Detox is Under Way

Detox is officially under way. For breakfast this morning I had a tasty pomegranate and berry smoothie. I had some trail mix for a snack and now I've moved on to butternut squash soup (see the pictures). I've been sipping on hot tea, which has helped keep me comforted. It's slightly anxiety provoking to take on this program

I decided to meditate today for 5 minutes. I decided I wouldn't time myself and just see if I knew how long 5 minutes was. I found my thoughts frequently wandering. I thought about how I was giving up caffeine, especially espresso. I thought about how I was going to be teaching soon. I tried to do what I did in Yoga before where I allow the thoughts to come to me, but I let them flow through me instead of fixating on them. I then did some positive energy imagery. I noticed Zeus kept purring as he sat next to me, which was nice. I came out of the meditation thinking there way no way it had been 5 minutes. I figured about three minutes had passed, but when I looked at the clock it had been nine minutes. Crazy and amazing.

Detox Starts in the Morning

Yes, that's right, a detox. I have put myself through the ringer the last 2+ years. I've gained 20 pounds. I've all but given up blogging, which is something I love. I don't run anymore. I don't do yoga. I don't do art. I don't eat well. And, part of the reason I don't eat well is because eating is one of the few pleasures I get in the day. It's not worth it. So, I decided to do a mind/body detox. For the next four weeks I'm giving up gluten, caffeine, added sugar, dairy, and processed foods.

The very first task to this detox is making a list of the top 5 reasons for why I'm doing this cleanse. This will serve as a motivation when craving and withdrawals set in. And, yes, there will be withdrawals. The warnings suggest my body will revolt for at least two days with extreme fatigue and severe headaches.

Reason #1: To have a healthy mind. There was a time in my life right after graduating college where I really focused on making my mind healthy. I was meditating, doing art, and creatively cooking really healthy recipes. I miss those days and I at least want a taste of what that was like. These days my mind is bogged down with thinking I'll eventually catch up. I need to stop struggling under that delusion and remember that my time is valuable. My mental health is valuable, so I'm not going to keep cutting my personal time out.

Reason #2: To have a healthy body. Shortly before grad school I had started eating healthy. I was eating small meals and mostly fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. I remember having so much energy. I caught myself running up stairs. It all ended after going on a vacation and then starting a second job...and then grad school. I remember feeling so sick the whole week I was on vacation. I was sick from all the toxic food I was putting in my body. I want to remember what it feels like to really feel cleansed again.

Reason #3: To prevent disease/illness. So many of my family and friends are having their gallbladders removed. Not old people, people my age. Other people I know and love have gall stones. Diabetes runs in my family, and so does cancer. I always used to tell myself I was young and didn't need to worry about these things. But, I keep getting older (thankfully) and I've failed to take the steps necessary to prevent these serious diseases/illnesses that I am at high risk for.

Reason #4: To create less waste. One of the goals of eating more whole foods is to prevent less waste. Less energy is used to process the foods. Less packaging is used to ship/sell the food. And, if there is usually an option to buy organic, which means the environment will suffer less from my decisions.

Reason #5: To experience something different with Jason. I've got the support. It's something we've talked about trying before. And, we've successfully changed our lifestyle several times in the past. This will be a trying, but rewarding experience for both of us.