I hope you do make it through your 21 days. If you can make it, then I will try it too :)

Fantastic Heather! Good luck with this challenge. I've heard about the cleansing diet and was interested...so I can't wait to hear about your progress. =)

i've been wanting to do a cleanse for a while now, can't wait to hear how it goes. hopefully i'll be inspired to follow suit....

i would definitely be interesting in hearing how it goes...i've been wondering if i need to make a drastic change in my diet for the sake of my insides and also my anxiety. good luck!

No sugar, gluten, caffeine, alcohol, or animal products.

What else is there?

No, seriously. What else is there?

Wow! Good luck with that. I can't wait to read about your journey as I sip my wine while taking breaks to eat my cheeseburger on a big fat white flour bun.

Signed,
Fat and Happy In Wisconsin. Sadly not Florida.

p.s. Leta kills me.

We're off to the beach next week...then maybe I too shall try the 21 day thing!

Such an inspirational post! That last paragraph can be modified to fit anyone and I think it serves as a challenge for everyone to get their life into a better place. Good luck to all of us :)

I'm way too weak to 'cleanse'. Oprah, be damned.

Hey - take charge and just stick it out for the 21 days. I'm sure you'll feel fantastic from the cleanse AND for accomplishing such a big goal. Keep us posted!

Bravo for attempting to make such fundamental changes in your life, Heather. I'm looking forward to your observations on the process.... and your pithy comments.
As for Jon's sinus infections: perhaps others have suggested this (I don't usually make it through the hundreds of comments you get) but when I was going through the same thing 20 years ago we discovered that it was a wisdom tooth root that was protruding into the sinus cavity and that had abcessed. Sorry if that was TMI, but once that tooth was pulled I never had another sinus infection [knock wooden head]. For what it's worth.
Hope the cleanse provides the change you are looking for.

Best of luck to you.
Very inspirational post!

Best of luck! How wonderful a thought of every day being Florida.

Coming home from vacation is the hardest part. But man is it so worth it! Good luck with your goals!

Wow, can't wait to hear about this cleanse. I feel the same way about meat. I could totally be a vegetarian if it weren't for brisket, but since I never cook it myself, I rarely eat meat. Good luck with that! I wish you much Florida!

Looking forward to the updates on the cleanse. I was almost intrigued enough to do it myself, but then found out I was pregnant and decided to hold off until this kid pops out. There are so few things that sound good to me right now, I don't want to limit it even more.

Good luck!

If you're into all this, you must read Oprah's darling Eckhart Tolle. His books A New Earth and the Power of Now will give you a whole new perspective.

And can I ask, Florida in summer? Wasn't it as hot as the blazes of hell?

Gosh, that ocean picture is spectacular!

Does that include seafood too (no animal products)? I hope you can do it, and I'm curious about how you feel about it and what changes you notice in yourself. I'm just not so sure I could give up the Merlot and Corona. Everything else could go though.

Nothing like a dog to bring you back down to reality! But .. at least she's a CUTE dog!

Does this have something to do with colonics?

Cleanse is a funny word.

Keep us posted.

god, coming back from vacation totally sucks. hang on to that vision, don't let it fade!

Hey, I'm on day 4 of the cleanse myself! I've found that there will come one point in every day that I try to talk myself out of continuing with it (always, always hunger induced). Then I eat a banana and I'm fine again.

Trying to come up with meals everyday is a struggle. I'm not too keen on vegetables, see... I do feel a sense of calm that hasn't been present before though, and the last month has been really rough, so that's saying a lot for me.

The cookbook "Veganomicon" would be a great resource for you, food-wise.

Good luck with your big changes. In your blog you come across exactly as you say you want to be. Organized, present, and a loving wife and mother. I think as women, we judge ourselves much more harshly than we judge others. No matter how successful you are, be satisfied with yourself. Your house is stunning, you are an amazing writer, and you have a great family. An occasional craving for a burger or a stress-induced melt-down doesn't make you any less worthy of admiration. I personally, would rather hang out with you than Oprah!

