Day 14 I made it!

Well, here we are on the last day of my flush. I am not going to tell you it has not be difficult at times but it really wasn't as hard as I imagined it would be.

This morning I went to Harris Teeter in search of something I could take out on the boat. I checked out the deli section, not surprised I didn't find anything there. I picked up a couple of sandwiches for my husband and continued towards the produce when it hit me. The salad bar! Harris Teeter has a fabulous salad bar. I made a big salad with all kinds of flush friendly foods. I topped it with a little olive oil. It was excellent.

So, what have I learned in these last two weeks? I feel better (as I've said all along) I sleep better, I have had no headaches or upset stomach trouble (except for that brief time the morning after the wine) and I have learned that there are a whole slew of good-for-you foods that I like. And as an added bonus, I lost 4 pounds!

What will I do now? I will at least be conscious of what I am eating. I will eat because I am hungry and not bored. If I go back to eating meat it will be in much smaller portions.

I am really glad I did this and plan to base my regular diet on this plan going forward. Although this will be my last post on this blog I plan to start a new one as I discover new recipes and substitutions for my old unhealthy ways of eating.

Thanks for listening.

Fourteen days, the end

Day 13 Shepherds Pie

Well, one more day to go. I think I may make it. :-)

I had a piece of gluten-free bread for breakfast with a little vegan butter. I don't think I will continue with this bread as it falls apart really easily and is pretty dry. I've heard about Ezekiel bread which is supposed to be sprouted, I think. Maybe I'll try that even though it may have some gluten. Gluten may be something that I add back. It will be interesting to see how that goes.

Tonight we had the most awesome dinner. Shepherds pie! The mashed potatoes were made from Yukon gold potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips and soy milk. The "meat" mixture was made from crumbled veggie burgers (I finally found a gluten-free brand), chopped onion, carrot, mushrooms, peas and chopped walnuts. It was most excellent and 100% vegan. I will have to post the recipe.

Tomorrow we are headed out on the boat. I still don't know what I will pack for food. Until tomorrow then.

Thirteen down, one to go.

Day 12 Thinking about what's next

I only have 2 days to go and I'm not sure what I will do next. I have learned a new way of eating so I know I won't go back to my old ways. I'm trying to figure out how I will eat. As I mentioned earlier, I'd like to try to add one thing back at a time. Yesterday I had a couple glasses of wine. This morning was the first day I felt nauseous after waking up. Could these two things be related? I have to wonder.

In an effort to settle my stomach I had a small plain baked potato for breakfast. That seemed to have worked. Lunch was a bean burrito and later some popcorn. For dinner I had sushi. I love sushi. We chose rolls with seaweed and brown rice instead of white. It had small amounts of vegetables and a little bit of imitation crab. I'm not sure what is in imitation crab but for the amount that was in the roll I could hardly see it being a problem.

This weekend we are planning to spend some time out on the boat. I am trying to decide what to pack. Normally we take a cooler filled with beers, sodas, water and lunch meat sandwiches, chips, etc. I have no idea what to pack for food. This may take some creativity.


Twelve down,eleven to go.

Day 11 Having wine

So, today I had a glass (no, two) of wine. But, starting at the beginning... It was the last day of working in the office for me until Tuesday so I always kind of feel like Thursday is Friday. I had meetings all day, as usual. I don't know if that contributed to the reason that I wasn't hungry all day or not. Maybe, hopefully, I am starting to get acclimated to this new way of eating and realize that I don't need as much to make me full.

I had the last 2 waffles for breakfast. I had some rice crackers for a snack and for lunch my usual rice and beans with a small baked potato and salsa. This was also sprinkled with some shredded cheddar cheese.

After work my husband and I tried a new neighborhood bar, Jacks Tap Room. It was the first time I have had wine since I started this. I had 2 glasses of Longboat Sauvingnon Blanc. It didn't go to my head like I thought it might. I thought it would be like I finally got my fix but it wasn't at all. I mean, it was good and all but no big deal. Maybe I don't have a drinking problem after all. :-)

So for dinner I am making zucchini squash with mushrooms, sliced banana peppers and fresh basil with pasta sauce and a side of swiss chard.

I got a new meat-free,dairy-free,egg-free cookbook that I am looking forward to reading tonight. It looks like it may have some good recipes. (Mom, I will let you know how it is)

Coming up...the last weekend.

Eleven down, three to go.

