Today, August 9th, is the first day of my new Vegetarian Adventure. With the 15 day reboot over, my palate is cleansed and I feel a clear connection with my body, free of compulsion. That’s big for me. Yesterday was the last day of the Reboot and when I could choose foods other than, fruits, and vegetables, I really wanted a bagel and Swiss cheese. So I gave in to the craving and it tasted great. Now I’m ready to begin the 90 Day Vegan Adventure without the distraction of that particular craving.
My plan is to eliminate dairy, except for yogurt, and all animal meat from my diet. Basically, to eat the way I imagine the first people on earth ate in the Garden of Eden. I think our bodies were originally designed to repair themselves based on that type of diet. Dr. Duke Johnson agrees with me in his book entitled, Optimal Health. More about this subject later this week.
You see, diets do not work. Eventually, we aren’t listening to what our bodies and emotions really want and they become a form of deprivation. There is a good series that I recommend you read by Geneen Roth. The books are entitled, Breaking Free From Compulsive Eating and Why Weight. (See Library heading on this blog) If you have been a diet junkie, going from diet to diet, losing weight and gaining it back plus more, these books are for you. They advise you to break free from the diet cycle and begin to listen to your body which may take the best part of a year. During the break free year I followed her advice: eating exactly what I wanted when I was hungry; stopping when I was full; along with a few other simple behavioral changes. I gained about 10 pounds and learned to take care of myself while listening to my body.
Then, I highly recommend some sort of fast to cleanse your body and clear your palate. The Juice Reboot recommended by the Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead Documentary and website worked for me. The cleansing is essential because you need to break free from unhealthy addictions and habits. However, the first thing you must do before starting any change in your eating or exercise habits is to consult a physician, especially if you have a chronic health condition and/or are taking medication on a regular basis.
Tomorrow I will continue this theme with more suggestions for your library and a word about supplements. The goal is to change habits resulting in a healthier lifestyle and all of the advice in this blog will be based on personal research and experience. So, I hope you will continue to follow me on this vegetarian adventure.
Healthchat 