If you find yourself struggling to stick to your 21 day cleanse then just pick up a copy of Fast Food Nation, you'll easily be able to avoid any fast food restaurant for at least a month after completing the book. I can't even look at the deliciously salt McDonald's French fry the same.

Good luck and I hope you are able to stick to it!

Hey Heather,
Good luck with the meat thing...I went vegetarian last year for both personal health and animal rights reasons. A lovely side effect was that I stopped having such horrible cramps during 'that time of the month'. I am now convinced that the cramps were due to all those hormones in the meat I was eating.

I think the most difficult problem I have now with not eating meat is when my husband cooks bacon. Other than that, I don't really miss it. Oh, but that smell of bacon KILLS me every time!!

I was trying to give up meat for nine days but I only made it to day three. I plan to give it another try. I will keep track of your progress. And if you find anything that tastes just like fried chicken, but isn't, please let us know!

The "cleanse" thing is a good start, but why not go a bit further and educate yourself about food and nutrition? You can incorporate good meat (organic, free range, etc) into your diet, and people don't need a ton of meat (most people eat a lot more meat than they need) to be really healthy, but a bit really helps keep your body fed. The key is understanding what you really truly need and incorporating it into your daily life.

Learning about your food is like learning about your money. So worth it. I did it and it changed everything. I haven't purchased a low fat or non fat item in 3 years, and have a much better sense of portion and timing. I don't worry about periodic fried food festivals, because I know that the rest of my eating makes up for it.

Nutritionists are as valuable as any other heathcare professional.

Welcome home! Why can't every day be Florida, indeed. (Well, if it was like that stunning photo above, and had nothing to do with humidity, bugs or old people.)

LOVED the guest columnists - thanks to them for the content!

I *think* I want to hear your take on the cleanse. I think.

Good luck with the cleanse! I recently went meat free and feel great.

Take it easy, now, and be good to yourself :-) Maybe your life isn't that easy, and maybe you're doing the best you can.
And please remember, you do need proteine, however you'll get it.

Yowza. Nothin' left but leaves to eat. Good luck.

I lived in Florida for two years and It did not have that effect on me.

Does the cleanse include No drinking of Alcohol? Good luck

I think your cleanse is a wonderful idea and maybe complimenting it with some yoga (if you have time!) would be an excellent way to become grounded?

Best wishes & I'm excited to read about your experiences!

I rarely get in here before the comments reach epic numbers, so this is a treat for me.

I'll be following your cleanse with interest. There's no way in hell I'd be able to function without cheese and bread and pretzels and coffee. . .especially not the coffee. . .but I admire you for giving it a try.

Also, kudos to you for wanting to make positive changes in your life. It's so much harder to be earnest and honest in such a public forum than it is to be sarcastic (not that I don't enjoy the sarcasm immensely). If I didn't know better, I'd say it was a sign of maturity.

Mark Bittman has a great article on strategies for intentionally eating less meat. We've employed several techniques with the goal being that the only meat we DO eat is humanely raised/slaughtered and processed cleanly.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/dining/11mini.html

Good luck with the cleanse!

Heather - I feel the same way - I'm sick of being unorganized, tired, anxious, and stressed. And I'm sick of meat, period. When I actually think about it, it makes me sick. But far be it from me to actually think about it while I'm eating a big juicy New York Strip.

Hmm. Yeah. So I'll be interested to see how it goes for you, because I'm ordering the book today. And I keep tripping over suitcases (from a vacation two weeks ago), laundry baskets full of clean clothes, dog hair tumbleweeds, and crumbs.

I just wanted to say, I feel ya.

I think the cleanse is a great idea! Challenging, yes, but a good way to focus mind and body.

I agree with Kat about free-range organic meats. Some farmers are very conscientious about caring for their livestock and it really shows in the quality of the product. Everyone wins: you get better quality meats, an independent farmer gets to make a living, and the animals have a pretty decent life. Worth the extra $$.

Would cleansing make you lose your burping prowess? Maybe that is something to consider.

