My cleanse is nearly complete and while I am still avoiding dairy and limiting gluten and sugar, I have reintroduced many foods back into my diet. Unfortunately, it is hard for me to judge how my system has responded to the foods I am adding back as I haven't been at 100% due to the stomach flu that has hit our family and an antibiotic that I am taking.
But here are a few of my take-aways (some quite obvious) from this experience as well as habits that I hope to continue.
-Previously, I consumed alot more sugar than I realized and it has an impact on my body. While I can't avoid it entirely, I hope to be more aware of how much sugar I (and my family) consume. It has no nutritional benefit and while it may taste good in the moment, it makes me sluggish later.
-Convenience foods may be quick and easy, but they are also highly processed. I hope to offer my family as many real foods as possible i.e. foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. I am even attempting to make a homemade cracker since crackers are a lunch time staple.
-I didn't miss dairy and bread as much as I thought I would. And I feel better with a diet limiting those. In the future, I will try to consume more lean proteins and whole grains such as quinoa in lieu of bread and dairy.
Here was dinner last night: local beef, steamed broccoli, brown rice
It was easy, satisfying, and I felt good about feeding it to my family.
While no meal plan is perfect or miraculous in effects (and most good changes in eating take work), this cleanse taught me to pay more attention to the things I put into my body. It taught me some new ways to get in those fruits and vegetables and made me appreciate my local CSA that provides those wonderful greens, even in the winter. I feel better and learned so much about the fuel that our bodies need. So I am walking away with a better relationship with food; I am still eating good, clean food and hope to continue to do so as much as possible.
And, I will likely do a cleanse again in the future and this is the best test of whether something was a success.
Happy eating!
Kara
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