Divine Dining

I have been experiencing a remarkable change...but I didn't realize just HOW remarkable it was, until I was telling Jeannette Maw about it. (Incidentally, in case you haven't heard -- Jeannette and I are doing a teleclass together. It's called Vibration Overhaul and you can sign up here.)

It was one of those conversations where I was telling a story but the conversation took such a turn, I never finished the story I intended to tell.

Have you ever had a conversation like that?

I was attempting to make some point, which I can now see was completely, well, pointless, and when I gave a bit of background info (to set up the story), Jeannette kept asking me all these questions about it. And suddenly, we were no longer talking about the story, we were talking about what had led me to whatever I wanted to talk about in the first place.

I'm not sure this is making any sense at all, so let me back up a bit.

I used to be addicted to sugar.

I don't use the term "addicted" lightly here -- I sincerely mean I HAD to have candy, pie, sweets, sugar straight out of the packet, you name it.

It was like crack to me.

A day without refined sugar was like a day without sunshine. (Or sex without orgasm...what's the point?)

Yikes, that last one will probably earn me all kinds of opinionated comments. But alas, I have no internal filter. Even while typing.

Anyhoo...

Sugar was my vice.

In the past, I had tried to break my sugar addiction. I tried pure willpower (which was all fine and good, until someone said Pecan Pie...one taste and I fell off the wagon.) I tried the Atkins diet. I tried Sugarbusters (if you're from New ORleans, you know what I'm talking about.) I tried deprivation. I tried self-hypnosis. I tried affirmations. I tried cutting back my quantity (that worked, UNTIL we went to the movies!!)

I tried it ALL (or so I thought). And nothing really had any lasting effect.

The time I did Atkins was probably the longest time I ever went without sweets. And it was hell, I tell ya. Definite deprivation, willpower and mind over matter.

I have been doing a LOT of releasing around body issues over the past few months, and it became clear to me that until I broke my sugar addiction -- and I mean permanently, I would never return to (and maintain) a healthy weight.

Then I was inspired to do The Master Cleanse.

And, being a person who tends to listen when inspiration speaks, I committed to completing at least 10 days of this powerful detox.

AND, being a conscious practitioner of the Law of Attraction, I set an intention for the cleanse.

My intention was to break my sugar addiction. My commitment was to complete at least 10 days.

Now I must be honest with you. There was nothing to visualize -- I really had no idea what it would be like NOT to crave sugar. I already knew what it was like to ignore my cravings for sugar, but not to DISAPPEAR the cravings themselves -- permanently. All I knew was that THIS was the key to regaining my health -- and I set the intention to break my sugar addiction.

I did not visualize. I did not do affirmations. (after all, you can't affirm NOT something.) I did not write a goal statement. I did not set a target amount of weight to lose (I've done that before, and it comes back. I figure the weight was secondary, anyway. If I could truly break that sugar addiction, the weight HAD to come off. That much I knew.)

I did perform fluency throughout the cleanse, for whatever came up. There was a lot more around FOOD itself that I had imagined, but not much around body issues, really. There was also a lot of other stuff that seemed unrelated, but I can see now that it was a total entity purge.

When I began, I was committed, but not attached. If the cleanse didn't work, I would be no worse off than I was before I started the cleanse. Probably better, in fact.

I devoured every bit of information I could get on the cleanse before I began. I did not need to throw away all our refined sugar products -- I knew I could commit to anything for 10 days. I simply asked my husband not to eat candy in front of me, until I told him I was OK with it. I did not try to convert my husband, or my daughter, and I did not ask him to do the cleanse with me.

What happened?

Well, you can go here and here and here to read my previous posts about my expeirences with the Master Cleanse.

But here's what fascinated Jeannette, when I was talking to her about my results the other day.

Today, nearly 3 weeks have passed since I ended my 16-day Master Cleanse.

I have maintained 17.5 lbs of my 19-lb weight loss. I am 2 sizes smaller on top, and 1 size smaller on the bottom (but approaching 2 sizes smaller here, too). And I have not deprived myself once. But that's not the most interesting part.

I have not once had as much as a fleeting thought about refined sugar.

This is FAR different from choosing not to eat sugar -- this is a freedom around food like I have never known.

Sugar no longer has control over me. Sugar no longer sings to me, lulling me, wooing me.

Can you imagine having your greatest lover rip your heart out? And you pine away for this person for YEARS, and every time you see this person or hear their name, you are in agony again.

And then one day, you wake up and say, "Who? You're telling me I used to be in love with this person? I have no recollection of that whatsoever." And you pass them on the street, and you don't even know it because it's like they have been removed from your consciousness. You are finally free of the addiction of pain and longing.

