Time for true confessions. I’m great at talking and writing about
optimal health but sometimes I’m terrible at following my own advice. The last five years have been an emotional rollercoaster and my bad eating habits have re-surfaced. Binging, eating whatever I want with no regard for calories when I’m angry or sad. Basically, covering up the tangled mess of feelings with the legal drug . . . food.
Emotional eating is difficult to control until you expose the emotions that are driving it. Sometimes life comes at you so hard that it takes a while to untangle how you are feeling and express those feelings appropriately. I’ve also found that establishing healthy boundaries also works for me. Quick aside, see the book by Dr. Henry Cloud entitled Boundaries if you have the same challenges.
So, having sorted through the knots and set up some healthy boundaries I’m now ready to tackle the eating issues. Breaking out of the cycle of emotional eating is tough unless you have a path to run on. My path this time is a 21-day Detox plan suggested by my Chiropractor. In theory, it supports healthy liver and kidney function, aiding in the breakdown of the toxins that we all pick up from our food and our environment. I researched the detoxification process on several websites including the Better Living Institute and decided to follow their guidelines.
The beginning has been tough yet satisfying. Buying fruit, vegetables, (as much organic as the budget will allow), soy milk and brown rice was deeply satisfying. I have arranged the apples, pears, kiwi, mangos, pineapple, bananas, avocados and the squash in baskets on the kitchen counter along with a jar of brown rice and daily supplements. I feel like my kitchen is healthy for the first time in a long time and I am excited about combining these ingredients into healthy shakes and meals. What can I say, shopping for healthy ingredients felt good!
The next step was to get rid of the unhealthy food from the kitchen and my line of sight in the refrigerator. The detox requires no dairy for 21 days and we have little children in the house so i bought lo-fat Mozzarella cheese for them, and lo-fat milk. It also requires no animal protein for 11 days and then lean organically raised pork, chicken or fish for the last 10 days. However, the little ones need their protein so I bought all non-preservative, organically raised protein sources for them. Their snacks these days are animal crackers, goldfish, fresh veggies and fruit. So, all the family is eating a healthier diet.
Days one through 3 were tough physically because I felt low on energy and if I didn’t continue to drink lots of water I developed a headache. I slipped on day 4 and finished some homemade chocolate ice cream that was in the basement freezer. Big mistake. I am allergic to concentrated chocolate but I’ve been able to eat a few chocolate flavored foods like plain chocolate ice cream. However, this was homemade, no fillers and real cocoa powder. I had the mother of all migraines for two days. It was a great wake up call. The detox is showing me what foods cause a negative reaction. I now know that chocolate in any form is just not worth the pain.
This post has rambled on long enough. More to come over the next 15 days. All thoughtful comments are welcome. I will post the best ones.
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