Well, I’m up 4 pounds from July, and I’m definitely not okay with that.  My jeans feel tight, I’m tired all the time and I’ve reacquainted myself with an old sugar addiction.  Most people dread cleansing, but I’m so psyched because I already know how good I will feel and look in just 21 days.  Nope, this ain’t my first rodeo; I used to do a major cleanse at least annually, but I haven’t buckled down in about a year and a half, mostly because I love wine…

So, which of the 5,495,207 cleanses that exist do I choose to take on?  It is called the 21-Day Metabolic Cleanse by Dr. Sherri Jacobs, my naturopath.  It is very similar to the Clean Program by Dr. Alejandro Junger, but it focuses more on improving health and less on weight loss (even though most people do shed some pounds).

Just to give you the gist, (there’s so much more fascinating information, but I’ll let you find out for yourself) Dr. Jacobs cuts out the most commonly allergenic foods, (gluten, dairy, corn, soy, eggs, peanuts, sugar, alcohol, caffeine).  However, there is no limit to how much you can eat, so I’m never truly hungry.  The other side to this program is that it is also a toxin cleanse; she wants at least 90% of the food you eat to be organic, since we all know now that environmental toxins like pesticides and other chemicals mess with our hormones, slow down our metabolism and basically stand in the way of optimal health.  I do spend more time in the kitchen than usual during these three weeks, but I don’t feel like a failure if I go out to eat, either.  There are also supplements, a daily plant-based protein shake and other little painless tricks involved, too.

The first time I committed to this particular cleanse was four years ago, and it changed my life forever.  I was feeling the same way I do now, kind of puffy and tired.  On top of that, I had a chronic, mysterious eye “infection” (I later discovered it was an allergy), and I also wanted to boost my chances of becoming pregnant naturally, as I suffered a rough miscarriage about six months prior.  At the end of 21 days, my eye infection vanished, and so did 10 pounds.  I had loads of energy, I was sleeping soundly, and I was just… happy.  I also felt more confident; I was armed with a ton of information that was going to help keep me and my family safe and healthy.  And, it was because of Dr. Jacobs’ teachings that I started researching my personal care and beauty products, so you have her to thank for this very blog!

So, if you feel like crap all the time and you can’t figure out why, if you eat right and exercise and still can’t lose weight, if you are constantly exhausted, can’t sleep,  have GI issues, headaches, or other chronic health problems, if you are tired of taking prescription meds, this cleanse is for YOU.  Yes, for 21 days you will change the way you eat, but more importantly, you will learn so much about food and environmental toxins that you will be inspired to change the way you live.

The Winter Cleanse starts on Wednesday, January 13th for Charleston locals, and it sells out fast.  To attend, (there are three weekly meetings) you must register. 

Dr. Sherri also treats patients all over the world.  You can participate in the cleanse online anytime from anywhere.  (I’ve done it both ways; both are awesome.)

And, because I love you, you’ll save $50 with code BARE50 at checkout. 🙂

I’ll be documenting my “journey” here as well as on Instagram for the next three weeks, and that includes yummy, cleanse-friendly recipes!  Follow along! @barebeautyblog

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