Good luck on the cleanse. All positivity heading your way.

I've done a 14-day "cleanse" before. It's hard but it's SO WORTH IT! If you want to get fancy, there are lots of soy-based, vegan items like cheeses and whatnot that are pretty good once you figure out how to cook them. And lots of gluten-free/wheat-free breads too, although I think you're supposed to limit those. I think I'm a dork but I love going to Trader Joe's or Whole Foods and searching for all the foods that I could eat.

After a couple of days, I stopped craving meat and sugar and caffeine. I think our bodies get addicted to preservatives and junk food and that's why we crave them. Once you get the crap out of your system, you don't really care much about not eating it.

Anyway, long story short, I hope it goes well and helps you out. It definitely helps me out whenever I need to get my act together.

Hey Heather,
Yay you. I have been a vegetarian for 15 years and was a cynical meat eater beforehand, however, it has worked for me for all the reasons you gave. Oh, and I'm a Floridan :)
One thing...probably you already thought of this but my girlfriend finds she is extremely sensitive to medications because she lives THAT cleanly..no smoke, no caffiene, etc...so I thought I'd say be very aware because your body is used to you lifestyle :) Thats all, loving concern :)

The State of Florida should buy that phrase from Leta and use it to promote tourism.

You know, when I was a kid, I used to think there were two Floridas. ("Grandma lives in Florida" x 2 Grandmas = 2 Floridas. Logical, no?) Further proof that childhood is the happiest of times.

Glad you're back (no really, you have NO IDEA) and good luck with the cleanse. I hope it helps you achieve the feeling you're looking for!

Very encouraging stuff.. I've been thinking about doing a cleanse/switching to a vegetarian diet as well. I'm looking forward to your daily insights.

Recently, for the first time, I've been considering going vegetarian. My husband is a vegetarian and for years this was a constant source of annoyance (No French restaurants or BBQ ribs? Boy, life sucks). And now, after almost eleven years together, I am breaking down.

We've always kept a strictly vegetarian house. I used to cook a lot of meals I enjoyed using meat substitutes (TVP and other vegetable protein foods) so that my husband could try the food I liked and came to discover that my recipes were better. My turning point was going to a cow farm and my husband saying, "Aw, isn't she cute? Why would you want to eat her?"

OMG, I've been feeling the same way, and have been looking at doing a cleanse to start things off. Thank you for posting your experience here as I know it will inspire me to do something similar.

I don't know if I can give up my In-N-Out burger (I only get it a few times a year, but when I crave it, I must have it!)... but maybe the cleanse will cure me.

Wow--this sounds like a fantastic plan. (Much luck!) I need to work on "being present" as well. And the clense sounds promising, but I would have to adjust. How could I cope without cheese?

"I want to be a better wife, a more conscious and present mother, a more loyal friend, and a better listener. I'd like to handle my anxiety better. I also want to be more organized because I'm tired and fed up with not being able to find anything."

Oh? Is that all?

Seriously, though, that's a lot to put on a single diet, or even an overall plan. What you're talking about is a marathon, and part of the marathon is to pace yourself. As someone who has given up and gotten discouraged 100 meters in more than once, be careful how many goals you list -- especially goals like those. You might find yourself deeply disappointed if you can't manage them all at once -- you know, like all other humans. It's not something to approach from a valedictorian standpoint.

Thank being said, I wish you the greatest of luck on your improvement journey. I hope it works for you.

I'm glad to hear you're going vegan, Heather, even if it's only for a few days. But the no alcohol thing, man, that's extreme! Good luck and maybe I can toss some good recipes your way.

You'll be awake, you'll be alert, you'll be positive, though it hurts...Your last paragraph instantly reminded me of my anthem of the past few years. Beautiful. I can totally relate to your desire for self-improvement, and think it's great that you're trying to be so healthy, but I also agree with the earlier poster who pointed out how hard we women tend to be on ourselves. Even though I only know what I've read of you, I think you are probably a pretty great person already. So whether or not you make it through the whole cleanse, or go vegetarian, or get more organized, or do anything differently in relation to your husband and daughter, I hope that you will remember how great you are and be kind to yourself. Maybe it sounds silly, but I really honestly believe this is the single best thing we can do for ourselves, our loved ones, and the world at large.

