I’m detoxing.

wholefooddetoxsmoothie_redshuttersblogUgh.

That’s how I feel today. I’m on day 2 of a 14-Day Whole Food Detox, run by Team J + A, and I feel like “ugh.”

The “ugh” is expected since I have stopped eating wheat, caffeine, dairy, refined sugar, soy, peanuts, and red meat (not that I ate that before). The “ugh” is a bad headache, a sign my body is going through withdrawal, getting rid of toxins and dependencies on food that may have not let me be my healthiest. Specifically, the headache is the result of my decision to opt out of drinking coffee for the next two weeks. This is hard. I love that cup of coffee in the morning. It kicks me awake, and it helps me start the day; it’s like an old friend.

I signed up for the detox after winning a subscription from a contest on the blog, Viola Cay, and I’m glad I got this opportunity. I wouldn’t have done it otherwise, though I would have wondered about it. I’m curious if I really do eat well (my hunch is I could be a lot better), and if I could feel stronger and be more focused if I made different choices about my diet.

Whenever I need to fill the gas tank in my car, I tell my kids that our car is “hungry” and needs food. I then chose the right kind of gas for our car—the type that is most efficient and that will help my car run better.

Do I do I make the same smart choices for my body?

If my hallucinations of a piece of toast earlier this morning are any indication, I do not.

Now as I’m saying good-bye to yogurt for breakfast, I’m embracing new foods like kale, aloe water, quinoa, and raw honey. In fact, to stock up for this detox, I spent a fair bit of time checking out aisles in the grocery store I had never been in before. I’ve made three smoothies in the past two days that have been DELICIOUS. The smoothie craze is fantastic; I absolutely should have started this sooner. My favorite smoothie so far has included spinach, melon, cantaloupe, lime, and water.

After 10 days of detoxing, I’ll reintroduce some of the foods I’ve eliminated and observe how my body reacts. What helps me sleep well, and what prevents me from sleeping? What makes my body hum, and what holds me back?

Wish me luck! And, follow me on Instagram where I will post pictures of the new and delicious foods I’ll be eating during #wholefooddetox.

**In other Red Shutters news, I have a new book review up on Red Letter Reads this week.

One Response
  1. January 9, 2014