Day 10 adding things back

I am still on my flush even though I had some feta cheese on my big salad today. I have decided that I will slowly add one item back at a time for several days and that way I can pinpoint what it is that makes me feel sluggish (if it is in fact one thing). After all, I sure don't want to return to my old habits after the great way I am feeling.

Today I had whole grain waffles for breakfast. I had a big salad with lots of fresh veggies, walnuts and feta cheese. I had a cup of black bean soup for a snack and an apple with some peanut butter.

I am having beans and rice for dinner since I don't really feel like cooking anything.

Another week is almost over. Tomorrow is already Thursday.

Ten down, four to go

Day 9 A tiny cheat

Today was a nice day. Still feeling really good even though I got on the scale and found I had gained back the 3 pounds that I lost. I concluded that I am eating too much. I'm switching to more vegetables and staying away from the gluten-free wraps, corn chips and crackers.

For breakfast I ate half a bowl of cereal with blueberries. I'm starting to like blueberries more these days. A handful of nuts as a snack. For lunch was a plain sweet potato and homemade lentil soup. (Thanks for the recipe Mom!) I had a peach in the afternoon and when I got home I munched on a few rice crackers.

I'm making dinner which is baked potabella mushrooms with some pasta sauce (I found this great brand at Harris Teeter that is so delicous and has chunks of veggies in it - It's called Colavita Organic Sicilian Garden) topped with fresh spinach and some...here it comes...REAL reduced fat shredded mozzerella! Yes, I am cheating but I could have cheated worse. Anyway, I think I smell them burning now so talk to you tomorrow.

Nine down, five to go.

Day 8 Almost falling off the wagon

Today I decided that I would add back wine to my flush. I thought, why not? I really felt that I wanted, and deserved, one (or two) glasses of wine so I had decided to have one. I think I was just having an off day.

It started out fine. I got up and logged onto my computer and began working. I went for a 40 minutes walk with my husband and my dogs. I made a big pot of lentil soup and another of rattatouie. I had a veggie burger and corn for lunch and then it just went down hill. I started to get cranky and then I decided that I would have a drink at the end of the day.

I went and got my hair cut and colored (went back to my natural color).
, which took about 2 hours. When I got home it was 5:00 (happy hour) and I had already decided that I would NOT have a glass of wine. Maybe getting out of the house for a couple hours is just what I needed. I feel better now.

It's 7:30 and I'm gonna cook up some gluten-free spagghetii for dinner and then call it a day. Glad I didn't cave.

Eight down, six to go.

Day 7 Taco night

OK, I stuffed myself with tacos and now I am full.

We had breakfast late today and then went to see a movie at 1:00. We saw Inception (great movie by the way). It was a 2 1/2 hour movie. The theator was one of those with the comfy chairs and tables where they serve food, beer and wine. My husband had a few drafts and I would have loved a glass of wine but I know it would have been just due to the atmosphere. I opted for bottled water instead. mmmmm yummy :-)

Afterwards we went grocery shopping and so by the time we got home it was almost 5:00
and we hadn't eaten since breakfast. We were starved!

I made tacos (soft and hard) I stuffed the hard shells with black beans mixed w/ taco seasoning and the soft shells with refried beans. It was just as good, if not better, than the ground beef. Still, I ate too many.

I am still feeling really good. I have a lot of energy, although I am not exercising. I also have had great nights sleep since I started this.

Well, one week down and one to go. I have to say, I already know I won't go back to eating the way I did before. I feel too good. I do miss some things like couscous, cottage cheese and eggs. I would have liked to go out to breakfast after the farmers market on Saturday. Although eating lunch and dinner out may be doable I don't know how someone could eat breakfast out on this plan.

The first thing I plan to do after my 14 days, though, is enjoy a glass of wine.

Seven down, seven to go.

Day 6 Surviving Saturday

So, it's 8:30 on Saturday night and I'm settling down to watch a movie with my husband. The hard part is over. I survived the two hardest days of the week.

This morning we went to the Farmers Market, as we usually do on Saturday mornings. Fresh peppers, corn, swish chard, eggplant. I love the Farmers Market. I also found a new stand that had a whole slew of gluten-free foods. I chatted with the woman a while as she told me about her products. She doesn't have a store but they sell at some local markets, including the health food store that I frequent. She said she can send me a list of all the organic products she offers so I will definitely be sending her an email. I tried some of her gazpacho soup which was made completely with all the fresh vegetables at my local farmers market (I thought that was pretty cool). It tasted very fresh and was really good. I thought I'd try to make it myself and skip paying the 4.50 for the small container they were selling.

