I went on a pill when I was 21 years old, because I had some facial hair that my doctor didn’t like the look of. We didn’t look at why I might have the hair, what was out of whack, and if we could solve it naturally. The pill was the only answer. I didn’t even know what other questions to ask.
When I think about it today – the pill was another way (in addition to food) I used to override my Body’s signals. I thought I knew better, I thought that the pill was so cool, that it put me in control.
So the irony isn’t lost on me that I’ve just finished a four day, food based, hormone reset/cleanse from Alisa Vitti’s brilliant book “Woman Code”. If you haven’t read it – I highly recommend it. It will teach to decode the messages your body is sending you as well as fine-tune your cycle, and teach you to work in harmony with your Body’s natural rhythm.
I was tempted to do this cleanse because it was short (4 days), and relatively simple. I liked that it also included practical action steps for each day (like clearing out your kitchen cabinets) and journaling/reflection topics.
I wanted to share my experience so that you know what to expect when you do it too.
I choose to do it Friday – Monday and cleared my schedule. I expected I would be low on energy so wanted to give myself permission to slow down – and it worked well.
The day before I spent about 90 minutes doing food prep. Yes – this sounds like a lot of time, however I prepared all my meals for the next four days, apart from the juice. It definitely made life easier! I would definitely recommend you do that too if you go ahead with the cleanse.
Day 1 went really well. I wasn’t hungry between breakfast and lunch, felt energised. I did however got hungry around 4.30PM, felt a little tired and had a slight headache. It might have been because I was detoxing, but it also could have been lack of caffeine. I usually drink 3 cups of green tea a day and chose not to have any during the cleanse. I did have an afternoon snack.
Day 2 and 3 I was definitely a little more hungry between meals, and a little low on energy. I still went on my daily walks, and felt like I was moving in slow motion. I also took time to rest.
Day 4 I woke up energised and I wasn’t as hungry as I thought I would have been. In fact I didn’t even finish my lunch and dinner. I also felt really reflective so did a lot of journaling.
I enjoyed that reset immensely, and I was grateful I gave myself “permission” to slow down. I also focused on self –care, including Epsom salt baths every evening.
The only downside I noticed during those 4 days was that I was cold most of the time. I think that’s because I ate a lot of raw fruits and vegetables (way more than I do usually), so be aware if it and maybe don’t plan to do it in the winter.
After the reset I will be definitely continue taking my fiber supplements, looking for ways to slow down and actually clearing my schedule on regular basis so that I can just be a little slower.
I feel lighter, my skin feels great (hello dry skin brushing!), and I am ready for the autumn.
I definitely recommend that book – I think it is a must read for every woman, so that you can tap into your power.
In the comments below let me know what other “must reads” are on your list and why.