What you need (on the organizational front) is a great assistant. You're too busy to do crappy things like paying bills, making doctor appointments, and making sure all your other appointments don't conflict. You can pay someone else to do it! Bonus: I live right down the street from you, I am currently a stay-home mommy to a 2 year old with way too much time on my hands, and I have an awesome administrative assistant resume. Tempting?

Oprah should have you on her show to talk about it. That would be worth Tivoing.

I'm excited to hear about your foray into being a vegetarian. I've been considering the move myself. But I really love hot dogs.

That's the beauty of a great vacation. You arrive home with a sense of clarity, a renewed purpose. Hanging onto that feeling is another matter. It's generally a fleeting feeling, quickly consumed by the demands of every day life and ingrained habits of mind that are hard to break away from. But I hope it's more than a momentary epiphany for you and that you get what you need from the cleanse. I'll reserve my opinions about giving up meat. Who needs judgement when they're trying to turn a new leaf?

I have been reading Oprah's cleanse blog...I am keen on doing that program too but to be honest the food often sounds rather gross. She had major butt issues after the black bean burgers. Maybe if I had a personal chef to try and make things yummy but I am having a hard time seeing me stick to it. I am thinking July when it's hot and coffee is not so appealing and I can chow down on fruit. Good luck!

If you do decide to become a vegetarian, can I have your "Meat is Murder. Tasty, tasty murder" t-shirt?

Awesome post. If you haven't already, I highly recommend you read Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" (though I see someone else has already recommended it, in which case I second the recommendation). It has made me completely rethink the way we eat, the sad state of our nation's food industry, and so on. As dog is my witness, it will help you make every day Florida!

What an amazingly beautiful picture! The colors just take my breath away. One of those you just want to walk into, or stare at for great lengths of time. Thank you for posting it.

I'm surprised at your organization comment. From pics you've shown of your house it looks like you're VERY organized and VERY meticulous.

Good Luck with your cleanse.

WAIT!

You can cleanse your body. You can cleanse your mind. You can even cleanse your spirit. But if you cleanse your potty mouth, I'll be really mad.

Alcohol, Sugar aaaannndddd (!) CAFFIENE?! Is that some kind of sick joke? That danged Oprah!

Does she have a hybernation cave for me to crawl into during this "cleanse"? Because I'm telling you right now - those three things mentioned above are all my body runs on.

I was just really excited to hear that you are even considering eliminating meat from your diet. I have been vegetarian now for almost 15 years, but I am the first to say meat tastes good. I stopped eating it when as a 12 year old, aspiring veterinarian, and I realized that eating animals when I appreciated their unconditional love, companionship and individuality was beyond hypocritical. (Clearly, I was not a normal 12 year old.) When I was older, I learned to appreciate other aspects to becoming vegetarian that only strengthened my commitment: destruction of the environment, health, factory farming, etc.

I'm sure you're already aware of all these aspects, but while going organic and free-range is a step in the right direction (and better than simply eating meat indiscriminately), I don't think it's enough when it comes to animals. Keep in mind that organic is regulated by the FDA and refers only to pesticides, hormones, etc. Free range, however, is regulated very little (if at all) and is often used in a misleading fashion to imply that eggs/meat were produced/killed humanely when this is not necessarily the case.

Good luck with your 3-week diet cleanse. As dedicated as I am to being vegetarian, I'm too lazy to be that disciplined!

making your cleanse public is definitely a big help -- the more people you tell, the more you'll feel accountable and will want to stick to it.

i'm an avid cleanser, so i know it can be tough. stick it out, though. the results can be tremendous and you'll feel a lot better about yourself in addition to feeling better physically! i haven't tried this 21-day cleanse, but i'm checking it out now. might be the next one i do after my upcoming one in july!

thanks for sharing and good luck!

