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As many of you know, last week I finished a 20-day cleanse. I felt great! The cleanse experience had its highs and lows but the end result was fabulous. Since then I find that I am mostly interested in the foods I ate on the cleanse, not the foods I was most worried I would want, crave, need. Last Wednesday night I found myself at Azu where I had eaten the night before I began my cleanse.

Because I know what I like and stick with it, I ate the same thing I ate the night before I began my cleanse: the artichoke stuffed with caprese salad (tomatoes, basil and soft mozzarella cheese), Italian bread and butter and a few of the thin French fries served in a paper cone. I even ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio! Not exactly the subtle re-entry I'd envisioned, with a little tempeh or a hard-boiled egg. But oh, how delicious the meal was. I savored every bite. The next morning I slept until my alarm went off. I'd been thrilled with my morning energy level during the cleanse, waking up between 7 and 8 (early for me) ready to start my day. My fingers were a little swollen from the salt in the food. Both unfortunate after-effects but manageable if I indulge on occassion.

The really great news is that I didn't want those foods later the day after. I wanted green salad, flax crackers, raw bread brought to me from a place in LA called Euphoria Loves Rawvolution, and even the green juice loaded with spirulina and chlorella I've been drinking because I know it is good for me. I've had a few other non-cleanse foods since then and had similar experiences: they taste good, I choose moderate portions where previously I might have eaten the whole thing, and I happily go back to the foods I am choosing to make my staples. It feels fabulous. I feel powerful, like I am eating from my body and my heart rather than from any addictions I picked up along the way through this heavily processed life.

And, I've made a commitment to do some form of cleansing at least two days a month. I intend to keep this level of energy and joie de vivre as long as I can!