deTOX

So, last Monday we started the Whole Living Cleanse. This is three weeks of no added sugar, no processed foods, no caffeine, no alcohol, no dairy, no gluten. The idea, at least for me, is to kind of reset and be more mindful of what you’re eating. The first week was fruits, vegetables, nuts and oils and wasn’t really as tough as I expected. What was tough was that I was bone tired so much of the week. I also lost 10 pounds. In a week. Obviously this isn’t sustainable for a variety of reasons, but it did make me feel like how I was eating was very off to have that kind of effect after a week on the cleanse. And then there’s some unanticipated side effects—like two people only eating produce for a week is dirt cheap! And if water is all you’re drinking, you drink a lot of it! And I haven’t had a headache in a week. I don’t know the cause (caffeine? Alcohol? Gluten? Dairy? Everything I love?) but I have realized how unusual it is for me to go a week without one. I haven’t had the blood sugar crashing shakes like I sometimes get, I haven’t even gotten really hungry and have been satiated with little.
It’s so far also made me realize how much I associate some food with activities. Like I have actually done ok without the caffeine, but Saturday morning listening to NPR in the kitchen would have really suited a nice hot cup. Or a chilly Sunday morning at the dog park, a fellow showed up with a Starbucks cup and damn I’ve never wanted a latte more. And how food is one of the best parts of being alive, how sad it would be to never eat all of those things again... In moderation, but still.
So, so far so good. This week (as of today) we added back in legumes and fish. The protein boost has helped my energy level a lot.
Lastly, the smoothies are awesome. We bought a new blender/juicer/food processor ninja which works awesomely and smoothies may become the breakfast cure I’ve long been looking for. Plus I feel like I’m getting a leg up on the day when it’s 7:30 am and I’ve already had like 4 servings of fruit.