Hide the Cheese, It's Go Time

Starting Saturday I will not be eating anything other than seeds, fruits, vegetables and nuts for seven days. Mike will be doing the same because quite frankly, I don't feel like buying different food for two people for the week. And he wants to participate with me. Really. We're cleansing as part of our spring cleaning EXTRAVAGANZA! *Explosion of confetti in the air!* I will be spring cleaning the apartment as well as my body this Saturday morning. And perhaps a little of my soul. Because we all know how dark that is.

My holistic nutritionist is leading this cleanse and since I have a meeting with her in 20 minutes I'll be able to go over the cleanse and my specific protein needs. My first full triathlon is Sunday May 2nd- a day after the initial cleanse- and I want to make sure I'm giving my body what it needs to do well on race day. I mean, I'm already *ahem* well rested so I'm only concerned about diet. (That's a lie- I'm also concerned I was too lazy despite how good my brick workouts feel. But that isn't my point.) I've read about and met athletes who are vegan or adhere to the raw food diet and they swear by the diets' ability to elevate athletic success. So, maybe I'll learn more about myself than my ability to cut out my cravings for a week. That would be great! (Especially since last night I panicked about not eating anything processed for a week and ate almost an entire bag of blue sesame chips in five minutes. Not my proudest moment.)

At the end of this cleanse I hope a few things happen- I will feel less of a need for starchy carbs, something that can be far too controlling; I will have more energy; I drop a pound or two; and I've found some excellent sources of non-animal protein. The recommended recipes sound amazing so satiety isn't a forecast problem. In fact, I may love it so much I continue to do mini-cleanses all summer long. This kind of cleanse is only recommended for spring and summer months because eating nothing but smoothies and raw veg can really throw someone into some hellacious winter doldrums and it's safe to do frequently. If I feel good at the end of one week, I can do it for another and see how much better I feel. Wish us luck. Because man, we're going to end up with some colorful poop.