Green Smoothie Cleanse: 2nd Edition is here! The revised tutorial is amazing! You might also be able to win one! All week we are giving away copies. One-a-day. All you have to do is leave a comment below. And don’t forget to enter this week’s contest to win raw goodies. (And maybe join my new Fan Page if you want to).
This was my mission. I wanted to see how good I would feel if I fully nourished every itty bitty bit of me for two full weeks. Oh the luxury!
I recently posed the question on my discussion board asking what some of the stupidest questions you get asked about the way you eat. Your responses were great (and way too familiar too)!
If you read my book, The Healthy Cookie, you know that I had some challenges with a boy/man I was dating while in nutrition school. This fine chain-smoking, fast-food eating, weekends in Vegas guy told me all the time that the way I lived was torture (as he would roll out of bed at 2 in the afternoon with a killer hangover). In my opinion, feeling like poop is torture and in my own case, ending up in a hospital bed because I ate something that was not right for me would have been beyond torture and also pretty stupidalicious.
For someone who lives on fast food and beer, a Green Smoothie Cleanse would probably be torturous… for the first time. It might still be rough the second and third time too. But things would start to change. That garbage food would stop tasting very good. He might even start to notice how his energy levels are affected when he eats whole food versus processed food. He might notice his skin looks clearer, his eyes get brighter, his bathroom habits become more… um… regular and he feels calmer and less stressed. He might wake-up before noon and (gasp) want to be active!
He might, in other words, start to feel great! Why do we get mocked for trying to do our best to feel our best? It’s as if being called a “health nut” is a negative. Isn’t that why people drink and smoke and party? Because they want to change the way they currently feel in order to feel better or at least different?
What if the habits that made you feel better, built health instead of disease?
Hello health food. Nice to get to know you.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t know a single person who has been eating and living this healthy sweet way who would throw it away and go back to the’ good life’ of chronic pain, headaches, insomnia, bloating and crappy food. It’s like me throwing in the towel on this nutrition game and going back to work in a cubicle to gett yelled at by clients. Once you get here, you may look back, but you never go back.
The Green Smoothie Cleanse is that warm-up band at the concert. It’s the opening act, the preview, the abstract. It gives you a taste of healthy living. And oh it feels so good! It is your great big step in the right direction, the ticket to get on track.
Now, as I just returned from two weeks at my cottage, I was reminded how great, my feeling great feels. Ooooooooweeeeeee is it amazing to feel energized, rested, nourished and sun-kissed.
Doing yoga on the dock with the sunrise definitely helped me feel awesome. But even more awesome was jumping into that lake after (sans suit of course).
I took two weeks away at my cottage and while there I was sleeping like it was going out of style. We’re talking ten hours a night and often with an hour or two hour nap in the day. I was tired out by the time I got there and apparently my body had some work to do. I was taking my supplements three times a day, going for long walks, picking berries, reading trashy romances and watching sunsets. I worked there a little bit too. And let me tell you- I felt like a new woman by the end.
Is this nerdy of me? Is this worthy of mockery? To some maybe…. or maybe that is just their fear. Their stuff that has nothing to do with me, or with us as a whole. Maybe the fear is that they see changes in us and they just aren’t ready to embrace what needs to be done to make that happen for themselves. Or perhaps its a fear of needing to take responsibility for the state they’re in. Addictions- whether it be to food, to TV to laziness or to apathy are not easy things to break ties with. It’s okay. They’ll come when they’re ready. I did. And so did (will) you!
And do come back tomorrow! I have an extra special surprise that will help you be. That’s right. Just be!
Here are my summer highlights so far from my time in the woods!
My family was up for the July long weekend.
Mia Jean, my niece, enjoyed Bath time!
Staring out at the trees
My dad, brother and his daughter.
My mom and dad and the sunset…
Momma and I
Hot hot sunset
The fam went home and then it was just me.
And a bunch of magical mornings
And I got a pet while I was there (and my hair turned red in the sun)
I grew some sprouts!
And Josh drove up for a visit. We watched the sunset too.
And I remembered how great I could feel. 
And nope, that is not the end of my summer adventures. This is only the sweet and healthy beginning!
Question of The Day: When can you remember feeling your absolute best? (And maybe think/write why that might be)
How to Participate In The Cleanse.
Optional
- Signify that you are on Team Green Smoothie by posting a comment here on my brand shiny Facebook Fan Page (formerly a group)
- Leading up to and on August 6th through the durations of the cleanse. My team and I will be coaching you along in a variety of ways
- We will be posting questions and moderating discussions on my Fan Page Discussion Board
- We will be supporting your cleansing activity via Twitter Coaching (do you follow? Tweet and seatch tweets with #greensmoothie)
- VERY NEW Sharing your posts and videos! We encourage you to document your experience either via a blog journal or perhaps video diary. Sometimes being accountable makes all the difference and we want to know how you are doing. Please post links to blogs/videos either on the Fan Page or down below and we’ll make sure the group gets to see them for more group support!
