Juiced!

...and I'm not talkin' steroids (well, not exactly)....



I've been on a health kick of sorts lately. I'm trying to get control of the fog brain I've been experiencing for years, as well as some hormone issues I think I'm having. Through the magical, mysical powers of scientific voodoo, my homonal suspicions were confirmed, though not what I was expecting. All in all, it's good news, and mostly treatable through the dreaded I'm-getting-old "lifestyle change".



In the midst of the hormone excursion, it was discovered that I ALSO have a gliadin allergy. This kind of allergy is fairly common, and can be developed over a period of time. It's bascially a gluten, or wheat, allergy. Wheat's in almost everything except fresh fruits and vegetables.



The third facet of this "health kick" is that I read a rather sobering article on high fructose corn syrup. WOW. Insidious. Demonic. This stuff is in everything, too! And it must be eliminated from my household as much as possible. My poor kids aren't going to be happy about this "lifestyle change". Cuz we all know when Momma's changin', EVERYONE in the house is changin', too!

Last week, I did that which I didn't think I could do. I survived the most radical step I've taken food-wise EVER. I survived a one week long juice-only diet. Not one lick of food was allowed (although I admit to eating some salmon one night, but barely enough to count!). Breakfast and dinner were fresh berries mixed in orange or pineapple juice. The two "snacks" allowed during the day at mid-morning and mid-afternoon were a mixture of carrot juice and beet juice. Lunch was a mixture of carrot juice and a "green" drink (cabbage, spinach, bell pepper, green onion, etc.). Literally, I plugged my nose and slammed every one of those vegetable-based drinks. Moreover, my "lunch" was never consumed wholly -- I always ended up spewing some back out (TMI? Sorry!). Anyway, I feel VERY empowered by enduring that week of juice only meals. Of course, there were supplements to take and that wasn't bad at all!

This week, I'm allowed to have some foods, but still consuming juices, just to a lesser degree, and I have to say it's VERY WEIRD to eat food again! And I can't eat much at all. My stomach has shrunk, and, as Martha would say: it's a good thing.

So, yeah, I'm hoping this sticks. I have two more weeks of detoxifying my body. I'm praying and working towards being sugar-free, or pretty damned close to it. I want certain things desperately still such as pizza and chicken minis and ice cream. However, my COMPULSION is fading and I do feel stronger, more grounded. Hopefully it's not just the honeymoon phase; I need this to be life-long.

I feel GOOD, and quite honestly, I don't trust it. That lack of trust is something I'm working on because I should be comfortable in my own skin feeling good. I have worked hard to gain clarity and energy. I deserve it! I've done this disservice to my body, so I'm sure the bad habits will take years to break. But, good I feel and good is where I want to stay.