BODY is different. I will be doing that next, I'm going on a mini cleanse, not sure when but I've been hearing and reading about bentonite, so I might try that in the coming weeks, I feel like I still have some cleansing to do. I also kinda fell off my workout routine a little bit, I have only been working out 1-2 times per week, where I was used to working out daily. Oh and did I mention, I got somewhat emotional too? Yes, that happened. Combined with the stress of exams, well let's just say it really WAS a challenge!

However, I did lose about 1.5 inches off my waistline and 1 inch off my hips, check out my after pic, taken today:

All in all, I had high hopes for this cleanse, and I did do some progress, but not as much as I'd like and not sure if I'd like to try it again. Maybe so, but not anytime soon. Not trying to knock it though, it is a genius design of a cleanse that should benefit anyone on so many levels. My timing just wasn't right, and it's all about what you make of it.

What I did like most about it, was the challenge of getting creative in the kitchen. It was fun coming up with new recipes and meal plans. I know some of you were curious and had questions as to what I was eating. So, I will share some of my recipes with you.

Power Green Smoothie:

1 Celery Stalk 1 Orange 1 Apple 1 Tbsp of Chia Seeds 1 Tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar Water Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth **If possible, blend in a scoop of greens powder supplement, I personally like Paradise Herbs Orac Energy Protein Greens; it is the most complete supplement that I've seen on the market and Vitacost has it for a great price and doesn't charge shipping, I have a coupon code for $10 off if anyone is interested, just leave a comment and I'll send it.

Veggie Casserole: 1 eggplant 2 zucchini 1/3 onion 4 garlic cloves about 6 mushrooms about 4 tomatoes 1-2 bell peppers basil leaves salt pepper oregano pre-heat oven to 350 heat large saucepan with oil, add garlic and onion until slightly brown, then add in the rest of the veggies, cook for about 5-10 minutes then transfer into a casserole dish. Add salt, pepper, oregano and basil and cover with foil. Bake in oven until veggies are tender, about 20 minutes.

I also baked a sauce for this, totally optional: 3 tomatoes 2 bell peppers or a handful of sweet peppers 1/3 onion 2 garlic cloves Salt to taste Blend all ingredients, pour over veggies about 5-10 minutes before they're done baking.

When it comes to recipes, I love to tweak things to my own liking, the above recipes were some I found on the web, that I adjusted by adding ingredients and my own little spin on things. Feel free to do the same and enjoy. Please also leave your feedback, I'd love to hear what you like and what you'd like to read about next.

The pics I've shared are also on my Instagram, follow me: http://instagram.com/zely13