26 responses to “How Great Can You Possibly Feel?”
I definitely remember feeling my best after my 3 week vacation to China with my boyfriend last September. For months after, I was losing weight, energized, and feeling all around great! It’s amazing how a little R&R (okay 3 weeks is a lot) can make you renewed. Since, I have definitely experienced a drop in the energy and more stress as I’ve been attending school (graduating this weekend!) and starting my health counseling practice while working the unfulfilling full time job that is completely sapping my vigor. Oh how I wish I could take 3 weeks of vacay every year…or month :)
Oh, and Meghan, I remember when I was first called a health nut. I immediately reacted defensively. I said was NOT a health nut! But now I embrace it. A co-worker makes fun of my green smoothies and random lunches. I know better than to take offense now. I wish there was such a title. I am Lisa Chin, Certified Health Nut…hmm maybe I can a program for that?
“Isn’t that why people drink and smoke and party? Because they want to change the way they currently feel in order to feel better or at least different?”
So true Meghan! I never thought of it that way. I love this quote.
It’s also why we crave sugar too!
Hi Meghan, fantastic post and oh so very true. Once you feel good and healthy you never want to go back. Are there any instructions on how to grow those sprouts in your pic?
Monika
The best I ever felt is probably right now, but the most conspicuously good I ever felt was probably during the last year of my undergrad when I went on a commercial weight loss plan that rhymes with freight botchers.
I mentioned on facebook that I grew up on a farm kid diet, which meant that every day of my life, meals consisted of meat/starch/vegetable. I never did like the meat, but I was surrounded by the best veggies ever (often straight out of the dirt!) – so I guess you win some, you lose some. The parents and I had minor quibbles about carcass until I was 16 – at that point I hadn’t grown in three years so they let me go veg, figuring at least I wouldn’t stunt myself. Hooray! And as an added bonus, suddenly I could poop!
Like a lot of other vegetarians, though, I did zero research in how to balance a vegetarian diet. Initially I dropped weight. Then I gained. Oh, did I gain. In my first couple years of university I got up to 180 lbs. I remember seeing a comedian talking about fat vegetarians and wondering aloud “what do they eat?! Canoes??” No, stupid. Brownies. Lots and lots of brownies. There was also the ill-fated discovery that in the city BEER AND PIZZA COME TO YOU.
By my last year of my undergrad, I decided enough was enough. My mom and I joined freight botchers together. Now, this is not something to enter into lightly, and if someone goes into it simply trying to minimize the “points” they eat, they could do themselves a pretty profound disservice (there were girls in my group that saved up their points for drinking at night – yikes. So many shades of yikes, some of which probably landed on the floor.). I took some time, though, and read up on a bunch of nutritional info. Between my research and having a guideline of how much eating in a day was actually reasonable, I was finally – at the ripe age of 23 – able to reason out what nutrients I needed a day and when to stop.
I remember that time really well because suddenly I felt *incredible.* What, hey? No shooting sciatica pains each day when I try to get out of bed? No knee troubles? I can walk uphill with my mouth closed? Righteous! My one saving grace throughout my heavy times was that I stayed really active, but I was amazed how much more I enjoyed sports at a healthy body weight. Best of all, I was happy all the time, for no apparent reason (this was a baffling experience for a philosophy student). I didn’t have to agonize over decisions, because I had a clear head and knew what I wanted!
Anyway, that was six years ago now and I’m still my healthy body weight. I’m not tiny, but I have a BMI in the normal range and I try to promote flying squirrel arms as a lovable quirk. My skin has cleared up almost entirely and I am definitely the strongest physically I’ve ever been (my fitness routine these days consists of pilates, biking and pole dancing – which is a HOOT, great for core and upper body strength, and also a surprising hobby for a librarian). I am now such a supporter of sitting back in a quietly supportive way and letting people find their healthy lifestyle however they need to. Do I get made fun of for being a health nut? Am I a vegetarian in a family full of hunters and farmers? You bet your a$$. I tease them right back. And then answer all their questions.
Thanks so much for sharing this.
This is incredibly awesome. Thank you for sharing your story!!! :D
It’s amazing how bad you can feel when you aren’t eating healthy. I had a backward slide recently and man I felt/feel horrible. I’m just now starting to feel better and I thank your blog for helping realize that eating right is a gift to yourself and your body. It’s crazy how many different aspects get messed up…hormones, sleep, weight, activity levels and on and on.
How many days is the smoothie cleanse?
3 short days of smoothies. And yes- it is amazing how bad we can let ourselves feel and even worse- is that we get used to feeling that way and let it be our normal!
I’m hoping that by then end of this year, I’ll be able to answer your question, “Now, right now is the best I have ever felt.” I have lots of bad habits to untangle first–some chronic, some newly aquired. But my anchor is my daily green smoothie. When I have it, I feel better–no matter what I do with the rest of my day. In fact, it often inspires me to make better choices throughout the day. But when I skip it . . . the day can turn into all sorts of craziness. But still, despite the struggles, the pieces are starting to come together. I feel it.
