Re-entry sucks.
I knew it would, but B and I kind of dove in and that has been hard for me. We decided to end our cleanse about two days early because we were headed up to Green Bay to celebrate my Mom's birthday. On day two of post-cleanse re-entry I had dairy and gluten (and grease and ice cream cake). Phew. I don't recommend it. I'm pretty sure I am a strong candidate for either a wheat or dairy sensitivity (or, god help me, both). And I HATE that. I have loved doing this cleanse. It feels great, but it is takes a good deal of time, effort and money. Why do I think I might have a sensitivity? Because overall, generally speaking: my anxiety went down, my irrational thinking was less, overall emotionally more stable, I was WAY more regular than I usually am (normally chronically constipated even with tons of water), and now that I am toxing instead of detoxing I have had major, major headaches, bloated and constipated, sore throat, my ears feel plugged up, more tired, and emotional stuff going back downhill (and it's only day 5!). Perhaps this is a part of going off the diet, I should check the online community stuff, but in general it really makes me wonder.
Annnndddd... all of this also makes me wonder about my sweet girl and the genetics I may have passed on. Ellie has struggled with colds/fevers etc since she was a baby. Last year she missed about 50 days of preschool from being sick. She is often constipated, has trouble concentrating, complains of her tummy hurting, her pediatrician has mentioned the possibility of asthma, she doesn't sleep well and is often tired, etc., etc. We make Ellie eat numerous servings of both fruit and veggies everyday, she drinks lots of water, takes a probiotic fairly regularly and vitamins almost everyday. This year I added in extra Vitamin D to the mix. In the last six months Ellie has had to be on antibiotics at least two-three months. Ummm... HELLOOOOO!!! Probably something more than regular kid germs is going on and I feel so frustrated playing internet doctor and the constant parent guessing game. Anyway, this cleanse has really made me wonder if Ellie has an allergy to wheat or dairy. The problem? I can not even begin to imagine the kind of lifestyle changes it would have on our family. But, one day at a time I guess. We'll start with a visit to our new pediatrician to beg for a good recommendation for a pediatric allergist.
January 19, Day 17
Today I cooked duck. Just sayin.
January 17, Day 15
What's this? I'm on day 15 already?! Wowzers.
I would say I have stuck to the cleanse diet about 92% of the time, which for me is really fabulous. I have absolutely felt different but not in an extreme/otherworldly sort of way.
I feel:
lighter, more rational, happier, healthier, less crampy (more on that later), better overall skin, my hair even seems a little thicker/nicer. I have most enjoyed eating with purpose and thoughtfulness and eating things that actually make me feel good afterward. I also feel proud of myself and Brian for doing this and actually sticking with it.
However, I also feel:
- achy. Could be because both my kids have bad colds and my body is trying to fight it, or it could be losing weight so quickly isn't good for our bodies and is making my muscles hurt.
- light-headed here and there. This, I'm pretty sure, is because I am always walking the line of not well hydrated. It's hard to keep up with the H2O factor.
- like I live 50% of my day in the kitchen (that is an exaggeration, but a lot more time than I'm used to and maybe more time than I am willing to commit to for good).
- frustrated when I read Dr. Junger say, or his colleagues on the website, that I should try to refrain from taking OTC drugs when I have a headache for example, instead I should try a glass of water and a nap. Umm, I'm not sure what amazing career lottery ticket you won, but down here on Main street, a nap is a luxury usually only obtained on occasional weekends.
- frustrated that there is not much (if any?) differentiation between the needs of men and women on this cleanse even though its 2011 and we know that women's bodies work/function/thrive differently than mens.
- and one more-- frustrated that financially this diet is not possible for long term for almost everyone doing this CLEAN Family Feast. It is only January 17 and we have exceeded our grocery budget big time for this month.
(I second the OTC drug frustration. I've taken advil at least 3 times in the last two weeks, and my Rx headache stuff too. I don't mess around with headaches. I wish it were as easy as just resting, but once it's there, it's not going anywhere and why be miserable? Maybe the 'cleanse' take-away is to try to get good sleep and drink water and prevent getting headaches in the first place? That doesn't sound all that realistic either...- Megan)
January 13, Day 11
Last night I had a dream about eating a BLT sub. I think that will be my celebration meal.
(that's my favorite dream. what did he say to you?- Dave)
January 12, Day 10
To cook or not to cook, that is the question. If I don't cook tonight B and I won't have lunch items for tomorrow's lunch. But, I AM EXHAUSTED. Colin has double ear infections and I was up with him most of the night last night and about an hour and a half the night before. This is when real life meets the front lines of the CLEAN ideal. I am also reminded of how much I crave comfort through eating when I am tired like this. All day today I wanted to eat, eat, eat. I saw a Jimmy John's delivery guy and considered storming him and stealing the subs but thankfully thought better of it. Hmm, to cook or not to cook.
