What I learned during the Standard Process 3-Week Cleanse!

Standard Process products required for 3-week cleanse

It is no secret - I was highly skeptical about this entire process.  I had never done anything like this, and generally felt like I ate pretty well.  My diet was low in processed foods, I ate very little breads and pastas, drank plenty of water, and ate plenty of fruits and vegetables.

On the negative side, I knew that I drank a ton of coffee - sometimes by the Nalgene-full (occasionally multiple pots).  I also drink my fair share of beer.  I was also in a bit of a rut with the variety of fruits and vegetables that I consumed.

I was told the first few days were going to be the toughest.  Maybe it was because I had been warned, but this was not the case.  I experienced no headaches due to the lack of caffeine, though I did experience a couple headaches in the first couple days when I exercised in the evening.  Soon I settled into a routine of a fruit powered smoothie in the morning, then tons of raw veggies throughout the day, and some lentils or rice with vegetables for dinner.  It is important to note that I weighed in the first day at 160 lbs (which was a high-water mark for the winter) and that I was upping my exercise regimen to roughly 2hrs per day.

The first week I missed some of the foods I couldn't have, but I felt great.  On day 8 I weighed in at 151 lbs.  I was surprised by my weight loss, but felt great, was running faster than ever and my power numbers were up on the bike.  No complaints!  As the program is written, I was allowed to add Protein sources (chicken and wild caught fish) on Day 11.  I figured once I made it to that point I was in the clear.  On Day 11 I weighed in at 148 lbs, had a fantastic strength session and another great run.  Saturday - Day 12 - I went to my parents for dinner and we had cod and the spinach, brown rice, asparagus and avocado salad, pictured below.  The cod was AMAZING!  After nothing like that for almost two weeks, even simply prepared, with only lemon juice, it tasted like a gourmet meal.  A ten day deprivation and it gave me such an appreciation for what I can have any day.  This was glorious!  My workouts were great and I was totally high on the entire cleanse and its process.

Run Block and Cleanse

It's been a while since my last post.  My off-season has been somewhat scattered, but I had a very successful run block through December and January and am in the middle of the three-week Standard Process Cleanse.

I'll start with the run block - for the past two years I've focused on the bike.  It's been my weakness and while it's come a long way it is still my weakness.  For my own sanity I needed a break.  For the past two years I had kept my run volume in maintenance mode.  This had started to catch up to me in my last couple halves of 2013, so I ramped up a little bit before my IM race.  Upon reflection, I needed to be running more.  As I have been prone to running injuries I wanted time to build volume, so I decided to focus on the run this winter.  I built up to 50-60 mile weeks, and actually had a 60 mile 4-day stretch before New Year's down in North Carolina.  That was nice running in shorts and short sleeves in late December!

In mid-January I was running more efficiently and faster than I ever have.  Very encouraging as I have some lofty goals for the run this year.  Due to weather, sickness and travel the last couple weeks of January weren't great, but they were adequate.  Sometimes it's just about getting enough done.

Well, last Tuesday (Jan 28) I was back in good old CT, after a whirlwind trip to Washington DC and Philly with excursions out to the Gettysburg area.  Was prepping for the fantastic relay run adventure that is the American Odyssey Relay!  I've run it for the past four years and started working with them on mapping and volunteer coordination this year.   If you have never run through the night with friends, meeting some crazy volunteers who don't mind hanging out in remote locations in the middle of the night, you should!  But I digress...

So, I got back late Monday night and started the Standard Process Cleanse on Tuesday.  This is a three week cleanse that is intended to rid the body of all toxins as well as establish healthy eating habits.  I generally eat pretty well, though I will admit I over-indulge in my coffee consumption (drinking at minimum a 12-cup pot a day) and beer.  Outside of those, I only drink water and the post-workout chocolate milk.  I tend to have a lot of fruits and vegetables, though as I'm going through this program, I realize I don't vary these enough.

The first 10 days (I am currently at day 8), you are allowed an unlimited amount of vegetables.  Half of these must be raw.  And you can have as much fruit as you like as long as you have twice as many veggies a day.  Other than this I am drinking their SP Complete shakes, sometimes with Whey Protein supplement, and I am allowed 2 servings of either lentils or brown rice each day, which I have been having entirely with dinner due to logistics. 

It's possible to make some tasty things, though I will admit I've only hit the mark once - last night I cooked the brown rice, and made a salad with fresh spinach, avocado, cooked asparagus and topped with fresh squeezed lime juice and pepper.  Simple and tasty!

Starting on Day 11 I can add in chicken and certain kinds of fish.  That will be a glorious day.  I thought I would miss more than I do.  I don't miss the beer (maybe a little during the Super Bowl), but my coffee absolutely!  Not that I got head aches from the lack of caffeine  - I just miss the routine of getting up and starting the day answering emails with my cup of coffee.  It's not the same with an SP Complete shake...I also greatly miss yogurt.  I love fruit and yogurt in the morning and after hard workouts.  But I do feel good, and I have had a surprising level of energy for my workouts.  In fact, I've hit new highs on all exercises in my strength workouts over the last week, so no huge drop in power.  I am also leaner and lighter than I've ever been at this point in the year.

I'm looking forward to seeing where this takes me and how I feel on the other side of this cleanse!