Research shows that it takes 21 days to form new habits or break old ones. For example, if you want to start walking daily, make it a priority to walk every day for the next 21 days. After three weeks, walking will become a habit, and you’ll be much more likely to keep it up. Trying to quit smoking? The first 21 days are often the toughest as you work to break that habit. Want to eat healthier? Stick to organic, unprocessed foods for the next 21 days.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: Dr. Mandy and I are human, and we, too, sometimes stray from eating the way we know we should. That’s why last fall, we completed a 21-day Purification program to help kickstart our healthy eating habits. For three weeks, we strictly avoided sugar, alcohol, and grains, and focused on consuming organic fruits and vegetables. The results were impressive:

• We each lost 8 pounds and 3-4% body fat. I was even eating two extra protein shakes per day to avoid losing too much weight, yet the pounds kept coming off.
• Decreased pain. Within just a few days, we both noticed a significant reduction in pain. Dr. Mandy, who had been experiencing hip pain, saw it completely subside in the first three days. I’ve had significant foot pain for years that caused me to limp for the first 10 minutes of my day, but within 2-3 days, 90% of that pain was gone. I was also battling Achilles tendonitis for over a month, which improved by 90% after just a couple of days.
• We slept like babies. I’m usually a night owl and stay up until around 11:30 or midnight, but during the 21 days, I rarely stayed awake past 10:15 and slept soundly throughout the night.
• After a few grumpy days, our moods improved, and we just felt better overall.

So, what does the 21-day purification program involve? It’s about eating whole, organic, unprocessed foods; drinking plenty of water; and taking whole food supplements. The program’s goals include:

• Purify. By eating organically, we reduce our exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, herbicides, hormones, and antibiotics.
• Nourish. The organic foods and supplements support the liver, lymphatic system, kidneys, lungs, and intestines, helping them function better and do what they were designed to do.
• Maintain. After the three weeks, you’ll feel significantly better and will have developed a new, healthy eating habit.

If you’d like to learn more about the program, join us for a lecture on Tuesday, September 26th, at 6:30 PM in our office. We’ll go into detail about the program and help you get started on a healthier way of eating. Call the office to reserve your spot, or feel free to ask Dr. Mandy or me about the program during your next visit. We’d love to help. To learn more about the program, just click this link. As always, if you found this article valuable, please be sure to ‘like’ and ‘share’ with friends and family.