This morning I woke up very early on my own, my body is use to waking up at 4:30am for work that even on my days off I am up anyway. Around 3am I had a terrible pain behind my nail in my big toe on my left foot. I severely injured this toe when I was almost 13 years old (I’m 24 now) and did permanent damage to the circulation of the toe. The nail was suppose to fall off and never did, the only thing the doctor recommended was to have a cosmetic surgery done where they remove my nail and replace it with a prosthetic one. I never underwent the surgery, it seems like a waste. I’ll just deal with having scary feet plus it’s a great way to keep people with foot fetishes away 😉

Almost as soon as the pain stopped in that toe the pain began in the same area, same sensation, in my other big toe. I also injured this toe almost 3 years ago now. The pain was minor compared to the other foot. I’ve read several blogs where people have mentioned pains from past injuries or having a flu exactly like the one they had 20 years ago. Cleanses bring out every skeleton imaginable out of the closet. Emotions, thoughts, and I guess in my case pain. I’ve been ignoring the fact that my feet bother me almost all of the time but the pain I felt this morning got me thinking that I can’t ignore it any longer.

Today I drank:

14 oz Hot Water with Lemon

16 oz Flax Apple Juice (3 1/2 apples and 2 heaping tablespoons of ground flax)

16 oz Ruby Tuesday from Wildflour (beet, kale, carrot, parsley, celery and spinach)

20ish oz Alfalfa Peppermint Tea

2 liters water

Shortly after consuming the Flax Apple Juice I went to the bathroom. I’ve had a lot of questions about bowel movements and cleansing. So if you are “too lady-like” to read about such matters I’d keep scrolling down until I tell you you’re safe.

“Going number two” while being on a liquid cleanse is different, the matter is solid but not as solid as normal. There are moments where I have to make a fibrous drink like the Flax Apple Juice or have Senna Tea to help my bowel movements go. Juicing breaks down fibers in fruits and vegetables making it easier for the body to eliminate food. Some days the body needs a little assistance with bowel movements, but as long as it is not a constant problem there isn’t much to worry about. If you are on a juice/smoothie cleanse and the elimination process does not happen frequently, like once a day, then you need to consider the vegetables and fruits you are using in your drinks. Add more fiber like dark leafy greens and drink tons of water to help everything go smoothly. There is nothing wrong with having Senna Tea or using cleansing pills to assist your body. If your stool is loose, up your water in-take and if you are consuming cleansing pills you should read the instructions on what to do for this. Sometimes it is recommended to skip a pill or end using the cleanse kit all together.

This is seriously one of the most frequently asked questions I have had while cleansing as well as trying to figure out how I do not cheat. All you out there who aren’t comfortable with “potty talk” it’s safe now.

Here is a list of some things that have helped me not want or need to cheat while cleansing:

1. Working out -> Helps keep my mind preoccupied, I can feel a difference in my body like I am becoming stronger (mentally and physically) and as cheesy as it sounds I am focused on the prize in the end, being healthier and letting my body do what it needs to do.

2. Still doing everyday social things -> Today I watched a friend eat lunch and did not feel tempted to cheat. I drank lots of tea and water; made sure I had a meal before I went out and even planned it out so I was near a juice bar so I could get something afterwards. I’ve gone to the movies, worked at my job a restaurant which is another thing people find amazing, working around food all day and not eating any. As long as I packed myself juice and an extra drink just in case has been working out wonderfully.

3. Being around understanding people -> I can’t say that everyone is supportive, for the most part everyone I know thinks I am crazy and they do not get why I want to cleanse. But as long as they understand what I am doing and that it means a lot to me it’s better than nothing. Not everyone needs to agree with each other on everything. I believe cleansing is a natural process; human beings did not always eat the way we eat, and did always get three meals a day. Cleansing is a way of caring for the body and yourself.

4. Always make more instead of less –> Do not just make three juices and think that you will get full. If you are a person who really likes pineapples for example make sure you make some sort of pineapple juice or smoothie. Almost every day I consume kale, so I tend to have it in at least one of my juices or smoothies each day.

5. Keep a bottle of water with you all of the time and bags of tea and/or ginger –> This has happened to me at least, there have been times when I thought I was hungry but I actually just needed to drink more water. A huge part of cleansing is making sure you drink water, it will help with the elimination process and it helps keep the mind and body happy.

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