There’s nothing that says New Year to me like a trip to Whole Foods in January. The place is abuzz with eager patrons excited to be rid of the holiday muffin tops and constant gorge-style eating. The desire to lighten things up in the new year inspires hope–hope for losing the Christmas gut and hope to feel a vibrant return to normal or meta-normal. A singular walk down the produce aisle might reveal the latest Vitamix blender demo that will whirl up your favorite greens, fruit, and protein powder concoction.

When you’re on a cleanse, especially in the early days of the adventure or when you’re about to embark on one, this trip to WFM is a stage-setting moment. It feels like you’ve found yourself in a den of like-minded people about to undertake the same singular goal–experience a successful new year cleanse. During the tough, stay-in-the-game moments, it’s nice to have the produce aisle images fresh in mind: the excitement of beginning a journey that felt so necessary, post-holidays. When you’re slogging through the trenches hour by hour throughout the 21-day odyssey, alone, sticking to your guns while it feels like your family is languishing in every junk food fantasy you’ve ever had, it’s heartening to return to home, to those who share your January goals.

When you’re feeling like you need some inspiration to toe the cleanse line, head on over to your local natural, organic grocer. Personally, I go out of my way and drive the additional few miles to the nearest Whole Foods. They seem to get it right for me. Browsing the aisles for cleanse staples like almond and cashew butters, coconut oils, and brown rice, is cathartic–an opportunity to digest visually the complex list of all the things you CAN eat on these 21-days. The energy, the quality of produce, and the brief moments of fleeting camaraderie, come together for a clarifying moment of reality: I’m on this cleanse with a group of like-minded people. Sometimes you need a situational boost. This place is mine!

Copyright © 2019 María Felicia Kelley