Everyone has different biorhythms and mine are a bit strange. I’ve always been like this to some degree, even as a baby — much to my mom’s dismay. My college roommates found it annoying as well. I’ll be posting several sample menus during my cleanse. Ignore the weird circadian cycles as I’m not a big fan of sleeping. It’s probably a genetic wiring hitch on one of my chromosomes. Or, more likely, an overly enthusiastic suprachiasmatic nucleus. That little BB-sized thingamabob in the hypothalamus (region of the brain) controls our patterns of waking and sleeping. Mine is afraid it’s going to miss something. With the exception of the first 4 or 5 hours of sleep, I could skip the rest. I find it boring.
Having said that, I’m also an advocate of lots of sleep because I have a fairly good idea of what’s going on while we’re off in la-la land. We need good quality sleep, at least 8 hours per night. Deep, uninterrupted rest helps restore the body and regenerate the mind. Not getting enough sleep is one of my downfalls and something I have to consciously (unconsciously?) work on all the time.
Melissa’s cleanse menu
4 AM
Warm water with fresh-squeezed lemon juice and a small amount of stevia, followed by a cup of herbal tea
4:30 AM
One sliced apple and with a couple of tablespoons of almond butter
5:30 AM
One hour of yoga
7 AM
Blueberry and goat kefir smoothie (I’ll post the recipe in the next day or so)
11 AM
Fresh BIG salad (lettuce and napa cabbage, raisins, roasted sunflower seeds, raw beets, broccoli), detox tea
2 PM
Avocado salsa (before photo above, after photo and recipe below) raw crackers (sea vegetables and flax seeds)
5 PM
Detox tea, Bosc pear
6 PM
1 cup burdock root and vegetable soup, “sleepytime” herbal tea with lemon and honey
7:30 PM
4-5 walnuts
8:45 PM
Asleep
Avocado Salsa (I made this up out of ingredients I had on hand)
1/2 avocado
1/4 cup shredded zucchini
2 tablespoons diced green onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped pumpkin seeds
1 small minced garlic
shredded carrot (about 1/2 carrot)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
squeeze of lemon
Celtic sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Mash and serve with raw crackers.
Serves — uh — uh — one.
Onward (without my coffee and coconut milk, whine-whine),
Melissa
This looks like a solid cleanse. Great work!
Sleep is the number one downfall for most people in any cleanse or healing regime. If we need 8 hours just to maintain health, how much to we need to restore health. And when cleansing- our body is doing a lot of work to get rid of the old and rebuild the new- often why we feel so tired for the first few days and than get a perk of energy around day 4 or 5.
Keep at it!
Melissa,
How long do you follow this regime?
Cid
Meghan,
You’re preaching to the choir!
Thanks for the comments and I’m well aware of all that, but getting enough sleep really is my downfall so I make a huge effort in that department.
As for cleansing, I’ve done a lot of different versions from extreme to mild and feel this is the best general way to go (for me anyway, and what I recommend for most clients as well). It’s also a good way to help people ease into a more healthy lifestyle (and figure out food sensitivities). Like you said, when you start feeling more energetic, you realize how much the food and lifestyle choices you make facilitate that.
Take care!
Cid,
I’m probably going to stick to this for about 3 weeks. It’s basically how I eat most of the time anyway, but getting rid of sugar (in the form of maple syrup, etc.), alcohol (I like having my occasional glass of red wine), most grains (I’m eating a little brown rice), my morning coffee, and some of the other things I tend to overdo at times is really important for my health.
I thought it might help others to share my experience via my blog. There are lots of ways to do this, but this is the way I’ve found works best for me. It really is important to have someone help you through it as it’s not easy and you can have some problems if you don’t approach it right. Everyone is so different that what I would suggest for one person may be different from what I’d suggest for another.
You know, sometimes starting with one thing is a good way to go rather than everything at once. Pick one thing that you know is unhealthy and do without it for a week. See how you do. Then add another thing the next week. Sometimes taking it slow and easy is best.
Melissa,
Slow down! I can’t keep up. Talk about me, you’re really going for it!
Good luck with it, not sure I could stick it to be honest. The food would be fine but after a full on dinner service I am partial to a glass of cold sauvignon. I’ll settle for reading this instead
Miles
Melissa - This sounds like a great approach to a spring cleanse. I do love taking the time to really FEEL what my body needs — and move in a better general direction in preparation for the approaching summer months. Listening to the ebb and flow is one of the biggest gifts of cleansing. And I’m in total agreement about allowing your body to not ONLY be nourished by good food, but also by good sleep and a general LACK of stress… something most of us don’t do in the day-to-day. Lots of great tips here that I plan to record and use the next time we devote ourselves to this venture!
Healthy Journey to you!
lo
I love that avocado salsa! Man, I want to try that.
Are you sure your shorter sleep periods aren’t related to a malabsorption issue like a magnesium deficiency? Have you tried any products like Natural Calm? Have you had your bone density tested? Taking BoneGuard to restore my bones has also helped with my sleep.
Shirley
I wish I was one of those people who did not need much sleep. I sleep at least 9 hours and more when I am really tired. I know sleep is good for the body but I think I would get more done if I didn’t need so much sleep.
Miles,
Hey, I’m taking a lead from you! You’re the prolific blog poster. I LOVE your current owl photos — you’re an amazing photographer. If you ever decide being a chef is no longer for you, you should contact National Geographic for a job as a wildlife photographer.
Lo,
Great comments and you’re so right, there’s nothing better than preparing for the change of seasons and the change in how we eat and what we need.
The avoiding stress and and lack of sleep thing is definitely a challenge for most of us!
Shirley,
The avocado salsa is one of many I make up to go with raw crackers. You don’t need recipes, you just need to be willing to color outside the lines! Be creative and play with your food!
Good points, all, but my problem is not so much what you mention, but the fact that I actually want to get up early. I love it and am (most of the time, anyway) excited and anxious to start my day. That’s why I make myself go to bed so early. One of my most favorite times of the day is 4 to 6AM. I know, I know — I’m a total nutbar.
Do you have a recipe for those crackers? They look good! Hope the cleanse is going well. I need to do this!
Stephanie,
I will write up a recipe and post it one of these days soon. I am such a “make it up as I go” cook that I don’t always know exactly what I do. Do you have a dehydrator? They’re dehydrated, not baked. That way they are still considered raw food.
And yes, I feel so good whenever I do this cleanse. I always wonder why I don’t just stick with this all the time! I do for the most part, but I have my moments where I don’t make the best choices.
I have a dehydrator…can’t wait for the recipe!
What is “raw” agave? Isn’t all agave refined?
Also, why do people eat honey with the comb in it? I know that is a random quesion. tee hee
Kelly,
I plan to figure out the recipe soon. I’m one of those “freestyle” cooks who doesn’t follow directions well and end up making things up as I go.
Raw agave — I’m not sure what I think about agave yet. That’s a whole different post. But for now, I occasionally use organic raw agave in salad dressings because I like the consistency better than honey in that case. Anything that has been altered from its original form is processed to some degree, but it can be considered “raw” if it hasn’t been heated past about 110 degrees or so.
As for honeycomb, that’s the most natural way you can eat honey. It’s in its original form, directly from the hive and has all the nutrients intact. It may be more flavorful as well.
Gosh, Kelly — you were “curious girl” today!