I like what Michael Pollen says in his book The Omnivore's Dilemma:

"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

It's doable, sensible, and flexible enough to live with for life.

Bless Oprah- how many ways HAS she found to change her life? Bless us all for following her down all these paths.

1) do you read all these comments?! wow.

2) i just discovered you (i am a late bloomer) and have really been enjoying your style - candid, honest, sarcastic. it's so damn refreshing.

3) how in the world do you get so many coments?! i mean i write because i would die if i didn't, but since i have to do it to stay alive, may as well get people to read it right? and then what if they read but don't comment (which i confess i have been doing with you for weeks) how will the "big" people start to notice it and pay me! :)

4) i am the biggest proponent of sefl-care that i know, so i say hells yes to women who refuse to sacrafice all that they are for everyone except themselves.

The thought of no alcohol for 21 days in the summer makes me shudder...no sangria or beer for trips to the beach or picnics in the park? And then I realized "Wow, the fact that I would miss alcohol the most out of that list of things I eat every day? That's kind of sad." Maybe I'm more in need of a cleanse than I thought. Best of luck with yours, Heather.

God Heather, you took the words right out of my mouth. I'm at work right now, and I just printed your gorgeous picture and taped it to my monitor to help get me through the rest of this week. Also, as so many people have said, I look forward to reading your updates on the cleanse. I've been toying with it for a long time, so maybe this will be the catalyst. As for the last paragraph, I wish I could give a fist bump. That's exactly what I needed to read.

Congrats on your decision. It's been 18 years since I ate meat, and I feel terrific both health-wise and about the fact that I do not participate in the barbaric and wasteful mass slaughter of animals. And since my husband has (mostly) given up meat, he hasn't been sick at all. So there you go.

le siiigh, Heather. When I heard Oprah was doing that cleanse I was like "OH GREAT" now everyone is going to do it as a trend. Going vegan shouldn't be a trend! It's a lifestyle choice. I'm glad to hear you may stop eating meat after that, though. I hope your readers follow your example...but not as a trend.

youreawesomeyoureawesomeyoureawesomeyoureawesome. I always thought you were awesome, but now I feel this overpowering urge to say it!

Good luck with your cleanse! I look forward to hearing how you are feeling each day!

I am of the opinion that a vacation is never REALLY a vacation for a mother. Who packs and plans and unpacks and cleans and...well, you get the idea. Always ME.

I HATE vacations. For me it only means squeezing everything I do on a daily basis into a hotel room (or a one room cabin as the case may be)...and then the clean up afterwards. Ugh!

Looking forward to followng the progress. I would rather hear your experience with the cleanse than anything that oprah has to say.
Just sayin'.

Good luck! I'll be fascinated to know how the cleanse works for you.

fyi, some doctors believe there's a connection between sinus infections and dairy. sounds like jon should try a cleanse diet too...and a good chiropractor (for sinuses? i know, sounds crazy, but you'd be surprised). can't hurt to try. good luck!

http://www.milksucks.com/mucus.asp
http://www.sinussurvival.com/faq/faqDiet.html

I've been "leaning into it" as Kathy says. I did the cleanse for 7 straight days and felt a huge difference. The biggest difference was the lack of cravings I had! Now I'm going without sugar, gluten, alcohol, caffine and dairy during the week. On the weekends I let myself slip a little. It's been working wonders! Good luck and I'm anxious to hear your updates!

I was surprised how easy kicking caffine was when I recently discovered that I had reason to, at the very least, cut down on the caffine intake. I had a slight headache the first day, but after that I've been fine. I do admit I have a big iced decaf every morning however.

Quiting smoking, for the same recently discovered reason, on the other hand, sucks-donkey-turds.

But doing both has made me very interested in the 21 day cleanse so I'll be following with interest.

Beautiful pic ... you should frame that one. When you're stressed out you can look at it and think Florida. Wow, I hope I come back from my vacation that refreshed and goal oriented!