I didn't eat as much today as I did yesterday. Breakfast was late and just a couple of rice cakes with peanut butter. Lunch was a veggie burger on gluten-free bread. This was the first time I tried the bread. It's really not bad. It's a lot thicker than regular bread and it falls apart easily but it's good. I think it's just a matter of what you get used to and this way of eating is very different than what I'm used to.

Snacks were cucumber slices and hummus and a few cashews. For dinner I chopped some fresh tomatoes, peppers and onions and mixed it with black beans and a little shredded vegan cheese. I wrapped it in a rice tortilla and had a couple ears of corn on the cob. So good.

Tomorrow I'm going to look for some yummy recipes that I can make from all my fresh veggies and try to plan some meals for the upcoming week. I'm looking forward to that.

Six down, eight to go.

Day 5 Keeping Busy

As suspected I felt munchy all day. I snacked more than usual but stuck to the plan. Cereal for breakfast,leftover corn, mushrooms and spaghetti squash and a gluten-free premade burrito for lunch. Snacked on some cashews, rice crackers and black bean dip.

Around 4:00 I started to miss my wine and felt a bit deprived. In an effort to keep my mind off of it my husband bought me 3 new Wii games and some DVDs. (What a nice guy. He's so supportive of my many strange new diet plans and eating habits.) That worked! I have been really into this new medical game and haven't even thought about wine.

Right now he is out cooking pork chops for himself and grilling portabella mushrooms for me. I am boiling some potatoes and will probably have a green veggie of some sort as well.

I have lost 3 pounds so far. The one thing I really do not miss is meat, which surprises me. In fact, the thought of meat almost makes me cringe.

Well, I made it through a Friday night. That's something I suppose.

Five down, Nine to go.

Day 4 Being awake

There were donut holes at work today. I never really had a problem passing them up and today was no different but I found myself noticing how many people ate them and how many they ate. All I could think of was how sluggish they probably would feel in the afternoon.

After day 4 I really do notice a difference in my energy. Although I got very tired around 3:30 today it was a different sort of tired. I had back to back meetings all day long and it was no wonder I felt tired. But I wasn't cranky tired like I usually get.

I had a half bowl of cereal this morning. I was too full to eat the whole bowl. At my 10:00 meeting I munched on some almonds while the donuts were being passed around. For lunch today was a baked sweet potato and split pea soup. The soup was really excellent. I found it at the whole foods store and I'll have to go back and look for it again (hope I remember the brand).

I had some hummus with mini gluten-free bread sticks in the afternoon and a few corn chips and a bowl of sauteed mushrooms when I got home.

Dinner was very good. I cooked some chopped onion and pepper in a little olive oil and mixed it all up with some refried beans. Then I wrapped it up in a couple of brown rice (wheat & gluten-free) tortillas and topped it with a little vegan sour cream and salsa. It was filling and very yummy.

I still cannot type the word gluten-free in front of something without feeling weird. It all sounds so strange and not me at all.

Anyway, I made it through the week at the office. Tomorrow is Friday and I work from home. This could be somewhat challenging as I tend to want to snack more when I don't go into the office.

I am doing OK without my wine although I am starting to notice people on TV drinking it. I'm still nervous about the upcoming weekend but I'm trying to stay positive. After all, this isn't something I have to do. It is something I am doing because I want to.

Four down, Ten to go.

Day 3 Making over the hump

Well, I survived day 3 and I didn't really crave my Wednesday wine. I continued to feel good but getting up this morning wasn't as easy as the day before.

I skipped the cereal for breakfast and had 2 gluten-free rice cakes with a tablespoon of peanut butter. It was like eating peanut butter on top of styrofoam. I had an apple for a mid morning snack and then beans and black soy beans for lunch. I never even knew they had such a thing as black soy beans. I really like them. I was still hungry after lunch so I ate the snack bag of walnuts that I was saving for afternoon snack.

As a deterrent from thinking about the glass of wine I wouldn't have, my husband and I went out to dinner at Jason's deli and hit the salad bar. The first couple of bites tasted bland without my usual toppings such as feta, hard boiled egg and blue cheese dressing but once I started to get through it the salad was good and I was very satisfied. A stop at the grocery store to pick up some fresh veggies and a couple of DVDs and then home.

I'm proud of myself for making it through day 3 but slightly nervous that the weekend is nearing and I hope I can make it through without going crazy.

