DAY 8: COUNTDOWN TO THE21-DAY 'CONSCIOUS CLEANSE'So now (cue, drum roll!) it's time to wave goodbye to our first food. Artificial additives of all sorts are now off-bounds. Well, it's not really a food, if truth be told. In fact, the additives that have been added to our foods often have no nutritive value at all!It may sound dramatic to take out something that's in a lot of the foods you've been eating all your life, but once you've set the intention not to eat anything processed, it's amazing how your body (and mind) starts to question why you ever put these kind of things in there in the first place! A bit like sitting in front of the telly ingesting all that negative news – when you sit back and think about it – why do it? But then, it's ain't always that simple, is it? Emotional factors sometimes come into play (more of that later).Having nothing in your food cupboards to tempt you on this front, of course, makes this much easier. So now's the time to go to the fridge and take out anything lurking in there that's off the list! Check the labels on butters or margarines, 'fruit drinks' (don't be fooled – they're often a world away from true fruit juices, if you read the small print). If in doubt, drop me a line about this – and I'll do what I can to clarify things.So you now have control over the artificial additives you ingest while inside your own four walls. But be aware of all the items that assault you, pleading 'Eat me! Eat me!' when you're innocently walking around the supermarket, queuing at the petrol station or sitting in coffee shops with friends. If you're determined to make a success of this dietary experiment - and truly see what it can do for you - don't you owe it to yourself to be prepared? Fill up a sandwich bag with some nuts and seeds and raisins, and nibble them whenever you're tempted!Tomorrow we say 'hasta la vista' to dairy products