"How did you feel?"
"Have you started drinking coffee again?"
"What was it like to re-introduce gluten?"
"Did the lack of caffeine make you homicidal?"
"No chocolate? YOU?!?"
"And how do you feel today?"
As happy as I was to re-enter a more "normal" eating regimen, it has not been as glorious as I thought it would be. Can I be honest here? I kinda sorta want to go back to my cleansing days. (Gasp!)
I haven't had much coffee (although as I punch these keys, I'm practically gulping the stuff; blame it on Sunday) and have switched to caffeinated tea, mostly because there are very few herbal teas I honestly like. And although I do believe that the caffeine in tea does me better than that of coffee, the dirty chai I had yesterday afternoon was the most delicious answer to my afternoon slump. So again, no huge conclusions here.
Sugar. Now that's been a little tough. (See above dirty chai latte reference.) I've got the cravings all over again. I was given a nice stockpile of chocolate for Valentine's Day and in order for me not to shove all three packages directly into my mouth, they are now in the trunk of my car. Yes, you heard me. Not only are those lovely little packages now somewhat physically inaccessible, I'll damn near break my teeth if I try gnawing on them in the dead of winter. It shall now be brought out only for guests. Or perhaps during some PMS rage. Although I've managed not to go totally crazy on the goodie front, I'm back to stockpiling my pantry with dried fruit to satiate myself. The blender, too, continues to get a work-out with my nighttime berry smoothie obsession.
Bread. I could really do without it. Bottom line, it's hard for me to digest (hello, tummy bump!) and as I've always known, it makes me tired. I'm back to having it very minimally.
And speaking of consuming things minimally, I'm back to having very little alcohol. I mean, really, who needs it? Sure, it's fun to go out for cocktails or to have a glass of wine here and there but it's expensive, dehydrating, and a complete waste of calories. If I'm going to indulge in some non-nutritional calories, hand me the flourless chocolate cake.
Interestingly, two weeks post-cleanse, I found myself sick. Now, this could have been due to several factors, including those little peanuts I'm around daily with the perpetually boogery noses. However, I can't ignore the fact that once I was off the cleanse, I most certainly made up for those three weeks of a pretty tame social life (and then some). I went out of town, I met friends out after class instead of heading straight home to bed, I pushed it at the gym, I didn't properly hydrate myself, I decided to drink caffeinated tea rather than take an afternoon nap, and then suddenly, my body rebelled. Shocking.
It was just a common cold but it was a pretty fantastic reminder that running myself ragged and not eating properly does not work so well. And then everything snowballed.
My sinuses decided to teach me a lesson. I couldn't breathe at night and then I wasn't sleeping enough so I'd be in a fog at work and then I'd come home and try to nap but some days, Chickie Babe upstairs would decide to wear what could only have been three-inch stilettos and make laps around her apartment on the hardwood floors and then just when I'd finally fall asleep, the next thing I'd know, it would be 5 o'clock and then I'd feel badly that I'd "wasted" the afternoon and then I'd feel stressed out that I hadn't accomplished A, B, and C and because I'd already wasted so much time and because I didn't have any energy anyway, I wouldn't cook a proper dinner and instead gnaw on crackers or bread and cheese (even though I know I don't need any bread in my diet!) and then the weekend would come and I'd finally get to go to see the orchestra but that one glass of wine at dinner coupled with my lack of an afternoon nap would make me practically fall asleep during the performance which would make me really mad because I love Beethoven and want to be fully present to absorb the music and (DEEP BREATH) so on and so on and so on...
Blech.
So back to taking better care of myself. I don't know if I can commit to a lifestyle without sugar, bread or coffee but I'm definitely going to re-incorporate some of these recipes into my daily life. And enough with me acting as though I have to see everyone and do everything ever in a two-week period. Sheesh. Besides, it's practically spring. Perhaps one can really slow down and smell some roses. Healthy sinuses do allow for that.
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