05 Nov I’ve Gone Butter Free…

…but only temporarily!

I’ve decided to take on the challenge of completing the Standard Process 21-day Purification Program. Yesterday marked day one.

While it may appear otherwise when examining this little corner of the web, I do try to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I run, I practice yoga (though I’ve been taking a bit of a hiatus) and I eat well (most of the time). I am a huge proponent of the perhaps painfully over-used phrase everything in moderation, when applied correctly. People often ask me how I don’t weigh 300 lbs. The simple fact is, while I love baking and desserts, I make a conscious effort not to over-indulge. I eat a serving or two of what I make, and then share the rest with friends and coworkers. As part of a balanced diet, a slice of cake here and a cookie there is perfectly fine with me.

But, like every one else, I sometimes fall off the wagon. Healthy habits start to slip away and I find myself unbalanced. And that’s what this cleanse is for. To help me reevaluate my diet and reestablish a more balanced way of eating. More fruits and vegetables, and fewer crap-in-a-box frozen lunches. Because I have a feeling, if I didn’t commit to this now, I would come out on the other side of the holidays 5 lbs heavier and living solely on a diet of cookies and brie.

And on the other side of the holidays is a vacation to Belize (!!!) meaning lots of mid-winter bikini time – even more motivation to fight sweater body syndrome.

I’ve done this cleanse twice before, once successfully. The first (and successful) go was in February 2012. At the end of the 21 days (even before it ended, actually) I felt amazing. My energy levels were up, my skin and hair looked amazing and I had shed a few extra pounds that had been hanging around. Many of the habits I formed during the cleanse are still with me today.

Before you go writing me off as a crazy person, let me tell you a little bit about the Standard Process Cleanse. It’s not one of those insane lemon-and-cayenne, poop-your-brains-out, can’t-even-chew-something kind of cleanses. You get to eat REAL foods and the supplements are 100% natural and made from whole foods.

For the first 10 days you eat only fruits and vegetables (and some lentils/brown rice/sweet potatoes should you please) and on the 11th day you get to add in lean meats (chicken & fish). They recommend that you go completely organic however since the cost of the supplements is not cheap (retails around $170) and organic living is pricey, I buy a combination of organic and non-organic produce. Anything with a thick skin that I would normally peel anyway, I buy non-organic.

See, not so bad? It definitely takes discipline, but the results are worth in. The process really helps you to evaluate and become conscious of how the way the foods that you put into your body make you feel. There is no doubt in my mind that unrefined, fresh foods produce a happier healthier me and I’m looking forward to feeling recharged!

Let me reinforce what I said above. This in no way is going change my love for all things sweet. My affinity for butter and sugar is strong and cannot be broken by some 3 week veggie fest. I’m not even going to stop baking in the following weeks! The plan is to share some tried and true favorites with you. Recipes that I know are delicious and blogworthy, even without taste testing. And of course, if I do get creative, I have plenty of trusted samplers who I can count on for honest reviews. In additional, I’ll pepper in some updates on how my cleanse is going and perhaps even incorporate some “cleanse-friendly” desserts.

Coming soon: a spiced pumpkin recipe inspired by one of my favorite fall beverages. Until then, stay sweet!

Xoxo, Katie

P.S. Standard Process is in no way involved in this post. I assure you they have no idea who I am. I just really like their products!

RELATED POSTS:

Vegan + Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Chunk Krispie Treats Biscoff Cookie Butter Cake Balls Piña Colada Coconut Milk Ice Cream {Dairy Free} Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes