So this week I began the Elimination Diet phase of the Clean Program. Based on my diet before I even contemplated doing this program, I feel it is best to expand the elimination phase to one week instead of just a few days.
Yesterday I began my journey of eating Clean. No gluten, dairy, soy, red meat, citrus fruits (with the exception of limes and lemons), strawberries, peanuts and peanut butter, and processed sugar.
To the average person, I bet this diet sounds awful. But I am really excited about this change! Yesterday for breakfast I had quinoa with cinnamon and a hint of stevia, and I added almonds and goji berries to the mix. I drank tons of water with lemon throughout the day. At least three quarts.
I only ate twice yesterday (well three times if you count the mini dessert I had) because my late lunch filled me up so much! I prepared a pan-seared millet seed crusted tuna filet with a side of brown rice and avocado. So. Freakin'. Delicious.
For dessert I had a bowl of cherries (so excited they're on sale again at the super market! I absolutely love cherry season). And that was all. I continued to drink tons of water with lemon. And I left a 12 hour window between my last meal of the night and my first meal of the next day.
Everyone should practice the 12 hour window. I know for some it may not always be possible because of the busy schedule most of us have. I definitely never thought I could do this. But I'm doing it now.
It takes 8 hours to digest your last meal and another 4 hours for your body's natural detoxification process to reach completion.
I'm not going to say my first day was easy yesterday. I was definitely craving sweets. It doesn't help that my boyfriend is continuing to follow his normal diet. So needless to say there is chocolate in the cabinet right now! >.< But I will be strong! haha
But I'm noticing that I don't feel as bloated, my mood is so much better today, and my allergies are slowly dissipating.
I'm not sure if I mentioned this in my last post but allergies are made in our guts! This blew my mind when I found out that if we changed our diets we wouldn't have to suffer from seasonal allergies. I haven't taken a Zyrtec in a few days and I don't plan on it. I want my body medication free while I embrace this detoxification process.
What happens is when we ingest foods that irritate our intestinal flora, our intestines produce histamines. These histamines interact with those found in our environment and boom, we're sneezing our faces off all day.
I've always known that dairy is a trigger for me and soy. Soy is probably one of the worst things for you. But I didn't realize how much gluten is an irritant to my system as well. Just one day without wheat and I'm already feeling better!
I saw this picture today on the Clean Program's Instagram page and immediately connected with its message.
I feel so great after only a day, I can't imagine how great I'll feel at the end of this entire process.
The only factor about this program that I felt hesitancy toward was the idea that I would not be able to exercise as hard as I normally do. However, Dr. Junger speaks about how many athletes have successfully completed Clean. He recommends, if you exercise regularly, to diminish the amount of exercise by half.
On average I run anywhere between 22 and 30 miles a week. Sometimes it peaks around 40, sometimes it's as low as 10. So, while on Clean, I will still be able to run between 11 and 15 miles per week. And that's not bad at all.
It might be nice to take a little break from running as hard and let my body truly detoxify. Plus, I have awful plantar fasciitis in my right foot right now. My body is telling me it needs a break. So this whole program is coming at the perfect time I think.
Meditation, skin-brushing, hot-cold plunges, and supplements are also a regular part of this process. I started skin-brushing yesterday.
For those of you who don't know what that it, it's simply a way to encourage blood flow via your skin. Don't forget, your skin is your body's largest organ. When you brush it before showering, you're encouraging your skin to pump almost as much blood as the heart.
Start from head to toe, working in circular motions toward the heart. Do so before showering to stimulate the lymph system.
Hot-cold plunges can be performed in the shower. Crank up the heat of the water to as hot as you can stand and stay under for about a minute. Then lower the temperature of the water to as cold as you can stand and stay under for a minute. Do this 4-5 times when you shower.
For those of you who run, you know that hot water encourages vaso-dilation and cold water encourages vaso-constriction.
So these are just a few things I am beginning to make a regular part of my hygiene routine.
I feel like I've said a lot in this post today so I'll save the discussion of the supplements for tomorrow.
For now, I'll leave you with this and a reminder to take good care of yourselves. xoxo
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