Lisa P Writes

Ahhh, I just love sunny So. California. The photo was taken a couple of years ago in Ocean Beach, a neighborhood in San Diego. I always think of this magical place, but more specifically of my friends Anne Marie and Thomas who live there, when I begin my vegan cleanse. They are vegan. Anne Marie told me that it was a gradual change from meat eater, to vegetarian and now vegan. She said that once they bought their place in Ocean Beach, they became vegan. It started because they had access to a delicious vegan deli at a co-op grocery store called People’s. And they’ve maintained a vegan lifestyle not only because of animals but because they feel terrific on that kind of diet . . .

When I first visited them after they turned vegan, I thought they were crazy. Give up cheese, eggs, butter, yogurt and hamburgers? Gawd, I love sushi and dark chocolate! They had to be so conscious of what they ate and I had never done that. If it looks good, I shovel it in. On this 21-day cleanse, I’ll eliminate animal products, caffeine, sugar, alcohol and gluten. Phewww!

This is the third time that I’m doing the cleanse and it really makes me conscious of the foods around me. I never used to read food labels and now that I do, I’m shocked. Gluten is in everything. So is sugar. And so many other ingredients I can’t pronounce. Unlike juice cleanses, this cleanse is not only about detoxifying but also a lesson in eating. My diet has slowly changed since I did the cleanse the first time. I’ve also become more aware of the people around me and their energies. I’ve learned to limit my time with those who are toxic to me — and I’m becoming less toxic to others! When I hear myself judging or gossiping, a red flag goes up. The cleanse has helped me to wake up and break automatic patterns that aren’t good for me.

I decided to first do the cleanse last spring after I read Quantum Wellness by Kathy Freston. It was a little dramatic in some sections (not nearly as in-your-face as Skinny Bitch) and I usually get turned off by that, but I think I was ready to make some eating changes. It’s a good book, overall and includes vegan recipes but not all are meant for the cleanse. For cleanse recipes, I use her other book Quantum Wellness Cleanse.

It’s not easy doing the cleanse, but it is getting easier because I’m learning about what I can eat. I tend to eat the same things for breakfast and lunch – rice milk smoothie with frozen berries/banana and steel cut oats with nuts and agave. It helps to keep a lot of nuts and dried fruits on hand for snacks. Some tortilla chips are actually okay on this cleanse! My dinners always vary but then again I love to cook. Last night, I had stir-fried peppers, onions, garlic and jalapeno with a can of tomatoes, black beans and rice. I added avocado, cilantro and black olives to mixture once it was done cooking and voilà – an amazing and simple recipe!