I'm getting ready to settle down now with popcorn and a movie. Thank goodness popcorn is a "good-for-you" food!

Three down, eleven to go.

Day 2 Feeling Good

I woke up this morning having the best night sleep I've had in a while. I wasn't my typical sluggish self. All day I felt good. Now I realize, that after just one day this is probably coincidental but maybe it's not.

I had the same cereal with blueberries for breakfast that I had yesterday. For lunch I had the leftover stuffed zucchini which, even after given a second chance, wasn't very good. It is filling, however.

I snacked on a handful of pistachios and almonds and had a couple thin corn cakes in the afternoon.

I did feel hungry when I got home from work and was glad when my husband suggested going out for a little while and walking around Khol's (he needed to get out of the house, he works from home).

I had some corn chips and guacamole before dinner while I read "day 2" of my book. I made a pitcher of peppermint tea so I could have something different.

Dinner was spaggetti squash with diced zuccini and organic pasta sauce and two ears of corn on the cob with a little earth balance vegan butter (which by the way, tastes like butter). It was filling and very tasty.

There was an article in the Charlotte Observer today about a family of 4 that is going 100 days eating only whole foods. The lady who wrote it also has a blog. They are on day 60. I read a few postings and saved it to 'my favorites' to explore later and maybe get some recipe ideas.

Tomorrow is Wednesday and usually when I start feeling the need for a glass of wine. But I won't think about tomorrow. I just need to take it one day at a time.

Two down, twelve to go.

Day 1 I begin

Well, the first day wasn't as bad as I thought. I started out with a bowl of gluten-free-sugar-free cereal, topped with fresh blueberries and soy milk. It tasted pretty good believe it or not.

For lunch I had a bowl of brown rice with black soy beans and diced tomatoes with green chili's.

For dinner I made stuffed zucchini with a concoction of soy meat, mushrooms, chopped garden tomatoes, light kidney beans, fresh basil and garlic, topped with a little shredded soy cheese. The flavor wasn't the greatest. I'd say it was just OK. I guess I'll have to work on my recipes. Maybe I'll stay away from the fake meat. My husband had seconds (go figure).

For snacks throughout the day I had a small handful of raw almonds, a few small gluten-free bread sticks, and a handful of corn tortilla chips with homemade guacamole.

I, surprisingly, stayed pretty full all day. The hardest thing, I think, was deciding what to drink other than water.

One down, thirteen to go.

Preparing for the Flush

I just finished reading “The Quantum Wellness Cleanse” by Kathy Freston. It is the “21-day essential guide to healing your mind, body, and spirit”. Although I swore up and down I would never even be interested in doing something like this I read it anyway and was surprised how much sense it made. It really isn’t so much of a diet (although weight loss should be a benefit) as it is more of a detoxification. I am giving my body a break from the things that it really doesn’t need.

This is supposed to have all kinds of noticeable benefits that should happen within the first few days. I am supposed to have more energy, clearer skin and eyes, lose weight, have less aches and pains, feel release from addictive behaviors and find a profound and deepened awareness of my personal power and the effect I have on the world. (I am laughing even as I type that last line)

The reality of it is I am only prepared to try it for 14 days, I hope that I do not find I am a true alcoholic, and I hope I am still married at the end of two weeks.

Starting in 2 days (Monday start date, of course) I will be giving up 5 things:

1. Caffeine (not too much of a problem since I have already given up coffee)
2. Sugar (still don’t think this will be too tough)
3. All animal fats (no meat or cheese? This could be tough.)
4. Gluten (not sure. I’m hoping there are “yummy” gluten free foods)
5. Alcohol (whoa, Nelly! This could cause the DT’s since I am used to lots of wine.)

Now, according to the book there are many very tasty and filling things I can eat besides fruit and vegetables. These include, but are not limited to, beans and legumes, potatoes, nuts, wild and brown rice ,corn on the cob, gluten-free cereals, guacamole, corn chips, popcorn, hummus, soy cheese, peanut butter, flax crackers and rice cakes, “fake” meats and anything else that is sugar and gluten-free.

Tonight I am planning on having hamburgers and french fries and wine. Tomorrow I plan to take my list to the health food store and stock my cabinets with flush food and then proceed to have a pizza or some other unhealthy food and more wine. Sunday…well, that is too far to plan but I am sure it will consist of more indulgences as that will be my last day of wine and meat for 14 days!

Until Monday, then.