(Jenny, I think it's amazing that you are doing this while trying to feed/care for/clean/wipe/play with etc. little ones. You and Amy are both incredible. I have a hard enough time and I sit on my couch by myself all day. I've also been reminded of how frequently I eat while I talk on the phone. I'm not sure when the habit started, but when I'm on a long call with work, without thinking about it, I go straight to the fridge to try to find something to snack on. Then I remember there is nothing in there for me... lastly, JJ's makes a mean tuna sandwich. yum.- Megan)
January 11. Day 9. WALL.
Sick of the smoothies. Haven't found soup we enjoy. Felt exhausted today (but shouldn't I feel amazing?). Wall. Not to mention we are lacking on the posts people. Ok, well, Amy has done an amazing job, but she is a natural blogger. Dave, Megan--how is it going? Charlie, are you in or out? Sigh.
Ok, Sunday night, "off" night, was alright. I was surprised by how hard it was for me to enjoy all the cheating because I was distracted, wondering what kind of damage I was doing to my "cleansing." I must admit, the warm bread was wonderful, fried zucchini also amazing but everything else was so/so. There are a few things that have been tasting SO different to me (and by different I mean, not so good). This is an interesting reaction to the cleanse I think. I'm curious to know if anyone else has had this. Had a few pieces of Ellie's Life cereal--oh my lord, disgusting! On Sunday my wine tasted like metal and my precious Reece's Pieces were, well, not good. I've had a similar reaction to Coke (or soda in general) whenever I've purposefully given it up completely. My first dark cola after not having one for a few weeks tastes AWFUL to me. So, I can only imagine this taste business is my body's way of telling me whatever I am putting in is not good for me.
Today I am crabby but still determined. I really want a big sub...full of cheese and meat and veggies and lots of horrible condiments. I also want warm, greasy, yummy pizza. Preferably with sausage and onions. Hot fudge would be amazing. Insert LOUD sigh and soft growl. Tomorrow is another day. And, it's a day that will include Moroccan spiced lamb chops with quinoa and greens. YUM! I also found the cinnamon-roll-in-a-glass-smoothie recipe online, and one that is called peach/apple cobbler--also sounds delicious. According to the information in the book, this 10th day blah stuff is perfectly normal.
Sunday, January 9:
This is from the Outside Magazine article and a look at my lard-filled-living room-future (ie, B and I are going out for an 'off' night tonight!) "FULL DISCLOSURE: I fall off the wagon on day 13, when a friend and I take our daughters camping. I diligently bring along a Clean-prescribed smoothie for dinner, but then said friend shoots me a what-the-hell-is-that look and cracks open a beer. By the end of the night, I've had three. I later call Junger to find out what kind of damage I've done. "Well," he says, sounding a little disappointed, "when you're cleaning your house, you don't stop to throw a bunch of lard around. But if it was only one night, it's no big deal."
Saturday, January 8:
This is a response to a few questions from a friend over facebook:
"Yep, lots of menu options, we chose the lamb. Chix, fish, vegetarian options too. Brian doesn't drink tea either, I just like it as a drink option. There are juices on the "menu" too. Yes, and the goal for Brian and I was/is a big slap in the face for health. And, it's working, we've been surprised how good a lot of it tastes and how it fills us up. We will slowly integrate dairy and gluten back in our diet but will be armed with a new pattern of life and a LOT of new healthy recipes to choose from. The idea from the author of the cleanse is to rid your body of all the junk/bad toxins we take in every day, to have a fresh start. My biggest challenge is figuring out how to integrate the healthy foods into the kids diet (which is currently full of chix nuggets and pizza). :0) "
Friday, January 7: Yep, decided to switch my format a little so you wouldn't have to scroll down every time to see my latest post. Why I didn't I think of this before? Here are some hints/ideas/opinions that I am thinking about as four more people are beginning this cleanse journey tomorrow:
- Quinoa salad is awesome. We loved it and it was a perfect snack if we were feeling extra hungry this past week.
- The dijon mustard lamb loin was pretty darn good too. Especially reheated the next day over the salad they suggest in the book (includes olives and it was a great meal).
- Do you own the Magic Bullet? I have used mine at least twice every day this week. I'm sure a blender would work fine but the ease of the Bullet is attractive to me.
- Bring lots of nuts to work, it's amazing how well they fill you up.
- Stay away from the smells and commercials (fast food, hot dogs... B and I were drooling over the kids organic hot dogs last night!!)
- We have not loved the soups so far even though they are a nice break from the smoothies. If you do the soups--4 cups of water was toooo much, it was basically broth, which is fine but doesn't taste good.
I feel like I've "cheated" a lot the last two days, even though really, it hasn't been terrible. (btw, Amy--I never ended up having that chai latte I wanted so badly the other day, I made an extra smoothie instead, I rock!). Last night poor Colin was awake for, well, most of the night with a terrible cold. So, I broke down and had a little bowl of goldfish crackers and passion tea in the middle of the night. That hot dog smell... yeah, I had two little pieces of their hotdog, etc., etc. Clearly I am still 95% on the diet but I feel so guilty every time I cheat!
