Lately I've been eating quinoa tobouleh and a few other additional things. I've had some cheats over the weeks, but mostly I've stayed pretty true to the plan. And when I say cheats, I mean baba ganouche, whole wheat pitas (immediate headache), brown rice at a restaurant with my Thai food and raw macadamia nuts, not so bad, right? I did have an indiscretion with vegan chocolate chip cookies and soy milk on a particularly emotional day--comfort food. But I got right back on the horse for the next meal. I'm almost proud of my cheats, I used to eat like that all the time thinking I was doing just fine.
The other thing I've been doing is hydrotherapy. I had my third colonic Friday and I am really understanding why they are so highly recommended. I haven't had any major events so far, but I feel cleaner than I ever have. I feel as though I am cleansing on a cellular level with permanent results. Having a colonic scheduled keeps me on track as I don't want to undo or halt any progress. Colon hydrotherapy rejuvenates the entire body by detoxifying and hydrating the system.
During this process I've gone down a full size with very little effort as far as food and hunger. I've undergone a paradigm shift that has reshaped my approach to eating. I was so close before with my whole foods organic half-raw vegan diet I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. (wrong for me since my energy levels had bottomed out, it might not be wrong for someone else). I've made some changes--giving up caffeine, gluten, grains, etc. The hardest for me was the coffee, it was an addictive ritual plus I Love the taste and smell. Even though everything was organic, by the time I added my soy cream and agave, what I had was basically a jolting, somewhat toxic, blood sugar effecting acid bath. Now I start my days with alkalizing hydrating fresh green juice and there is a world of difference. I don't crash anymore at 3:00 for starters.
Salads have become my main course for lunch and dinner. At first I did not want to have a mashed avocado for dressing, I had been hooked on dressings I made using the soy based Veganaise. I'd just learned how to make a vegan Caesar that was out of this world and it was hard for me to shift to the avocado, plus at the time I only liked avocado in small amounts. Now I eat two avocados (sometimes three) every day and look forward to my salads with excitement. They are crunchy and creamy and salty and sweet all at once. It's a bowl full of textures and color and I can't imagine going without them at this point. I crave my avo-salads.
At first it was hard to simplify. I'd just become obsessed with the world of raw food cuisine and I was constantly testing new recipes in the dehydrator and whatnot. It's an exciting world. But it's not appropriate for my detox cleanse so I had to let go of that for the time being. At some point I will utilize those recipes for holidays as an alternative to baked goods perhaps, but for now I'm keeping my eye on the ball.
One of the things that has helped has been working with Ana Ladd Griffin. She knows this stuff backwards and forwards and is incredibly supportive and wise. She recently wrote a wonderful post on the female reproductive system with regards to detox which I found very interesting. My conversations with her have helped me stay on this path, particularly in the beginning when I was quite wobbly and hadn't yet realized how profound the change would be or how important it would be to let certain things go (I didn't want to give up nuts and fruit). Having a coach like Ana has been so beneficial especially during those moments where you are feeling resistance or slip up with emotional eating going back to old ways that never worked (like milk and cookies). It makes a huge difference to feel like you have someone in your corner--I'm so grateful for you Ana!
If you are having any health issues at all, or think you are not feeling up to your potential, I strongly recommend having a look at Natalia's cleanse. I've read just about every post on her website--the woman is incredibly intelligent and spot on about nutrition, and think that would be a great place to start or use additionally along side her books for anyone on this journey. It helps so much to know there are other people doing this. It can be a bit lonely sometimes to feel like you can't break bread with people, food is such a focal point of social events. It's been like this for me for some time with the veganism, but now even more so and it can be tricky. It's nice to know you are not alone.
The name of Natalia's website is Detox The World, which I think is so appropriate and inspiring. She promotes a lifestyle that is non toxic and joyful and she sees the grander global picture. As these concepts spread, it will no longer be "extreme" to eat like this--how is that for irony? Anyone practicing healthy eating knows that the SAD is extreme, not a plant based diet.
I'm impassioned about this and could go on and on. It's fun making positive changes! There will be more posts to follow, but for now, this is where I'm at with my cleanse. I still have quite a way to go, but the process is exciting and enjoyable. Onward!
image credit: shrinksteve
now for the last couple of months and I must say, I really am hooked. It took several tries before I found a stevia that I could stand--some of them taste like nutrasweet to me--in other words, blech. You 
has a wonderful chapter on this subject, by the way and the history and dangers of 
.
, by Natalia Rose, I was excited and eager to read her latest effort, 
The former is a 21 Day plan, the latter four weeks, to get you detoxed and glowing with living food energy. The newer book for me, was just a little bit less accessible.
and incorporates the the principles of proper food combining which I think is great. Her tone is very girlfriend's guide and she is excited about what she's doing which gets you excited. Her flexibility on animal products as well as red wine and chocolate might ease some people into the program who may otherwise feel overwhelmed.
