The Jesus Cleanse

I’m on a cleanse of sorts – let me tell y’all all about it!

In Cambodia, a single beer costs anywhere between 50 cents, and $1.50. The beer I’m talking about is good ol’ Cambodian beer, which in many ways is just alcoholic water with some flavour. That is, it’s not a heavy beer, and it’s not expensive at all, so it’s very easy to drink at least 2 or 3 in one sitting. And it’s very easy to do this every single day.

Naturally, once you’re a few beers in, you’re sick of it. Don’t wanna drink beer? Don’t worry, a gin and tonic is only around $3.00 a glass, so treat yourself!

As a result, after a few months in Cambodia I realized that I’d been consuming an inordinate amount of beer and gin, for no reason other than it was easy to do so.

Enter: the Jesus Cleanse.

My Jesus Cleanse, which began on Sept 9th, was supposed to accompany a 30 day yoga challenge, but that was short-lived. I have done yoga maybe 6 or 7 times in the last 11 days, which isn’t bad, but I’m too jazzed up about the Jesus Cleanse to care one way or the other about my 30 day yoga challenge.

Hold up the phone, Heather – what’s a Jesus Cleanse?

Like most cleanses, it’s a bunch of nonsense that I’ve made up. But unlike most cleanses, it’s pretty simple and it has no unseemly freeing effects on my digestive system/bowels (I live in Cambodia, people, that’s already taken care of!)

Jesus Cleanse = only drink water and wine.

Exceptions are allowed for juice and smoothies. This weekend I also allowed an exception for Coco-Cola, as I enjoyed a rare trip to McDonalds while we’re visiting Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

When we go out to eat, when we go to the bar, when I’m at home, I only drink water or wine. For me, it’s been a great way to cut back to alcohol intake while not totally giving it up altogether.

Besides, as a founder of Wine Wednesdays, I could hardly survive giving up wine.

It’s worth noting that the Jesus Cleanse has nothing to do with Jesus other than being a name. I figured that since Jesus supposedly turned water into wine, and I’m only drinking water and wine, the name was apt. It’s also easy to explain to people – “sorry, no beer for me, I’m on the Jesus Cleanse – water and wine only!!”

I don’t know that my cleanse has blessed me with any amazing feeling-ness, but I drink a lot less now, which I think lends itself to some mental clarity. I also get a prideful kick out of actually sticking with this cleanse. And honestly, there’s not much in the world that’s better for drinking than water or wine.

If any of you have ever heard of this cleanse, or tried something similar, I’d love to know – leave a comment!