As we speak, I'm chomping down on a most-succulent salad that tastes better than any steak ever did. But let me explain.
I am, generally, a healthy eater and more so since I discovered the effect that real food has on both my mind and body. Like the rest of us, I have my moments. But this year, the holidays - aka decadent desserts, caffeine, yummy cocktails, fun and family and way too many animal products and grains - have taken a greater-than-usual toll on my physical and emotional well-being. Having found them to be counterproductive and a source of anxiety and guilt, I don't do "resolutions" any more, but I was looking for a way to start the year with freshness, a reset for both my taste buds and my habits.
So on Saturday, I gathered my schedule and my resolve, my recipes and my grocery list, and headed to Giant. For ~$55, I purchased everything I needed to embark on the 3-day adventure. The truth is, at that point, I even built in an escape hatch: the option to bail if it got just too difficult or uncomfortable.
Sunday morning began with a filtered water-ginger-lemon-tumeric drink (great for detoxifying but certainly not up there with mint juleps for taste) and some light-hearted teasing from my family. I was concerned with the preparation of the green drinks, since I do not own a juicer, but breakfast was easily prepared with a Vitamix and some cheesecloth for straining. Lunch - the same salad I'm enjoying today - is actually one of the best I've ever had, a mix of sweet and bitter greens, plentiful avocado, english cucumber, parsley, cilantro and cider vinegar-lemon-olive oil dressing. Mid-afternoon snack, fresh vegetable soup for dinner and lots of water and camomile tea brought Day 1 to a close. I can honestly say that deprivation was not a feeling I experienced.
This morning, I awoke lightly, clear-headed, and feeling just a little shaky. Teaching a couple of fitness classes was challenging, lacking somewhat in my usual stamina. I won't bore you (or gross you out) with the details, but already there is an unusual and amazing detoxifying that is taking place, manifesting in a variety of ways. All symptoms easily manageable.
What is surprising even to me is how really good I feel. I have no desire to attack the pile of Snickers bars that somehow ended up on our dining room table. There is a sense of calm yet energetic centeredness in my body that is similar to that which accompanies the end of a deep meditation. My stomach is definitely flatter, and I'm down a couple of pounds and I'm certainly not missing the unpleasant sensations that often accompany indulgences… and while all of these perks may or may not last, they pale in comparison to this feeling of well-being.
Will I make it through Day 3? Will the feel-good last? Yet to be determined… keep you posted...
I am, generally, a healthy eater and more so since I discovered the effect that real food has on both my mind and body. Like the rest of us, I have my moments. But this year, the holidays - aka decadent desserts, caffeine, yummy cocktails, fun and family and way too many animal products and grains - have taken a greater-than-usual toll on my physical and emotional well-being. Having found them to be counterproductive and a source of anxiety and guilt, I don't do "resolutions" any more, but I was looking for a way to start the year with freshness, a reset for both my taste buds and my habits.
So on Saturday, I gathered my schedule and my resolve, my recipes and my grocery list, and headed to Giant. For ~$55, I purchased everything I needed to embark on the 3-day adventure. The truth is, at that point, I even built in an escape hatch: the option to bail if it got just too difficult or uncomfortable.
Sunday morning began with a filtered water-ginger-lemon-tumeric drink (great for detoxifying but certainly not up there with mint juleps for taste) and some light-hearted teasing from my family. I was concerned with the preparation of the green drinks, since I do not own a juicer, but breakfast was easily prepared with a Vitamix and some cheesecloth for straining. Lunch - the same salad I'm enjoying today - is actually one of the best I've ever had, a mix of sweet and bitter greens, plentiful avocado, english cucumber, parsley, cilantro and cider vinegar-lemon-olive oil dressing. Mid-afternoon snack, fresh vegetable soup for dinner and lots of water and camomile tea brought Day 1 to a close. I can honestly say that deprivation was not a feeling I experienced.
This morning, I awoke lightly, clear-headed, and feeling just a little shaky. Teaching a couple of fitness classes was challenging, lacking somewhat in my usual stamina. I won't bore you (or gross you out) with the details, but already there is an unusual and amazing detoxifying that is taking place, manifesting in a variety of ways. All symptoms easily manageable.
What is surprising even to me is how really good I feel. I have no desire to attack the pile of Snickers bars that somehow ended up on our dining room table. There is a sense of calm yet energetic centeredness in my body that is similar to that which accompanies the end of a deep meditation. My stomach is definitely flatter, and I'm down a couple of pounds and I'm certainly not missing the unpleasant sensations that often accompany indulgences… and while all of these perks may or may not last, they pale in comparison to this feeling of well-being.
Will I make it through Day 3? Will the feel-good last? Yet to be determined… keep you posted...