It's the final countdown...

Not really, I’m all done, but who doesn't love that earworm!

So – I survived!  And honestly … I feel amazing.

Results:

• *        More energy
• *        Brighter skin and eyes
• *        9lbs down
• *        More focused and calm
• *        Resting better
• *        Cleansed palette – food tastes better
• *        Weirder dreams!!

Coming off the juice but retaining a couple days officially in the cleanse really was a brilliant way of easing back into “regular” life. Having to still keep track has helped me manage what I’m eating on the other side of allowing my body to reset itself. I feel empowered to eat more consciously.

For me, I am planning to maintain a largely vegan and gluten free diet, however, I will not be 100% on either. I think it’s important to find what realistically works for each and every one of us, and I’m sorry but there’s nothing better to me than a pepperoni pizza and beer night!! 

Having said that, I have noticed that my days go smoother and I feel no bloatedness or sluggishness in the afternoons when I stick to the basic cleanse rules (i.e vegan, gluten free, no sugar, no caffeine, no alcohol and spacing food with at least 3 hrs between each snack or meal).

I've noticed my yoga asana practice has strengthened. I've taken a vigorous class every day and I’m finding not only additional strength in the postures, but also a greater awareness of myself, my breath and my body in each posture. Moving into postures I've taken hundreds of times before, I've found a new extension, depth or alignment, it has been rather profound. That is reason enough for me to keep working hard and being even more mindful of my body and health. It’s eye-opening, as someone who takes relatively good care of herself, how much else can be done to ensure a full and energized life.

Would I recommend the cleanse? Absolutely! It’s damn hard work but it’s really worth it, and 8 days later it seems like the blink of an eye. I’m actually keen to do another at the turn of summer into autumn.

The hardest part for me was the self-reflection. Taking the honest look at myself to see where my habits are, why they are there and where I tend to just be a little lazy with my own health.

If you’re willing to take a real look at what drives your habits, and to completely wipe the slate clean you have an amazing opportunity to lose weight, feel better, figure out your allergies (cleansing the system gives you a unique opportunity to slowly reintroduce food groups to see what impacts you) and, for nothing more, the great sense of accomplishment you get from saying “I did it”, “I have taken back control of my health”.

I'm tired of hearing about the next craze in dieting, the next pill that "... could be the magic ingredient that lets you lose weight without diet and exercise" (thank Dr Oz for that one). You know yourself better than anyone else - you don't need to be told what to do. What works for one doesn't work for all. Take responsibility for what you want out of life.

My golden rule is : If you're unhappy you have 2 choices - you can either make a change, or you can choose to be happy as you are. For as hard and as scary as change can seem, it is much more difficult to be happy when you're inherently not. Everything changes - take control of the change and steer it in the direction you want it to go.

7 Reasons To Get Over Yourself

Since I've been feeling in a bit of a funk the past couple of weeks I decided to write my Top 7 Reasons to Get Over Myself

1) Because nobody likes a victim

Seriously. When was the last time you really enjoyed hanging out with that person who just couldn't enjoy themselves, or your company, because everything was just ... not quite right? Playing the victim, makes you the victim, and it's a drain on those around you. Your best friends will always be there for you when things get tough (if they're not you have to question whether they're truly friends), but if every day is cloudy and grey and you are looking to others to lift your spirits, you're just not being fair.

I notice when I feel that way out, when I'm just grumpy and need some space - that's exactly what I should take. I'm not talking about when I need support and uplift, but when it's just a grey day. It is very tempting to moan and complain, but ultimately I end up feeling worse then when I started. As my mum would say "if you can't find anything nice to say, don't say anything at all". Sound advice!

2) Because laughter is the best medicine...

It's such a well known phrase for a reason

• Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
• Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
• Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
• Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems. 
• http://www.helpguide.org/life/humor_laughter_health.htm

Next time you mess up try to find the comedy, it's usually right there if you look, through the weeds of "it's not fair" and "everyone is against me" is the sheer hilarity that is real life, find it and soak it up, I guarantee you'll feel better.

3) ....not to mention the best beauty treatment

Taking yourself too seriously = frowning

Frowning = wrinkles

Chill out and save on the anti-aging!

4) Because when you have no responsibility you have no power

When we behave like the world is against us, we're essentially saying "it's not our fault". Pushing responsibility to external factors. It's a short term fix and I get it. But revoking our responsibility relinquishes our power over our own lives. Importantly, it's a learned behaviour, so start on the small stuff. It's not the fault of the Universe that the train isn't here yet and you're late for work, it's yours for not getting out of bed 5 minutes early. It's not your damn computer's fault for losing all your work, it's yours for not saving it regularly. Start to accept responsibility, put behaviour patterns and actions in place to avoid situations and you will quickly find that the world seems much lighter because much less goes wrong. It also helps you find the humour when stuff does go wrong, it's much easier to laugh when you realize you probably shouldn't have worn your Uggs out in the pouring rain and now you're squelching around like a swamp monster.

5) Because the Universe is on your side

Really it is. Truly it is. It wants you to succeed. But it's not going to give it to you easily, and it doesn't like victims either. Start listening to the lessons and accepting your place. You're here for a reason, start being grateful for that and chill the hell out!

6) Because life's too short

The quicker you can get over the little, mindless rubbish, the quicker you get to the good juicy stuff. Just let it go, flow with it. Have a bad day here and there, everyone does, but try to spend the bulk of your days happy. That way, when the proverbial s*** hits the fan, you have something to look back on; a happiness store if you will (thank you Gretchen Rubin for that idea - btw check out The Happiness Project - pretty great read)

7) Because things just aren't as bad as they seem

Usually. Okay sometimes things really are bad. But I've found, those people who are generally brighter and more optimistic and responsible for their lives, found coping with adversity and tragedy much easier. So be realistic. Is it really the end of the world? Is everyone really against you? Or are you beginning to alienate friends and reject help because you're in the depths of your own despair? Taking a really hard look at the situation often helps gain a lot of perspective. 

Next time things are piling up and you feel yourself slipping into the "woe is me"s, try to be your own best friend. What would you say to someone else in your shoes?

Face your fears, laugh at your mistakes and just get over yourself. Go on...