Pre-cleanse thoughts

The question people ask me when I tell them I am about to cleanse is "why". I also hear I can't give up _______. Well my new answer is "It's taken 2 years to get here, but I am actually looking forward to it". I have had several health problems over the past few years so now food and diet is not just about losing weight for me anymore. Actually I don't care about the scale or the numbers anymore. I pay attention to it but it does cause me stress or fear any longer.

You know the old saying never talk about sex, religion and politics at social gatherings, I think you have to add diet to that. We love our food and do not think about taking it away from us. I am lumping coffee and alcohol in this group as well. People get very passionate about their diet. Whether they are on a restrictive diet or not. Ask anyone who is Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and just tries to eat a whole food/organic life style.

Hey I am not looking forward to not having Starbucks for 3 weeks. I may go there for a herbal tea but I love coffee. But I want to feel better. I want to have energy. I want to be focused. So if that means abstaining from a few vices for 21 days, I am all in.

Getting excited to cleanse for the next 21 days

The countdown begins! My friend and I are gearing up for this challenge. We have talked about scheduling colonics at the same time. I know, people might think that is weird but I find it comforting. I am a little scared to do it so this makes me feel safe. No caffeine, no alcohol, no refined sugar and no meat. I am ready to cleanse!

Crazy sexy diet by Kris Carr

I borrowed this book from the library and could not put it down! So much so that I have convinced a friend to do the 21 day detox with me starting June 1. We are both a little nervous to give up coffee but hey it's only for 21 days. I am hoping that I will be able to give it up all together. Two years ago when I was drinking Green Smoothies every morning for 9 months, I lost all craving for caffeine so I am hoping to repeat that habit.

If anyone wants to join us in this cleanse, comment on this post. I would love more accountability and I plan to post daily for the 21 days.

A little note: Kris uses saucy language here for those of you trying to avoid it.

Start or join a organic produce co-op

I joined a local organic produce co-op last year and it has really paid off for my family. Currently we are getting deliveries once a month. This sometimes leads to over ordering. I have to be careful about that because I hate to throw out food. I am also getting fruit and veggies delivered to my house every other week. This is helping me with staying out the regular grocery stores.

The farmers market started this week. I missed it but I am totally planning to go next week. I love this time of year. My garden is almost all planted and I can't wait to shop from my own backyard.

A couple of favorite raw snacks

Raw Hummus



Sunflower seed sprouts



Dehydrating
Cafe Gratitude crackers They keep really well in a air tight container for 2 weeks.

Fresh squeezed orange juice

Wow what a difference between fresh squeezed and the cartons in the store. It will be hard to go back. I have been getting bags of organic oranges from my produce co-op. I gave this job to my son and we have been doing it so much lately I might have to look for a more sophisticated juicer at the garages sales this summer.
My parents returned from a winter in FL this week and brought with them fresh pick oranges. We are getting spoiled around here.

The gluten-free, dairy-free results

Wow, it's been awhile since I posted. So we completed our GF/DF month and here's what we found out about ourselves.
My husband said he felt less "foggy" , he lost weight and feels better.
My son said that he felt the same however he did seem to be able to focus and start more conversations. He also lost a little weight which concerns me a little since he is so thin already.
I lost a little weight, was less bloated and lost some carb carvings. So I would say it was a success. So much so that my son said he wanted to continue GF until August (his birthday). We all agreed to do GF until then.
We have been a little more relaxed about the dairy but are still restricting the amounts and sources of it. We only use Snowville Creamy milk, raw cheese and 5 Stars yogurt. No one is drinking a glass of it but we use it in recipes. Now that this will be a long term goal, I have to start gathering recipes for bread, pizza crust and the thing my son said he would miss the most if he had to do this for rest of life hot soft pretzels.