I have finished my ayurvedic cleanse.
I thought, when I started two weeks ago, that the first thing I would do upon completion is make a pot of coffee. I chose to have detox herbal tea yesterday. I made a pot of coffee this morning and had one sip before letting it grow cold and dumping it down the drain. OMG! What if that happens with wine too??
It was a great exercise in mindful eating. I have to confess that I get in the habit of completely mindless snacking as the weather starts to cool down and the days get shorter. What shall I do now? Oh, well, why not have a bag of chips while I think about it? Hmm, no, that didn't do it. Maybe I need a brownie. And the stress of an impending move did nothing to help out the situation.
I feel really well now. My cranky skin has cleared up completely, and my energy is back. I get a little achy in my back from lifting and moving packed boxes down to the garage, but I few minutes of yoga and I am good again.
So I have changed my perceptions of food. I am not eliminating anything from my diet, but if I choose to have coffee or a cookie, I will enjoy it at the time and think of it as a treat rather than as a necessity. I will be more aware of why I choose the foods I am choosing and try to be aware of the need I am attempting to satisfy in doing so. I generally eat healthy meals so I know I am not snacking out of genuine hunger.
I am more convinced than ever that whole foods and organic is the way to go. Of course, these days, organic isn't good enough--it has to be biodynamic. Nutrition is so much work!
TMI alert. Continue reading at your own risk. Part of the cleanse was the suggestion to use a tongue scraper in the morning. I have sometimes (rarely) brushed my tongue with my tooth brush, but I had to go out and buy a tongue scraper. Let me tell you this is a thoroughly disgusting activity. I was both amazed and appalled at the gunk that scrapes off my tongue. It is so disgusting that I can't stop doing it. The thought of swallowing the stuff with my breakfast is too much.
I thought, when I started two weeks ago, that the first thing I would do upon completion is make a pot of coffee. I chose to have detox herbal tea yesterday. I made a pot of coffee this morning and had one sip before letting it grow cold and dumping it down the drain. OMG! What if that happens with wine too??
It was a great exercise in mindful eating. I have to confess that I get in the habit of completely mindless snacking as the weather starts to cool down and the days get shorter. What shall I do now? Oh, well, why not have a bag of chips while I think about it? Hmm, no, that didn't do it. Maybe I need a brownie. And the stress of an impending move did nothing to help out the situation.
I feel really well now. My cranky skin has cleared up completely, and my energy is back. I get a little achy in my back from lifting and moving packed boxes down to the garage, but I few minutes of yoga and I am good again.
So I have changed my perceptions of food. I am not eliminating anything from my diet, but if I choose to have coffee or a cookie, I will enjoy it at the time and think of it as a treat rather than as a necessity. I will be more aware of why I choose the foods I am choosing and try to be aware of the need I am attempting to satisfy in doing so. I generally eat healthy meals so I know I am not snacking out of genuine hunger.
I am more convinced than ever that whole foods and organic is the way to go. Of course, these days, organic isn't good enough--it has to be biodynamic. Nutrition is so much work!
TMI alert. Continue reading at your own risk. Part of the cleanse was the suggestion to use a tongue scraper in the morning. I have sometimes (rarely) brushed my tongue with my tooth brush, but I had to go out and buy a tongue scraper. Let me tell you this is a thoroughly disgusting activity. I was both amazed and appalled at the gunk that scrapes off my tongue. It is so disgusting that I can't stop doing it. The thought of swallowing the stuff with my breakfast is too much.
I would never give up coffee. It's a morning ritual to drink it and read the newspaper.
ReplyDeleteMe, too!
DeleteI'm shaking my head and grinning.
ReplyDeleteThe cleanse - good for you, not for me. I'm wondering how long the effect will last in causing your aversion to food you usually desire.
I never knew there was such a thing as a tongue scraper. I do brush my tongue when I brush my teeth. I don't like yucky mouth. But if that gunk is something your body produces can it be all that bad? Never thought of that before, just wondering.
My husband has an ongoing battle with dental hygiene and uses a tongue scraper. I just cannot even think about it. I am glad your cleanse worked. I do try very hard not to eat junk food and also to keep everything in balance.
ReplyDeleteWell done - I'm not sure I have the stamina or willpower to complete a cleanse. Though I must admit since I quit drinking coffee in April (the cruise ship coffee was disgusting) the few times I've had a sip I can't recall why I enjoyed it in the first place. I will have a cup of green tea every couple of days but water is my drink of choice.
ReplyDeleteI do brush my tongue every day. I think Linda has a point.
Good for you. Bravo. Nutrition is SO much work. I keep putting off, and puttng of doing a 21 day elimination diet for IBS. The plain truth is that I am lazy when it comes to mean prep and planning. I don't why. I was never like that when I was raising my family.
ReplyDeleteI think your great accomplishment has given me much food for thought. Mindless eating is a problem for me. I think that your new attitude about food will serve you well.
Sure hope the love of wine remains! But seriously -- congrats! I am glad it made you feel better and to be more aware.
ReplyDeleteI really think a cleanse helps you in ways other than physically. It makes you more aware of the food that goes into your body. It makes you stop and think before putting food in your mouth. Good for you - I don't even want to think of a tongue-cleaning gadget!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it funny how we're so much more conscious of nutrition and health in our later years when we should have been paying better attention when we were younger? Sigh. I regret some of the choices I made in the past and wish now that we were more careful with our kids back then. Ah well... they seem OK now, but I wish they were more careful with their health choices now.
ReplyDelete