We made it! Mark and I survived our first Master Cleanse! Not only did we meet our goal of 10 days, but we went to full 16 days of lemonade detox diet. During that time I lost 14 lbs. and Mark lost 18 lbs. Impressive? Hell, yeah!

I can’t tell you how happy I am for going through this experience. As soon as I found out about Master Cleanse I knew I had to do it. My mind, body and spirit needed detoxification. It was the natural option and proved to be one of the best decisions I’ve made for my health. Check out my video for my reflections on the cleanse.

Beside the significant weight loss, a number of other improvements took place upon completing the cleanse. First, I have a whole new appreciation for fresh, raw, uncooked fruits and vegetables. Just eating a salad or drinking home-made almond milk or savoring the raw chocolate bar I made, gives me tremendous pleasure. My taste buds, being cleansed from the toxic additives of cooked food, are now able to recognize and appreciate the uniqueness of raw foods. What a nutritional awakening.

Second, my food cravings especially for meat, dairy and processed sweets are completely gone. I just don’t miss eating any of those food groups. Knowing about the harmful impact they have upon the human body I could care less if I have another cheeseburger or glass of milk for the rest of my life. Both Mark and I have committed to be raw vegans. Drastic switch, I now, but pretty natural considering the implications animal products have on our body.

Third, my mental clarity is through the roof! Since December I have read about half a dozen of nutritional books most centered around the raw food lifestyle. It used to take me months to read a book and many time I’d fall asleep as I read. That doesn’t happen anymore. I’m literally “devouring” knowledge. The only way I can explain that heightened sense of brain function is that I no longer waste my energy on digesting complex cooked foods. That energy is now utilized for intellectual development, as it should be.

Beside those more obvious differences, I feel great, physically, emotionally and spiritually. My outlook on life is more positive, my thoughts are well-intentioned, my sense of community belonging more prevalent. I notice that I’m attracting many positive people into my life thought the various social networks I’m part of. One network in particular, Penni Shelton’s Raw Food Rehab, has made such a big difference in my life. It’s one of the most upbeat, fresh, inspiring and helpful online community focusing on raw food lifestyle. I just love it there!

So what’s next? Living happily ever after with my Prince Charming (Mark) and our little Prince (Denzin). Well, that and much more! We have made a total kitchen makeover directed toward more green, organic, raw and sustainable living. We got rid of the coffee maker, the microwave, the George Foreman grill, the canned and pre-packaged foods and everything that no longer fits our new approach to living. In their place we have bought a powerful Vita-Mix blender, a Cuisinart food processor, a state-of-the-art Omega VRT330 juicer, a second refrigerator, soon an Excalibur dehydrator, and lots of fresh, raw, whole, organic ingredients to make our food at home from scratch. We are still debating whether we should keep the gas stove.

We started year 2010 with a BIG bang, no doubt. And it feels so good to be evolving in that direction. The way I see it, you can never go wrong by investing in your health. If you are concerned about the cost of such transformation, think of it this way: preventative medicine is way more affordable and effective than crises-management medicine.

Copyright © 2010 Zoe V. All Rights Reserved