I know, I know. The title of this blog and the title of this particular blog entry seem to be at odds. And I should clarify. Food itself is not a bad habit, but it can become so. Especially when it comes to habits and routines.
To get rid of the sluggy weight we've been lugging around over the holidays, Brent and I are doing a 4-day detoxifying diet cleanse. I pieced together some things I found online (found here The Organic Beauty Blog), and basically, here are the primary concepts:
1. No processed, refined, artificial foods (this includes processing done at home).
2. No caffeine or alcohol.
It sounds simple, and really, it is the way we should all be eating (although I've missed by proteins).
This morning for breakfast, we both had a smoothie, which consisted of mostly greens like spinach, arugula, etc., raspberries, pineapple, and a little agave nectar for flavor.
Lunch was a garbanzo bean salad wrapped in romaine lettuce. We had a snack this afternoon - a red delicious apple.
Dinner tonight will be a vegetable soup that contains cabbage, tomatoes, onions, and green peppers. Our kids won't be forced to go as austere as we are - they'll get a sandwich with their soup. :-)
So yeah, we're off the meat, the flours, the soda, the wine for four days. But, it's funny.
When our food intake is limited, suddenly food is everywhere around us. And old habits die hard. Especially the bad habits. Like my husband's nearly daily trip to the local gas station for a 32-oz. Diet Mountain Dew (Diet Coke for me, too, if I happened to be around) after he'd dropped the kids off for school. And that little trip was sorely missed this morning....especially around 3 p.m., when our caffeine withdrawal headaches hit full-on.
But, the first day's the worst, right? So we soldier on. Because the kids were back in school, we had a free day, so we went to see 'Lincoln'...and found ourselves staring another bad habit down its cost-inflated, butter-coated throat - buying popcorn and soda.
It was a bit sad, really, buying only one measly bottle of water at the concession stand. But, we paid $4.50 for that bottle of water, and suddenly we were glad of the money we've saved by not spending it on food that would be eaten before the previews were over.
And as I've just finished my vegetable soup that reminds me of something Charlie Bucket would have eaten, I'm reminded of all these other habits I have when it comes to food. Like usually craving (and eating) something sweet after dinner. Or when we stop at a gas station for gas, I usually bop inside for something to drink (usually a soda). And there are others, I'm sure, that will come to light in the next few days.
To get rid of the sluggy weight we've been lugging around over the holidays, Brent and I are doing a 4-day detoxifying diet cleanse. I pieced together some things I found online (found here The Organic Beauty Blog), and basically, here are the primary concepts:
1. No processed, refined, artificial foods (this includes processing done at home).
2. No caffeine or alcohol.
It sounds simple, and really, it is the way we should all be eating (although I've missed by proteins).
This morning for breakfast, we both had a smoothie, which consisted of mostly greens like spinach, arugula, etc., raspberries, pineapple, and a little agave nectar for flavor.
Lunch was a garbanzo bean salad wrapped in romaine lettuce. We had a snack this afternoon - a red delicious apple.
Dinner tonight will be a vegetable soup that contains cabbage, tomatoes, onions, and green peppers. Our kids won't be forced to go as austere as we are - they'll get a sandwich with their soup. :-)
So yeah, we're off the meat, the flours, the soda, the wine for four days. But, it's funny.
When our food intake is limited, suddenly food is everywhere around us. And old habits die hard. Especially the bad habits. Like my husband's nearly daily trip to the local gas station for a 32-oz. Diet Mountain Dew (Diet Coke for me, too, if I happened to be around) after he'd dropped the kids off for school. And that little trip was sorely missed this morning....especially around 3 p.m., when our caffeine withdrawal headaches hit full-on.
But, the first day's the worst, right? So we soldier on. Because the kids were back in school, we had a free day, so we went to see 'Lincoln'...and found ourselves staring another bad habit down its cost-inflated, butter-coated throat - buying popcorn and soda.
It was a bit sad, really, buying only one measly bottle of water at the concession stand. But, we paid $4.50 for that bottle of water, and suddenly we were glad of the money we've saved by not spending it on food that would be eaten before the previews were over.
And as I've just finished my vegetable soup that reminds me of something Charlie Bucket would have eaten, I'm reminded of all these other habits I have when it comes to food. Like usually craving (and eating) something sweet after dinner. Or when we stop at a gas station for gas, I usually bop inside for something to drink (usually a soda). And there are others, I'm sure, that will come to light in the next few days.
We have been on this diet for 16 months. But by what you describe you need to eat more than that or you will be hungry which will drive you back to meat, white flour, junk and sugar. Lots of fruit, some nuts every day, more vegi's, whole grains, lots of beans. Get this book "Moosewood Restaurant Low-fat Favorites".
ReplyDeleteThanks, yellow! Will check around to see if I can find it anywhere around here!
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