Sunday ended a whole three weeks of mostly being gluten/animal product/sugar/caffeine free and it was one of the best experiences I've ever had. I say mostly because I had refried beans a time or two before I found out they are made with lard usually and I know some of the breads I ate probably weren't gluten free and perhaps honey snuck in on an ingredient list of something at some point. But, part of the point of the cleanse is being able to adjust and chose the best/healthiest options possible when presented with life so I feel really pleased with the way I stuck to it and happy with the fact that I didn't ever intentionally cheat; no sugar desserts, no dairy, no exceptions to the rules because it was a bad day or a special day.
So last week, the third week, was totally the reward for the first two and the key to the cleanse I think. It just seemed so normal and I felt so good the whole way through. And the benefits have been evident. Naomi fixed some really great dinners like Tofu Pad Thai
and Falafel.
Both were easy and quick and perfectly fit within the cleanse. I noticed that we cut probably in half the amount of both garbage and recycling in our house which is totally cool. My skin seems really healthy and happy and waking up has been easier. Checking restaurant nutrition information on the internet makes eating out a lot of places pretty simple. I went to a couple of raw or vegan specific joints in Salt Lake that were fantastic and I probably wouldn't have run across them otherwise. And though it wasn't the point starting, this has been a nice little result of treating my body well:
I think the most important thing I've learned is that keeping some pretty well defined rules from now on is the way to stay in control of this thing I've started...and to feel so great everyday is a fantastic motivation. So I'm staying off sugar for another week because I'm still not sure how I want to regulate that. I've thought about maybe only dark chocolate treats or maybe only eating sweets at events like birthdays or holidays. I'm figuring out what I want to keep out and what I want to reincorporate as it comes but poultry is back in though tofu is going to get a lot more attention. Brown rice and granola are replacing white rice and cereals, milk is moving to all soy and I'm thinking I'll say goodbye to most cheeses (can't really part with feta or fresh mozzerella) because I ate cheese and bean pupusas at an El Salvadorian restaurant last night and it didn't sit well. Fruit is a great snack, I'm eating lots more nuts and buying produce at the farmer's market.
So my closing thoughts are that everyone should do it. Okay, maybe not everyone, but I learned so much and thought so much and I just think it's a worthwhile pursuit if you are a crap eater like I have been for so long. Plan three weeks when you know you can stick with it and then call me...
8 comments:
my skin has probably been the happiest byproduct of this cleanse thing. it just feels and looks so much better.
as far as treats go-my friend carrie's big secret is to just buy really high quality dark chocolate and just eat a square or two when she's craving something sweet. Dark chocolate is also so good with a little fruit so you don't need much of it.
i'm excited to get chicken back though. i didn't think i would miss it so much.
anyway, good work little sis. you've got my roommate and i breaking all kinds of bad habits (although we are totally eating the nasty sheet cake we have had in our freezer for two weeks the day after we finish) and it was all because of YOU!
I'm dang impressed with you EC. I too have been a crap eater my whole life (I eat pieces of crap like you for breakfast). So figuring out what to eat would be a good thing for me.
I have always been a super healthy eater at mealtime and a super bad dessert fanatic. I blame my dad on both counts. :) So when I was cut off from sugar this year, I thought I might die. I didn't realize how much I ate ice cream! Anyway, it's funny that both you and your sister mentioned dark chocolate, because that is what I did as well and it has worked out really well. I know it is there in my kitchen if I really want it, but that doesn't happen often.
emily, that's really good to hear. I went to a chocolate tasting class at Caputo's a few months ago and already after that I had started enjoying dark chocolate more, so seems like it might be a nice fit.
(megan, you eat pieces of crap for breakfast?)
Just one caution -- too much soy is not good for you, it really messes with your hormones. My endrocrinologist always laments that Americans have too much soy in their diets and it can really have detrimental effects.
Sounds like a great thing you did though! I couldn't do it. Esp. not with my fiance around. :)
Wow, Emily, I'm really impressed. That diet would be really hard for me...but that's usually how I have to do it, just cut sweets out completely for awhile, I just crave them so much and usually go overboard. Thanks for the good example!
i think you sold me. i want in on the good skin band wagon!
congrats. that's really impressive! i wish i could do this too, but mikael would not be very cooperative. he needs his pasta and meat and i don't have the energy to cook even more than i already do, although i love it :)
but maybe i can cut down on the other things! is this somewhere on the internet?
i once cut out sweets for 4 weeks and when i got some after that i noticed how super sweet it tasted and how tired i get from it.. very interesting!
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