THAT is how it feels to be free of sugar.

If you've never had issues with food, good for you. We all have our crap, and if yours isn't food, well, then you probably haven't even read this far.

But if you HAVE had some kind of sick relationship going on with food, of which you had no knowledge whatsoever that you could even alter, I am here to tell you that IT IS POSSIBLE.

Am I saying that I will never again eat refined sugar?

Nope, I'm not saying that at all. In fact, I have probably had a bite of 3 or 4 different desserts since coming off the cleanse nearly 3 weeks ago.

I'm not telling you I WON'T have sugar...I'm telling you I don't HAVE to have sugar.

It's no longer a battle -- there is no resistance for me. If I want it, I eat it. But I'm finding that when I do taste it, it's not very appealing to me. I would much rather have a raw honey stick, or a super-fresh medjool date, or a handful of macadamia nuts.

Interestingly enough, I have also lost my cravings for dairy and meat. And this is coming from someone who used to eat cheese like it was the foundation of my nutrition pyramid. 4-8 servings PER DAY, no kidding. And meat was the second tier, tied with refined sugar and fats.

I never set out to become a vegan, and that is still not my intent. I absolutely adore seafood, and would prefer not to give up honey.

Heck, I would prefer not to "give up" ANYTHING-- I want to enjoy it ALL, and if I don't enjoy it, I simply won't eat it (now THAT'S a switch from my "old self.")

But I am finding that I prefer to consume mostly raw foods. Which I suppose makes me a semi-raw, sea-bee-vegan.

I also have the mental clarity to see that breads, crackers and chips STILL have a grip over me, perhaps a bit more so since I no longer crave sugar. Ooooh, especially those artisan breads, with the olives and sundried tomatoes baked right in! and multigrain crackers and corn tortilla chips.

So when I do my next Master Cleanse, my intention will be to break my addiction to those kinds of carbs.

One of the factors I did NOT expect to receive during the cleanse was a drastic increase in the "flow" of my business and my life. Money started flowing in from unexpected sources, new clients were showing up, and I was mentally crafting my 2-year plan, without any effort or intent to do so.

Words cannot adequately explain the mental clarity that comes with this kind of prolonged detox.

Can you imagine what life would be like if the volume on your "monkey chatter" (that persistent, ever-present inner voice?) was turned down drastically...or often times, SHUT OFF altogether?

I'm telling you, it's one of the most profound experiences of my life! No exaggeration.

Some of you have expressed an interest in doing the next cleanse with me, and I welcome the opportunity to connect with you in this way. This type of commitment is certainly easier with friends and supportive colleagues surrounding.

After compiling your feedback, I have decided to offer all of the following for a one-time fee of $45 (includes all of the following for one month):

+ Unlimited email support directly from me for 30 days, related to releasing, detox, and body issues
+ A weekly live teleclass where we will release body issues together (related to weight AND health) using a variety of powerful releasing techniques
+ MP3 recordings of each teleclass
+ Daily pick-me-up emails designed to encourage and support you throughout your cleanse, for as long as you choose to cleanse
+ Access to a private forum/community where we can support each other, and I can support you in your releases
+ Access to my personal list of resources for cleansing, as well as for consuming "living" foods

Some folks asked me why I would charge anything? My response is simple -- I am charging "enough" to keep people motivated -- if the program was in fact free, there would be a high dropout rate, because there would be no perceived consequences for dropping out. For most people, a commitment of $45 is enough to keep them going, at least for 10 days.

I am inspired to charge FAR less than I typically receive for this kind of releasing work, as I know I will surely benefit from the group interaction as well.

Because I am offering unlimited email support directly from me, I must limit participation to just 10 people. Otherwise, I'd be sitting at my computer, doing nothing but answering emails all day!

If you are ready to commit to a 10-day minimum detox beginning in mid-September, you can click here (SORRY - CLASS IS FULL, SIGNUP LINK HAS BEEN REMOVED) to reserve your spot in my Cleansing for Success group.

There is one book, which is required reading for this class (you can get it from your local library, or buy it here from Amazon, or go get it from your local bookstore, it sells for around $11). I have read this book, and there are far too many details you could screw up if you don't read the book, so that's why I'm making it mandatory for all participants.

Your QoD: What comes up for you when I invite you to participate in the Master Cleanse with me? Does it seem impossible? Boring? Scary? Pointless? Exciting?

What do you think those feelings mean?

What's the worst that could happen if you took the plunge and joined me in the Master Cleanse?

Go for it!