by Catherine Hearn
Okay, was day 5 a turning point for anyone else?! I think this was the first day I was actually in a good mood all day! AND the first time I wasn’t craving sweets or caffeine at MULTIPLE points throughout the day. I didn’t even think that was possible, especially with how things were going at the beginning of the week… 
Getting in my 30 mins of exercise at an iGnite yoga class
I didn’t realize until today that I usually wake up in the mornings with tired eyes that feel very heavy, and with pretty significant bags under my eyes. The same was true all week until this morning. I woke up feeling clear-headed and with “awake eyes” — I don’t know how else to describe it, but no eye bags and not feeling like I’m desperate to go back to bed! It was glorious. I’m assuming this is related to the no sugar and no caffeine, because those are the biggest changes to my diet with the cleanse, and my sleep patterns have stayed about the same. Note to self: probably a good idea to keep that up as much as possible considering how much better I feel!
Lunchtime! My go-to spinach salad with black beans, brown rice, tomatoes, avocado, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro and salt & pepper (and whatever other veggies I find in the fridge…)
To be honest, I spent Days 1-4 in a relatively bad mood, low on energy, and craving sugar and caffeine throughout the day. Thank goodness on day 5 I had consistent energy throughout the day and for the first time wasn’t having the urge to eat out of “boredom,” it was awesome.
Since my exercise was inside today, I got my 30 mins of outdoor time by moving my office outside for the afternoon. I loved it — the fresh air definitely gave me a second wind.
I have especially loved the effects of cleansing from social media this week. Not allowing myself to browse through Instagram, Pinterest or Facebook on my phone at every down moment or while I’m eating has made me realize how often I do that each day. Although those little icons on my phone are still very tempting, it has been incredibly freeing and allowed me to be much more present in the moment, whether I’m waiting in line somewhere, eating breakfast or lunch, or just wanting to turn off my brain between work and school. Simply sitting and relaxing is much more rejuvenating AND keeps me from comparing my own life to the lives of my friends and the people I follow online (as much as I like to tell myself that I’m not doing that). It’s a great feeling. Not to mention, it ups the chances that I’ll call my friends and have a solid conversation to find out what’s going on with them, instead of finding out online. It’s time to get back in the habit of that.
Sick of cooking, we had a low-key Friday date night at Chipotle — super easy to make a cleanse-friendly bowl/salad here while Andy gets to eat a big ‘ol burrito. Win-win!
Overall, day 5 was a game-changer for me. So, if anyone started a day or 2 late and isn’t to day 5 yet, keep the faith! It’s a winner, you’ll feel the results in your mood and energy very soon 🙂
the iGnite blog 
So true, day 5 has been so much easier.