So every once in a while, I do a baby cleanse. I refer to it as "baby" because it's pretty darn mild compared to those juice or raw diet only deals. I mean, it's basically fruits, vegetables, rice, and beans. A whole lot of people sustain on only this all the time. So why is it SO HARD for me?
Well, because, as I mentioned in my recent cookie post, I've got a serious sugar issue. I may not sit down with a bag of sweet tarts (in fact, I hate that kind of sugar) but it is such a challenge for me to end a meal without popping something sweet (and preferably rich) into my mouth. In the past, I thought that one little Hershey Kiss was all I needed. However, I'm now realizing that this tiny bit of sweetness just ramps my palate up and then I spend the rest of the day, trying to stave off the continual sweet tooth cravings. That, my friend, can mess with one's concentration, especially when one works a just few feet from the pantry door. And if you think I'm exaggerating, just know that as a kid, I would sneak into the kitchen, snatch the bottle of Hershey's syrup from the fridge, and squirt that chocolatey goodness straight into my mouth.
You get me now? Something has got to give.
My goal is small to many but gigantic to me. No sweets for five days. Why five days? Because the work week is one thing, the weekend is another for God's sake.
The other reason I am getting off the sweets is to experiment with my fatigue issues once again. I'm quite certain that gluten does me bad but I'm now wondering how much sugar plays into the mix as well. Best example: the post-brunch/maple syrup pancake coma. Yikes!
Therefore, for the next five days, my diet will consist of oatmeal with berries for breakfast, beans, rice, and veggies for lunch, and rice and veggies only for dinner. In between, I'll have snacks of fruit, nuts, veggies, and hummus. After lunch and dinner, I digest with ginger tea. For a girl who ate popcorn, onion rings, and half a cheese board for dinner the other night, you can see the challenge.
Before any type of cleanse, I seem to enjoy completely putting my body through the wringer the day before. A last hurrah of sorts because, you know, I'm never going to eat again. And let me remind you that I started my day at the crack of dawn with the cat-pee-on-the-new-mattress situation so I pretty much decided with the rising sun that this was going to be a day of as much comfort food as necessary.
I started off with a healthy bowl of oatmeal and berries but by the time I hit the co-op mid-morning and walked by the bakery case, I quickly veered off track. A handsome chocolate croissant winked at me, I swear. I took that little guy home, cut him in half and sat down with him and a cup of my coffee. Two seconds later, I went back for the second half. Later, I did have a sensible lunch but now I'm gearing up for dinner which will consist of a big fat bowl of some sort of pasta (after this beer). I might top things off with that leftover chocolate ice cream sprinkled with some nuts and Hershey's syrup. (Yep, still an addict.) But we'll see.
So I will be posting my progress this week. Of course, the fatigue issue might be hard to measure considering I will be sleeping on the couch while my mattress expels the pee odor. Oh, and I almost forgot, so I don't look like a total failure from the get-go, I'm allowing myself some cheats! I know, I know, already? But seriously, I've got to have a teeny weeny out if I start going crazy from withdrawal or something. I've already gotten rid of all the candy/cookie type stuff in the house, which are now in the trunk of my car (!) but I am allowing myself dried fruit and if totally necessary, gum. But I have to admit, the gum addiction is another one I'm trying to break. Between my night time jaw clenching and my nerve calming gum chewing, I've wreaked absolute havoc on my teeth and gums. Ask my dentist.
So wish me luck, kids. I remember hearing about those people who gave up sweets for lent and I was absolutely green with envy. I mean, how long is lent? A lifetime??
Okay, I'm done with the drama. Time to make the last supper. Report #1 coming up tomorrow night.
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