Okay so last Friday, I flew completely off the handle and had chips and salsa, french fries, pasta, and bread. I was bloated and disgusting. And then I decided I was going to do the Master Cleanse. Have you guys heard of this? It's a cleanse that was invented in the 70's or 50's or something. Basically, you drink a mixture of maple syrup, lemon juice, water and a dash of cayenne pepper. You're supposed to drink this mixture for 10 days (seriously, ten days) and it cleans you out and detoxifies you and you're all brand new and a baby on the inside.
I thought it would be good; I thought it would be a good reset so to speak - a way to focus on the good foods and really think about what I'm putting into my body every day. So I spent all day Saturday fasting basically, and drinking this weird mixture. It was hard. And not very tasty. By 7:00 or so, I really wanted to eat. Not just for the food in my body, but for the social aspect of it as well. I was bored out of my mind from having so much free time. It's amazing how much food prep/eating/going out to eat takes out of your day. It's a good thing though; I like that part of my life. The eating part. :)
So anyway, I woke up in the middle of the night, feeling gross and empty and I realized that I don't need to fast. I don't need to cleanse. My body may have some issues, but for the most part I am damn healthy. Yes, I eat crap once in a while, like on Friday, but mainly my diet is filled with whole grains and fruits and veggies and legumes and lean meats and those are the things that fuel my intense workouts every day.
And honestly, the whole fasting thing was really throwing a wrench into my healthy lifestyle. I was weak, couldn't work out, and I wasn't getting the nutrients I needed. I know the human body can withstand fasting and people have been doing it for hundreds of years, but I don't want to fast. So I don't have to.
Sunday I ended up eating mostly fruits and veggies (and some wheat thins), and I felt a ton better. I like eating. I like fueling my body. And as this week progresses, I see that the things I do every day are good things, and I don't have to resort to crazy tactics to be a healthy person. I already am.
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2 comments:
Great post, jeni!
It's so nice to find happiness in fueling your body and making it strong and healthy. For so long I used to think of healthy living as some kind of extreme measure that resembled punishment. I used to consider my diet going well if I was miserable and hungry!
It sounds like you're doing great at listening to your body; I think that's one of those wonderful abilities that will allow you to live a healthy life for many years to come.
Well said.
Do you read Dietgirl? This reminded me of some of her posts, in which she basically says that every once in a while everyone makes some bad dietary choices; but she's found that as time goes on they don't happen so often and she gets back on plan more quickly. That's learning: not that you never make mistakes, but that you recover quicker!
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