7 Things I Have Learned Doing a 3 Day Juice Cleanse

At some point last week, I decided that doing a three day juice cleanse would be a good thing for me. I am working toward eating clean, exercising and trying to clear the clutter in all parts of my life.

I am on day three and here are my conclusions so far:

1. The Gem Organic Juice Bar Is Great

The positive part of this experience is that The Gem in Dallas is a delightful place. The people are helpful and knowledgeable. If you want to do a juice cleanse then I would definitely endorse The Gem. I am drinking six drinks throughout the day along with water. Three of them are green vegetable juice, one is beet based, one is a lemonade type and the final one is a cashew milk.

The Six Pack I started with on Thursday morning from The Gem at Preston and Forest.

2. Drinking Vegetables Is Not For Me

I have discovered that drinking my vegetables is simply not for me. If the mixture is green because of a green vegetable then it does not matter what you put with it, I do not want to drink it. On the other hand, Commuter Husband and Youngest Son think the green vegetable drinks taste wonderful. 

3. Cashew Milk Is Fabulous
After drinking vegetables and fruit all day, the cashew milk is heavenly. I seriously think about that white concoction all day. When Youngest Son asked for a taste, I wanted to say "No way" so that I selfishly got every drop. Alas, my motherly guilt surfaced and I did allow him to take one SMALL sip.

4. My Digestive Tract Is Clearing Out
Supposedly, one of the side effects of a juice cleanse is that it causes constipation. Are you kidding me?!?? I must have an abundance of toxins to release because I have the complete opposite of constipation.

5. Caffeine Headaches Are Not Fun
I love my coffee and the caffeine headache I had for days one and two are proof positive. I finally had to drink green tea yesterday which IS allowed on the cleanse. Commuter Husband looked at me with disappointment this morning when I said no to a cup of coffee and he responded to me in an oddly romantic way "That is something we share." Ahhhh ...

6. Overall I feel Okay And Will Finish Today
These three days without solid food have been manageable. I have been able to function and my energy level is fairly normal. I seriously considered skipping day three and giving my juices to Commuter Husband and Youngest Son. When I mentioned this to Youngest Son this morning, he told me in no uncertain terms that I should finish. Why? Because I should complete what I started. I had a parent happy moment that he instinctively went to a value we have tried to teach the boys. And it had the intended impact. I WILL finish. I WILL FINISH.

7. The Experience Is Worth It
I love new experiences so in some weirdo way I am glad I am doing the three day cleanse. It will help reinforce eating in a clean and healthy paradigm. I look forward to eating the solid food at The Gem and drinking the non-veggie smoothies! Heck, I may even take a class or two at the The Gem.

But I seriously doubt I will EVER do a juice cleanse of any kind again. Dang ... time for my 10am Green Glow ...

First Post: Allowing Our Teens to be in the Now

This first post for my new blog, Frankly Ronda, feels uncomfortable. That is good. Growth and change usually takes us out of a comfort zone. I am ready. (About Frankly Ronda Page gives you the description so look there for context.)

Oldest Son is in 10th grade and is a 16 year old who has just started driving. Youngest Son is in 7th grade and is a 14 year old teen in full force. Like many families, these brothers have many things in common but they are completely different individuals who are forging unique paths.

When Oldest Son was three years old and we were in the Dallas quagmire of private school selection and testing, I got excellent advice from the preschool director. She told me that we can, at best, look three years out in the future for our kids and to make choices where we feel comfortable walking the halls as a family. Her advice was specific for the moment but it has carried forward with greater meaning as we navigate the too many choices presented to us in this 21st century.

We want our kids to live in this moment and in these halls. "This moment" translates into the age you are now and "these halls" are what you are doing presently. This philosophy is in a repeating loop in my head now as Oldest Son starts the move from 10th grade to 11th grade and the college quandary is beginning.

We believe in letting our teens explore experiences to find their authentic selves. Oldest Son's private school provides an amazing place to help make that happen for him. We will be encouraging Oldest Son to make decisions that support:

- his love of learning and voracious reading habit

- subjects that peak his curiosity which are advanced sciences, history and current events

- extracurricular choices which include national circuit policy debate and cross country 

- sharing his out-of-the box thoughts and ideas verbally in various settings

- his competitive nature and desire to achieve goals he thinks are important

- making time to be with friends and enjoy teen life

We will attempt to avoid the "college rat race" and all that includes. We believe that if Oldest Son stays true to himself then the high school transcript, SATs, entrance exams/essays, college choices and what he decides to do with his life will fall into place. Oldest Son gets to be a 16 to 17 year old  for the next two years in high school. Because I know Oldest Son and how he is wired then I trust this approach will be the right one for him.

Husband and I will not be intruding on Oldest Son's independence. Ultimately, it will be up to him to manage his schedule, time and decisions. Our job is to help guide him in areas that may be beyond his maturity or experience level and be there when he succeeds, when he fails and when he falls in the middle. Since I love him, I wish for disappointments to be mixed in along the way because resilience and grit are desired outcomes. We will set boundaries because we are this teen's parents and that is a crucial role to keeping Oldest Son safe. And we will support him when he decides to change course because change is inevitable and often opens new doors.

Every family and every person has a distinctive passage. There is no one formula. No one way. Thank goodness!

Oldest Son lines up for the 3200m at his school's track meet.