From Cleanse to Real Life: What Happened When I Hit My Edge (and How I’m Reintegrating)
- Mindy Arbuckle
- 3 hours ago
- 5 min read
I went into last weekend feeling strong.
I had committed to a kitchari mono-diet—simple, grounding, intentional. And for the first few days, I felt aligned. Clear. Focused. Proud of myself for staying the course.
Then real life happened.
We traveled to be with family for the weekend. There were soccer games, shared meals, celebrations… and my daughter’s birthday.
And somewhere around day five, I felt it.
That edge.
Not just mentally—but physically.
The headaches had been building for days.
The hunger wasn’t subtle—it was constant.
Even though I was eating regularly, it felt like my body was burning through everything too quickly.
And I had a choice.
Push through… or listen.
The Moment Everything Shifted
Saturday night, we gathered to celebrate my daughter.
Family dinner. Connection. Presence.
And I made a conscious decision to step out of the mono-diet and fully join the experience.
Not out of weakness.
Not out of “falling off.”
Out of awareness.
Because in that moment, forcing the cleanse would have meant abandoning myself.
And that’s not the work I’m here to do.
What I Learned (That Matters More Than the Cleanse)
Here’s the truth most people don’t talk about:
The hardest part isn’t the cleanse.
It’s what happens when life interrupts it.
It’s when:
you’re tired
you’re uncomfortable
you’re surrounded by people doing something different
your body starts sending signals you can’t ignore
That’s the real practice.
Not discipline.
Connection.
From Cleanse to Real Life: The Reintegration Reality
Since then, I haven’t “given up.”
I’ve been moving into a more intuitive reintegration:
one kitchari meal a day
mindful breakfasts (chia pudding, quinoa bowls)
slowly reintroducing family dinners
And here’s what’s been interesting…
My body is talking loud and clear.
Bloating. Gas. Discomfort.
Not as punishment—but as feedback.
Because I reintroduced:
multiple food types at once (meat, dairy, gluten)
heavier combinations
richer meals than my system was ready for
And my body said: slow down. So I am.
A New Approach: Nourishment Over Perfection
Instead of trying to “get it right" or "do it better," I’m shifting into something more sustainable:
Simple. Warm. Grounding meals the whole family can enjoy.
Meals that:
support digestion
reduce inflammation
still feel satisfying and real
A Gentle Return to Rhythm
As I’ve been moving through this reintegration, I’ve realized something simple and grounding:
I don’t need to be perfect… I need a rhythm.
Not rigid.
Not restrictive.
Just something I can return to when life gets full.
So this week, this is what I’m practicing.
🥣 Nourishing Breakfast: Warm Chia Quinoa Bowl
After days of feeling overly hungry and then overly full, I needed something that felt steady.
This has been a beautiful place to land.
Why it works:
grounding and warm
easy to digest
keeps energy steady without spikes
Ingredients:
½ cup cooked quinoa
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 cup almond or oat milk
pinch cinnamon
pinch cardamom
small drizzle maple syrup
optional: stewed apples or berries
Directions:
Warm everything gently in a saucepan until soft and creamy.
Take a breath before your first bite. Let this be a moment, not just a meal.
🌿 Golden Ginger Chicken & Veggie Bowl
This reintegration meal satisfies me and my family at the end of a full day. It's something we can all enjoy.
Why it works:
It’s warm, gently spiced, easy to digest, and deeply nourishing—without feeling restrictive. It reintroduces meat and more cooked vegetables.
Ingredients:
Olive oil or ghee
Chicken (or chickpeas for plant-based)
Zucchini, carrots, green beans or asparagus
Basmati rice or quinoa
Fresh ginger
Turmeric, cumin, coriander
Fennel seeds (key for digestion)
Salt
Optional: cilantro, lemon, coconut yogurt
Simple Preparation:
Cook your grain.
Sauté ginger + spices in oil.
Add protein.
Add veggies.
Serve warm and enjoy.
Optionally, add fresh lemon juice and cilantro to serve.
🕯️Daily Ritual: 3-Minute Check-In
Instead of trying to “get it right,” I’ve been returning to this simple pause:
Place one hand on your heart, one on your belly.
Ask yourself:
What does my body need right now?
Am I actually hungry… or just out of rhythm?
What would support me in this moment?
No fixing.
Just listening.
🌸 Self-Care Practice: Abhyanga (Oil Massage)
With the bloating and discomfort, I knew my body needed support—not more control.
A simple warm oil massage has made a big difference.
Before showering:
warm a small amount of oil (sesame or coconut)
massage into your body with slow, intentional strokes
especially around the belly, moving in a clockwise direction
This supports:
digestion
circulation
grounding your nervous system
Let it feel nurturing—not like another thing to “do.”
🌘 Lifestyle Cleanse Focus: Simplify Your Evenings
I noticed that the more I layered into my evenings—food, stimulation, activity—the more off I felt the next day.
So I’m gently shifting:
earlier, simpler dinners
less variety in one meal
creating space after eating instead of immediately moving on
Nothing extreme.
Just creating a little more room for my body to do what it’s designed to do.
🧘♀️ Staying Connected to Your Practice
One of the biggest things I’ve noticed through this experience is how easy it is to lose rhythm when life gets full.
Not because we don’t care…But because we don’t have something to come back to.
This is why I’ve been staying committed to a simple weekly anchor:
A live yoga practice.
Not for intensity.
Not for perfection.
Just to reconnect.
Each Thursday at 9am MT, I’m guiding a live practice inside the SOULutions App.
A space to:
move your body
breathe
come back into alignment
Even if everything else feels off… this becomes a place to return.
If you’re needing that kind of support right now, you’re invited to join us.
(First week is free if you’re new)
✨ Reflection Prompt
Where in my life am I forcing… when I could be listening?
Take a few minutes with this.
Your body already knows.
This Is the Work
This experience reminded me of something I teach often—and continue to live:
It’s not about doing it perfectly.
It’s about staying connected to yourself when things aren’t.
Because life will interrupt your plan.
Every time.
And in those moments, you get to choose:
Do I abandon myself…Or do I come back to myself?
This Is Why I Created Be More You
Because this is where most people struggle.
Not in starting something.
In staying connected to themselves when it gets uncomfortable, messy, or inconvenient.
Be More You isn’t about perfection, discipline, or rigid structure.
It’s about:
learning how to listen to your body
building self-trust
navigating real life without losing yourself
If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing everything “right”… and still falling off track when life gets real…
You’re not alone.
And you don’t need more discipline.
You need a different way of relating to yourself.
That’s exactly what we build inside Be More You.
This is the work.
Where This Leads
What I’m walking away from this cleanse with isn’t just insight about food.
It’s a deeper trust in my body.
A reminder that I don’t have to force my way through something to prove I’m committed.
And a knowing that real transformation doesn’t happen in perfect conditions…
It happens right here, in the middle of real life.
A Gentle Invitation
You don’t need to be perfect to feel good in your body.
You don’t need to follow every rule to be “doing it right.”
You just need to stay connected.
And that’s something we can build—together.
All My Love,
Mindy
P.S. Register for Be More You. You'll be glad you did. We begin on 4/28/26.
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