Day 10 – you’d probably imagine tearing your hair out at this point. I for one never expected to feel so good or see so much dramatic change in a little over a week!
The first few days were exhausting, waging a mental battle against meaningless cravings. It was easy for me to pinpoint when I wasn’t hungry, just looking for something to do. I had 2 specific times a day where it was BAD. When Nicholas naps, the first thing my body wants is to eat. Why? Who the heck knows. Probably because its the first time all day I have to sit in peace without demands aside from my own.
Nighttime cravings are my second biggest enemy. You can relate, right? Those cookies calling to you, that sliver of cake, that chunk of chocolate…. UGH. I’m not hungry. Its habit. Now that I’m aware, I can talk myself off the ledge.
Here’s the real kicker (Gross Alert if you’ve never had to deal with the horrifying
effects and humiliation of acne)
I have struggled since I was 13 with horrible acne of varying types. There was ONE stretch in TWENTY, yes 20, years, where my skin was clear. I used a specialized cleanser that cleared my skin but made it so dry I couldn’t move my face. So obviously that wasn’t really a great solution. Then they got in trouble with quality inspections, the FDA or someone, and stopped making that particular cleanser. Doh! If you’ve ever struggled with your skin, you know the pain. Guess what. 10 days in, my skin is almost completely clear. Clear of the hormonal crap around my chin. Scabs from recent breakouts are healing faster. No new breakouts. My nails are actually strong and long for a change. My hair is less oily.
Of course, now I begin to panic. Everyone was right all these years, and I’m practically devastated. What does this mean for my future dietary restrictions? Can I never enjoy a pizza or a donut occasionally again?? Well, at this moment, here’s my outlook: I will reintroduce each removed category (dairy, grains, sugar) one at a time, for two weeks and see which is affecting me the most, and then work around it from there.
This has been a major step for me, and I’m sure other people are having big revelations as this month goes on too. My eating has been extremely lax over the last 8 months, but has never been super under control prior to this. I have never had a horrible diet as an adult. I enjoy a large variety of foods and eat reasonably well most of the time.
Whats disturbing to me, is how we have accepted that all these ingredients are “normal” and safe
This is just “life” as Americans. Prepackaged food. Preservatives. EVERYTHING has sugar in it (try reading labels real closely for a few grocery trips – your head will spin). We take food shortcuts because our lives are busy. Food planning takes extra time and effort that most people don’t have.
The bottom line is cost. It might cost you some extra time to plan a grocery list, retrain your tastebuds, and actually cook. But not doing it can truly cost you your health.
Hugs and Delicious Wishes,
-Jess
