I know Thursdays are dedicated to all that is delicious and beautiful on the plate but, I just couldn't bring myself to make the bangin biscuits I was planning without being able to eat one, fresh and warm, from the oven (possibly slathered in butter and jam).  

And just why can't I eat a biscuit? I'll tell you why. Mama's going on a cleanse! 

If you know me, you know that cleansing is something I try to do at least twice a year. I think it's a valid way to hit the reset button. We Americans tend to pile the food into our digestive tract like a woman tries to shove 18 pairs of shoes into her weekender bag. It's often too much and the body needs a break from the intestinal traffic jam.

 I'm not claiming to be an expert, rather, I'm more like a guinea pig when it comes to cleansing. I'll try anything once.  Maybe twice. I've read lots of books and done alot of strange things (saltwater flush, anyone?) all in the name of a good cleanse. I even wrote some blogs about it. 

On a serious note, I believe in a non-processed, mostly vegetable, sometimes raw and whole-foods based balanced diet. I stay away from fast food completely,  do not drink milk and try to make most of my food at home with ingredients made by Mother Earth. That being said, I'm not perfect and extra pounds find their way onto my body, mostly my lower half, usually because I'm eating too much.  Food and I have a rather torrid love affair. I love you. I hate you. I eat you. 

This is why I exercise regularly and surround myself with positive people, like Kate Kester. Kate used to be my neighbor when I lived in suburban subdivision hell. Love her. Love her family. Hate the homeowners association. 

Anyways, Kate used to be a college athlete and is now a wicked fit personal trainer. I meet up with her at least twice a week to take a beating  in her makeshift gym, affectionately called The Garage.  She introduced me to P90X-style workouts and this Shakeology stuff that I will be using for my cleanse. 

For the record,  I'm not into chemicals and powders and nutritional science. I believe in making my own juices, smoothies and shakes from scratch. However,  I got to watch a video about this stuff and it seems the Shakeology people go to great lengths to source high-quality organic ingredients made honestly.  So, I'm gonna give it a whirl and, truth be told, I need to break through my plateau. 

I've been sitting at the same blasted weight for the last several months.  I'm training for a marathon, food journaling and still having trouble getting back to my baseline.  My buddy Kate says the three day cleanse will help break the plateau and kick off my transformation efforts. 

Did I mention I have a very important wedding to attend next year? MINE! 
 I'd prefer to slip rather than squeeze into a wedding dress next year, thank you very much. 

My starting weight is 139.6. I drank a glass of green tea this morning before having a Shakeology smoothie for breakfast. I get to have two snacks before and after lunch, which will be a shake, and then a protein packed salad for dinner. Not too shabby and quite manageable. 

The Clean Program, another cleanse I recommend, follows a similar menu. Two liquid meals  and one solid meal for the day. They call them nutritional cleanses. I like them because you can eat a little something along the way. 

Alrighty, I think  I have blathered on enough for today. I'll let you know how the cleanse goes and we will resume our regularly scheduled Foodlove posts next week when I can actually eat what I cook. I don't have enough discipline to make something delicious and not eat it. Besides, what kind of foodie would I be. Happy Thursday!