The BPC (Blue Print Cleanse)

When my eating habits get out of hand and I can’t seem to pull myself out of a rut, there’s nothing like a cleanse to get me back on track. I’ve done all sorts of cleanses ranging from 3-day cleanses to 28-day ones. Each offer their own benefits. The long-term ones I do to check in on how I react to certain foods and then also to remind myself to be mindful of what I consume. Weight-loss, detoxification, and clarity of mind also play big roles in why I choose to cleanse.

I unfortunately am an emotional eater, and when life gets a little crazy, I forget to care; I go back to old behaviors, and next thing you know, I am up 6-8 pounds. I’ve done Weight Watchers and Atkins and have had success with both. I’m not a fan of counting calories/points or deprivation, and I strive to be the type of person who naturally chooses the right foods and can maintain their weight. I had a nice run of it for almost a year following Kathy Freston’s Quantum Wellness: A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Health and Happiness. Yes, this was the one Oprah did. I loved it and felt the best I ever have. I naturally adjusted my behaviors as well to support an even stronger set of healthy habits (more consistent workout, less booze, etc.). After the 28-day cleanse, I continued not to eat meat or eggs, limited my sugar, gluten, and dairy intake, and easily ate normal portions. But then there was a bump in the road and next thing I knew I was relying on larger portions and cheesy goodness to check out. It’s been a battle on and off the wagon for the last 1/2 a year. Up 6 pounds, down 6 pounds… at least 2 times.

After the Thanksgiving holiday, I started getting uncomfortable – - even though I’ve been more than 25 pounds heavier than I am now, I got to the point where I felt like I was at maximum capacity. This past weekend at the Gate (see retreats), thanks to Dr. Dan, I reconnected to the part of me that wants to eat better. That part of me knows how good I will feel and how in alignment it is for me to be mindful when choosing what to eat. I am not saying I am cutting out anything; I am just saying I will make conscious choices. I am happy to be back.

One of my girlfriends once said that my shit jiggles in all the right places – - to keep it that way, I decided to do one of my favorite cleanses, the Blue Print Cleanse. Not only to jump-start the better eating habits, but also to put me in a better place psychologically (almost like doing affirmations).  This 3-day juice cleanse shows up in a nice, pretty package, and all you have to do is open the bottle and drink. As the BPC people say, all the work and thinking is done for you. We Think, You Drink. I’ve done this cleanse before a few times (even made them myself once at home for 3-days – -  lots of work) and have a pretty easy time getting through it. I did this cleanse once with co-workers and I am the only one who made it past lunch on the first day, so obviously it’s not for everyone. One of them couldn’t handle the green drink; she gagged her way through 1/2 the bottle before quitting, and the other just HAD to have a martini and a steak for dinner, so he figured he might as well have sushi for lunch.

Juicin: Drink 1 and the portable cooler bag for on-the-go livin'!

3-days, 6 juices a day – 2 green ones, lemon/agave nectar, pineapple/mint, my favorite apple/carrot/beet/lemon/ginger, and 1 super yummy cashew nut milk. Today I am at the end of day 2 and I have no complaints… except that I wish this was cheaper. Because BPC dwells in NYC, the shipping charges rack up the bill. If it wasn’t so expensive, I would probably juice once a month. I’ve also heard about the Cooler Cleanse, which seems to be the same thing, but a little cheaper.  I guess they are popular because they are never in stock so I haven’t been able to order it yet and I’ve been trying for months. I also like that you can do raw food the day before and the day after and pick the meals you want from a menu. Man, I hope they get their shit together so I can check it out. Their raw options look tasty. Very Cafe Gratitude. BPC also has raw options, but I didn’t dig into that this time. Both companies can also supply you for longer durations. 3 days seems to be the right length for me. I’ll let you know how it all wraps up. I didn’t weigh myself before, so I won’t be able to tell you how much I lost. But again, the point of this exercise for me was to relearn how to support myself nutritionally.