Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Cleanse Update: And...The End. Maybe Not.
So to recap, I undertook a two-week whole foods cleanse/de-tox on October 1st. I retained a coach for this cleanse, who provided me with many recipes and daily food for thought and phone check-ins. The food I made was tasty and filling and 'normal' (stuffed zuchhini boats, chickpea patties), and the cleanse was full-spectrum, for it included a ban on TV, news, and evening computer use; it also included yoga and meditation. Oh, and powerful, wonderful tea. I want to call it a great cleanse, overall, despite the fact for three of the fourteen days my thighs, hips, and back hurt so badly I thought I had the flu, followed by, three days later, two days of intense congestion, which made me think I had a cold. The update on the latter is that, no, I did not have a cold, for it never went to my lungs and never knocked me out. The congestion literally cleared up overnight. Wow. Powerful.
So what's next? Well, the day after breaking the cleanse, just yesterday--I had sashimi and side salad at a nice restaurant--I gave thought to continuing the cleanse. Perhaps not 100%, but I have the energy and desire to keep eating whole foods primarily. Why?
*Because I'm stunned how hard and effectively my body worked during the cleanse to rid itself of toxins and unneeded junk; I suspect there is more cleansing I can do.
*Because I have learned to tell the difference between hunger and blood sugar wackiness. I get easily lightheaded a couple hours after I eat. In the past, I would eat something, even if I was not hungry. Now, I drink this phenomenal sugar balancing tea. Voila, as they say in France! Pas de problem.
*Because I did drop some unwanted pounds and have some more to shed. I realized from this cleanse I don't have to starve or feel deprived in order to lose unnecessary fat!
*Because it was 'real.' It was menu planning, shopping, food prep, discipline, and the felt joy of eating simply and being mindful of all we put into our body.
Of course, I'm going to a swanky wedding tonight. If I have a little cake or a bit of champagne, I'll be all right with it, for I accomplished a big thing already, and tomorrow is a new day!
Namaste.
So what's next? Well, the day after breaking the cleanse, just yesterday--I had sashimi and side salad at a nice restaurant--I gave thought to continuing the cleanse. Perhaps not 100%, but I have the energy and desire to keep eating whole foods primarily. Why?
*Because I'm stunned how hard and effectively my body worked during the cleanse to rid itself of toxins and unneeded junk; I suspect there is more cleansing I can do.
*Because I have learned to tell the difference between hunger and blood sugar wackiness. I get easily lightheaded a couple hours after I eat. In the past, I would eat something, even if I was not hungry. Now, I drink this phenomenal sugar balancing tea. Voila, as they say in France! Pas de problem.
*Because I did drop some unwanted pounds and have some more to shed. I realized from this cleanse I don't have to starve or feel deprived in order to lose unnecessary fat!
*Because it was 'real.' It was menu planning, shopping, food prep, discipline, and the felt joy of eating simply and being mindful of all we put into our body.
Of course, I'm going to a swanky wedding tonight. If I have a little cake or a bit of champagne, I'll be all right with it, for I accomplished a big thing already, and tomorrow is a new day!
Namaste.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Cleanse Update: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
Day Ten Report:
I am lighter! I haven't had processed foods, alcohol, caffeine, dairy, meat, and wheat in ten days! Zing! My horrible hip, thigh, and back pains just disappeared four days ago! There are a zillion beautiful whole foods recipes my coach has passed to me to enjoy, and the ones I've tried have been delicious. (I am particularly in love with the beetroot soup!). My coach emails me every night affirmation/food for thought new challenges, new meditations, and new ideas for re-thinking what, why, how, and when of my food intake. I know what foods I'm sensitive to, what triggers my cravings, and (lordy, this is FINE) how to now--because I've been practicing it--say to myself, "I don't want to have that. I choose not to eat that" instead of, "Oh my god, I hate this cleanse. Why do I have to be on a cleanse? Why can't I eat what I *WANT*? Life sucks" and other effort-defeating things. So my body is de-toxing, and my mind and heart arem too. THAT IS GOOD!
My sleeping problem is not solved. I've always been a bad sleeper: four or five hours, and I awake. Before the cleanse, I suspected that much of what I was eating for dinner was waking me up. I was partly right. I don't wait up now in some jagged post-sugar come down from a dinner heavy on the carbs, but...sigh...I STILL wake up. Not every night, because now I'm on this rocking special herb tea that my coach created just for me, and it helps calm the body/mind during the day to make a normal sleep more possible, but...I STILL am not sleeping well. THAT IS BAD!
And now...a cold. I used to get colds all the time. All the time. And between colds I'd have sinus infections. Once I brought yoga into my life, such poor health turned to good: I'm happy to report whereas eight years ago I was getting a cold every other month, I am now getting one cold every two or three years. Maybe it's the cleanse that made me vulnerable to germies this date, maybe I was just due, but here I am on Cleanse Day #10, and I'm miserable. And that's not good, or bad. THAT IS UGLY!
So I'm off to call my coach for some consulting. No wait. Consoling. No wait. Both.
I am lighter! I haven't had processed foods, alcohol, caffeine, dairy, meat, and wheat in ten days! Zing! My horrible hip, thigh, and back pains just disappeared four days ago! There are a zillion beautiful whole foods recipes my coach has passed to me to enjoy, and the ones I've tried have been delicious. (I am particularly in love with the beetroot soup!). My coach emails me every night affirmation/food for thought new challenges, new meditations, and new ideas for re-thinking what, why, how, and when of my food intake. I know what foods I'm sensitive to, what triggers my cravings, and (lordy, this is FINE) how to now--because I've been practicing it--say to myself, "I don't want to have that. I choose not to eat that" instead of, "Oh my god, I hate this cleanse. Why do I have to be on a cleanse? Why can't I eat what I *WANT*? Life sucks" and other effort-defeating things. So my body is de-toxing, and my mind and heart arem too. THAT IS GOOD!
My sleeping problem is not solved. I've always been a bad sleeper: four or five hours, and I awake. Before the cleanse, I suspected that much of what I was eating for dinner was waking me up. I was partly right. I don't wait up now in some jagged post-sugar come down from a dinner heavy on the carbs, but...sigh...I STILL wake up. Not every night, because now I'm on this rocking special herb tea that my coach created just for me, and it helps calm the body/mind during the day to make a normal sleep more possible, but...I STILL am not sleeping well. THAT IS BAD!
And now...a cold. I used to get colds all the time. All the time. And between colds I'd have sinus infections. Once I brought yoga into my life, such poor health turned to good: I'm happy to report whereas eight years ago I was getting a cold every other month, I am now getting one cold every two or three years. Maybe it's the cleanse that made me vulnerable to germies this date, maybe I was just due, but here I am on Cleanse Day #10, and I'm miserable. And that's not good, or bad. THAT IS UGLY!
So I'm off to call my coach for some consulting. No wait. Consoling. No wait. Both.
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