Clean: Days Ten through Sixteen

Hi guys,

   Sorry I kind of just stopped posting- I had one kid get sick, then I got sick, now another kid is sick... you know how it goes.

   I've kept up with the Clean guidelines as best I can, I did have one night where I went to a music concert with some friends and we went out to eat at Laughing Planet Cafe. I had the Thai Rice Bowl (which was DELICIOUS) for dinner. It did have peanut sauce and tofu which are not necessarily on the plan, but I decided for one night forgoing the soup and having a good time were just what the doctor ordered.

   I jumped right back into the program the next meal and It's been fine. I'm ten pounds down, I'd like to say that I feel GREAT, but I don't. I blame all the yucky bugs floating around- my ears are still plugged and I'm just sore and tired from whatever it is my system is fighting. That being said, I sleep a lot better at night. I fall asleep easier than I ever have, and I'm staying asleep through the night which has been an issue for me for a few years now. I still don't wake feeling rested though, so I guess I'd better finish reading Spent by Dr. Frank Lipman. I really had wanted to get my body moving a lot more than I actually did. This is still a goal of mine. I want to restart my Kundalini Yoga practice and get to the gym at least 2-3 days a week for cardio, work in some hikes with friends.

   There are some things that I will take with me through this experience and integrate into my everyday life. I will keep the smoothies and shakes for breakfast. This worked really well with our hectic morning routine, and I can take it with me in the car if I can't finish it while I'm getting kids ready for school. I will not eat after 7 pm except for special occasions like outings with girlfriends. I will maintain a 12 hour rest period between dinner and breakfast the next morning. My thoughts of rounded meals have changed. I'd much rather focus on veggies and a small midday portion of protein rather than having animal protein at every meal along with a starch. I realized that the protein and starch feels very heavy in my stomach and I feel sluggish after eating it.

   After cutting out sugar and getting over the cravings and withdrawals, I realize how MUCH of it I eat even when I think I'm being conscientious and reading labels. I realize how much it affects emotions and anxiety as well. I feel much more on an even keel when I'm not eating the sweet stuff, so a lot of that is going to have to go as well. A once in a while indulgence I think will be fine, but certainly not every day like I have in the past.

   I do have a few final pictures and things to share with you- it may take me a little while to get them loaded. I wanted to do a helpful hints entry as well as a junk you CAN eat entry.

  I'd like to end by saying that I do not intend to jump back into my pre-Clean lifestyle. I can tell you from being on cleanses and elimination diets that if you do want to go back to "the old ways", do so slowly. Introduce one thing in moderation at a time and see how you feel. If I went out and had a sixteen ounce mocha choca lotaa ya-ya right now, I would be bouncing off the walls, heart pounding, and sweating for DAYS. Don't do it. Go slowly, see if you have any reactions that you don't care for. Maybe you decide to put a mental "caution" sign around that food. I've got a few things that I really really love, but feel better when I don't eat them. So I choose not to. I'm getting better at it as time goes by. Sometimes I try it out again and think "Nope! Still can't do that."