That’s amazing. And bringing awareness to the changes that need to happen are a great and major first step!
Beautiful post–it’s reminding me of why I need to follow through my personal ultimatum to slow down or else. It goes beyond food to a whole body, whole spirit level and I get too caught up in the day-to-day to remember that. Your time at the cabin looks amazing and that much sleep must have really rejuvenated you! While I can’t remember the last time I felt at my best, I’m going to get back to it–and soon!
That much sleep did wonders. But back in the city one week and I could totally use it all over again!
I’ve just started feeling my best most recently since removing all (obvious) animal products from my diet. I’ve been vegetarian for seventeen years and made the choice to go vegan three months ago when dairy stopped agreeing with me.
The most amazing part about this clean clean diet (in combination with homeopathic treatment) is that my lifelong struggle with severe dysmenorrhoea and PMDD has almost completely disappeared. Gone are the days of vomiting, fainting, crying, and wishing for a hysterectomy; I finally (almost) love my period.
My friends, coworkers, and family are all moderately supportive of my decisions, especially seeing all the great benefits of not having to completely avoid me for several days each month. Sometimes I get called a health nut (often in a positive tease, but sometimes negative) and I generally respond by reminding them that all nuts do indeed contain specific health supporting properties.
I bring a manual juicer to work during long shifts (I am a residential councillor at a school) and the kids love trying the juices I squish out. It’s fun to share the love.
Thank you for sharing your love with us.
Hi Meghan,
Can I do the green smoothie cleanse if I suffer from gastritis?
Oh Meagan, that sounds simply incredible! I’m just about to hand in my PhD thesis (like next week) and with the crazy workload and stress, I can’t recall the last time I felt as good as you certainly feel at the moment. Though, now I’ve read your post, I definitely think when this is all done, I must escape and treat myself to good food, sleep and simply stop. Thank you.
I am so envious! I don’t think that your getaway is at all nerdy. In fact, I was thinking about how this sounds like my dream vacation–sleeping, relaxing, doing hippie things–thats what my friends call my ways :)
I went to the beach earlier this summer with a couple of girlfriends. We went to bed each night at 10 and woke up at the crack of dawn. It was so much more rejuvenating than staying out all night and sleeping all day.
Oh and your pictures are gorgeous!
What a wonderful holiday! So glad you’re getting rejuvenated this summer — enjoy every second of it!
I love the challenge you’ve put to us in the post title: “How Great Can You Possibly Feel?” and you are dead right. That’s the reason for living well right there :)
AMEN sista!! I really don’t understand when people criticize us healthy eaters, like we’re “missing out”. No, I’m not missing out at all. I actually feel better than ever and am more myself without all that junk weighing me down. Not to mention, much much happier!! And if one day I feel like eating junk, I do. I enjoy it, feel like crap, remember why I eat the way I do, and continue back on my healthy path. I never feel deprived ever. Quite the opposite. I wish we all loved and respected ourselves enough to nourish our bodies, minds and souls. Ahh, I could go on forever, but you already know what I’m sayin’.
Your two weeks look DIVINE. I would love, love, love that right now. It’s so hard to just allow ourselves to rest and I am definitely in some serious need. Such beautiful photos, too!!
I love this. Your feeling-great philosophy is revolutionary. I can sincerely tell that you’re glowing–from the inside out. :-)
<3 Aletheia
Awwwwww!!! The pictures are sooooooo beautiful, Meghan!! I love the last one. If you had crossed your legs, I bet you’d have looked like a mermaid. :)
So glad you had a great R&R. Nothing like nature to get you energized.
I think part of the criticism is not because of the healthy stuff we eat, but because there are some of us that have a certain “health nut arrogance” to them and turn it into a religion, often with quite a big dose of classism and sometimes ableism. If I was living on fast food and beer and met one of those people, I’d feel judged, and that would make me defensive. I wouldn’t even listen to what they have to say because it can come across as “We’re better because we eat better and you’re bad because you eat bad stuff (and are uneducated about it)”. Mind you, not everyone is like that (and certainly not you, Meghan!), but there are a few who are, and they can be very vocal.
Definitely something to the tone in how we present the info- But it could also be said that if we feel like we’re being judged by someone else- maybe that’s our own stuff.
Gorgeous photos. Love the photos of you doing yoga on the dock.
Mia Jean is beautiful. Look at Michael’s pipes and the smile on Mia Jean’s face when her daddy is holding her!
I don’t remember the last time I felt my absolute best. Maybe it’s time I did something to feel that way!
Enjoyed seeing your great pics — very useful for a few minutes of vicarious escapism! To answer your question, I hope that my feeling-greatest days are ahead of me, but I definitely got a taste when I became a vegan last fall. I was addicted to dairy, and now I realize that it caused me to be a phlegm-wad (by which I mean I had sinus infections twice a year and had to clear my throat a lot the rest of the time)!