Speaking of cheating. B and I have a planned cheating night out. We are going to dinner on Sunday night (a date night) and have decided to have one meal off. Actually, I have to admit, I think it's been good to know that. I am looking forward to it and when I really, really, really want to have something from the "no" list I remember our date.
If weight loss is your goal, this is the cleanse for you. If you don't have much weight to lose, I'd say be careful and drink an extra smoothie each day or something. I couldn't decide if I wanted to share this or not because I am sooo skeptical of it, but according to our scale, I am 10 lbs lighter than I was one week ago today. It's just so hard to believe though. I think it could be a million things, less salt and refined sugar means a lot less water weight, right?
Lastly, my doctor expressed her concern over the concept of a "cleanse." She said it doesn't usually change people's habits, it's unnecessary and can be harmful because of lot of people end up dehydrated. I think this cleanse is not extreme enough for most of those concerns, but I will say this: this week I had about a day and a half where I felt incredibly exhausted/drained/off/fatigued. It really reminded me of moments of pregnancy and also of the first few weeks after Colin was born and I had zero sleep in me. I did Zumba both Monday and Wednesday and that could have been a contributing factor. That bad day is the day I tried to drink more water and lay down/slow down as much as possible. I also had a mid-morning smoothie and a few bites of Ellie's ham and cheese sandwich along with my lunch. That night, before bed I had a small bowl of the quinoa salad. I felt much better the next day. If you have to work hard or if you choose to work out hard while on the first week of the cleanse, I'd say do what you need to do to ensure you are taking care of your body.
Good luck newbies!!
Saturday January 1: feeling anxious about beginning, trying to create a grocery list and menu for this week, Brian and I find ourselves being more lenient than usual with sweets and other garbage food knowing that it will be the last for a while... probably not the healthiest mindset but true. Off to enjoy a beer before bed!
Sunday January 2: wild but fun trip with B to Wholefoods. We were all over that store searching, reading labels, guessing about produce and filling our carts with a LOT of healthy, mostly green colored food. I feel both excited and a little anxious. I was struck by how many things I couldn't pronounce, how many things I didn't know where to find in the store, how different our refrigerator looks filled with all the green and how empty our freezer is.
Monday January 3: I haven't spent that much time in the kitchen in a long, long time. Actually, previous to this cleanse I had gotten pretty terrible at cooking fresh food, blaming a general lack of time and energy because of the kids. Part of me was right, it IS really hard to chop/blend/measure/cook/clean-up with little people running around constantly wanting your attention. Tonight was particularly hard because Colin was extra clingy and I was trying to make soup. I'm pretty sure the whole process--making the soup and getting the kids fed--lasted from 3:45 till 5:45. By 6pm I felt spent. So, tomorrow we will have the leftovers from today (except fresh smoothies).
After lunch (which was really yummy) I craved something sweet and drank water and ate pecans instead. After dinner I craved, well, sweet or filling (bread) and had tea and a little more soup instead. Then I spent 15 min reading the Clean information in an effort to remind myself of the WHY of this process. Overall I'm just trying to stay open to it all and hope for the best.
Tuesday, January 4:
One word: PEE! Brian and I both are peeing up a storm. Not sure why because I don't feel like I'm consuming enough liquid to be causing this much pee, but I do notice that I am much thirstier, so maybe. Today was harder than yesterday. I really, really wanted some caffeine. But, pulled through. Probably ate more solid food than I should have today but I stuck to the acceptable list, mostly. I had to feed Colin straight from my hands to his mouth because we were out and about. I had to break off little pieces of ham and cheese sandwich and it was really hard to do. Eventually I took a bite, but then felt so guilty about it that it didn't happen again. Later Ellie was eating "Pirate Booty" (yum) and without even thinking about it I popped one into my mouth. Oh well. Hard to find a balance between being too extreme about it but sticking with the rules too. Becoming too lax with cause it all to fall apart quickly.
So, I just finished making Lamb Loin for tomorrow (with a dijon/garlic/parsley paste for seasoning) and I tried it and didn't really like it. Then what? Do I eat chicken and quinoa salad for a third day? Do I suck it up and just eat the lamb? And, can anyone tell me why my stupid meat thermometer has lamb way up high on the temp scale but when I checked it out online later I found sites that said not to worry much, even raw lamb is safe to eat. So now it's funky tasting and chewy. Sigh. :0)
Passion Tea (brand: Tazo)---YUM! and completely herbal.
Wednesday, January 5:
Well, a few pointers for my family who chooses this route. Rule number one, DVR-it because the commercials are brutal (ie, crappy wonderful greasy pizza, IHOP come hungry leave happy, etc., etc). Also, probably don't take your kids to McDonalds and not expect to steal at least one fry and two bites of cheeseburger. I actually liked my lamb salad today and the tropical smoothie was delicious.
