Day 8: What's up with gluten?

So, I thought it might get boring for me to just say what I've eaten every day on this plan.  Are you curious what gluten is and why I'm not eating it for 3 weeks?  Oh, good!  I thought so.  I'll tell you...

Gluten is a special type of protein that is commonly found in rye, wheat, and barley.  That means breads, cereals, baked goods, and a lot of things you wouldn't even think of.  The funniest one I've found?  Veggie burgers.  It was interesting that there is grain in a veggie burger patty, but I guess it makes sense - gluten has a binding and "chewy" effect in food.


Why is gluten a problem?  Well, it can, in effect, act as a toxin in the human body: 

"The nature of the toxicity, although to some extent stems directly from the chemical nature of gluten, is mostly due to a reaction that occurs by the immune system of individuals in possession of certain genes that recognize gluten for the foreign protein that it is and hence toxic. The immune system genes in control of this reaction are actually not rare, and may be present in up to 60% of Americans." (from finerhealth.com)

60% of Americans!  That's a majority!  The symptoms of gluten sensitivity usually manifest in gastrointestinal discomfort (heartburn, nausea, indigestion, abdominal bloating and pain, and more).  So, taking gluten out of the diet for 3 weeks gives us a chance to evaluate how our bodies feel without that "foreign protein" getting in the way.


Thanks to Wikipedia, wisegeek.com, and finerhealth.com for the info!




QUESTION FOR YOU:  Wanna try no gluten for a few weeks? :-)

Day 7: One week down!

I can't believe it....I have completed Week 1 of the cleanse!  I'm 1/3 of the way done with this plan!  I'm finding all kinds of reserves of will power that I never knew I had!

When I get together with my friends, they say they can't believe I'm eating this way.  Really, now it's almost becoming second nature.  Check the ingredient list.  Look online at menus before eating out.  Order lots of salad.

I definitely have you guys to thank!  Without the accountability of writing a blog every day, I would probably have already cheated (maybe more than once) on this diet.  When I think, "I just want chocolate!" or, "I could really use my Diet Dr. Pepper around now!", I say to myself, "No!  This is for my health!  This is to kickstart healthier eating!  This is for the people who are supporting me and helping me on this journey!"

So, thank you. :-)  Thanks for getting me through my first week!


QUESTION FOR YOU: What keeps you motivated when you've made a commitment to yourself?

Day 5: Keeping busy

Today was better than yesterday - the cleanse and I have reconciled. :-)

Tonight I had dinner with some friends - it's something we do about twice a month.  We  pick a new recipe every time we meet.  Tonight, the girls made stuffed tomatoes.  They used meat, cheese, and veggies in theirs.  I brought my own eggplant mix so I could have the dinner with everyone else, and it was AWESOME!  It just takes a few changes and some preparation to be able to do normally scheduled things within the cleanse.


QUESTION FOR YOU:  Where do you find new recipes to enjoy?

Day 4: The honeymoon's over...

I mean, me and the cleanse were doing just fine - we were good!  But, we had our first fight today, as the cravings started to kick in.  I really just wanted something sweet.  ANYTHING sweet would have done fine (preferably containing chocolate).

You can ask my family, whom I was with this morning....I was a cranky cleanser today.

However, my mood got better after lunch at Rubio's (guacamole and chips with black beans) and distracting myself with my family and pups.  And, a quick shopping trip to Sprouts for some exciting new things I can eat on the cleanse...this really helped!

It's clear that this won't always be easy, but like I've said before, I can do this!


QUESTION FOR YOU:  What's your favorite non-food treat you like to give yourself?  Some new music?  A shopping trip?  A massage?

Day 3: A day at the beach (literally!)

Today was girls day at the beach!!  Such a fun time with friends, sand, and the ocean.  And, with a little planning...it worked just fine with the cleanse.

I had a nice breakfast of gluten-free waffle topped with agave nectar, strawberries, plums, and some almonds.  I made sure to bring plenty of healthy treats with me to the beach - rice cakes, veggie chips, and some fruit.  It paid to plan ahead, because I felt totally satisfied for our whole 6 hours at the beach, with enough energy to play some beach volleyball!

For dinner, we all went to a really great pizza place near the beach.  I'd be lying if I said I didn't want some pizza, but luckily the place had an awesome, huge salad topped with all kinds of veggies and chickpeas.  It was quite yummy. :-)

The girls talked about grabbing some Golden Spoon yogurt on the way home...and chocolate is the one thing I've been craving.  I knew I couldn't go there, so I went home and played with my puppy instead. :-)


QUESTION FOR YOU:  What is your defense against your cravings?

Day 2: My first obstacle

So, this morning I felt great.  Not too hungry, not too full!  For breakfast, I had a banana and rice cake, with a little bit of soy cheese.  Once again, I had quite an energy slump around 11:00, but it was soon remedied by a handful of almonds.

Here comes my first obstacle...a lunch meeting at Denny's.  Quite literally, the only things I could eat on the menu were a green salad and "dippable vegetables."  I have to tell you....it was actually pretty  satisfying!  I think my body is starting to crave the things that are good for it - not that I haven't been craving any sweets ;-).  But for now, my veggie chips are fulfilling my snacky needs!

Dinner was awesome - my sister and bro-in-law cooked portabello mushroom burgers, topped with carmalized onions, greens, pesto, and Vegannaise - all wrapped in a gluten-free bun.  Oh, and on the side - fresh squash picked from their garden.  Yummy!!


I really think I can do this!



QUESTION FOR YOU: What's your favorite grilled veggie?

Quantum Wellness Day 1...not so bad!!

Overall, Day 1 was a pretty good day.  After I experienced a tiny energy slump in the mid-morning, the rest of the day passed by like a breeze.  I'm still getting a handle on the different meals I can eat, but today's menu included:

• Breakfast - Gluten-free waffles topped with agave nectar
• Lunch - Salad with white kidney beans, sauced with olive oil and sprinkled with soy cheese
• Dinner - Sweet potato and strawberries
• Snacks - Almonds and veggie chips

Cravings were at a minimum today, but I know my excitement for this new plan helped that.  Maybe they'll get stronger in the next few days, but now I know that I CAN eat this way!

Oh, one funny thing that happened, though...last night, I had a dream that I was eating a piece of cheese pizza, and all of a sudden I said, "Oh no!  I started the cleanse today and I already messed up!!"  Guess it's been on my mind, huh? ;-)

QUESTION FOR YOU...What's the randomest fruit you've eaten?  How did you like it?

On the eve of the cleanse...

So, tomorrow I start the Quantum Wellness Cleanse. If you haven't heard of it, here's the gist:

For 3 weeks, I will be avoiding food with:

1. Animal Products
2. Sugar
3. Gluten
4. Alcohol
5. Caffeine

Sounds crazy, right? Well, I can tell you this: I've been shopping the past few days to prepare, and it's kinda hard to find foods that fit all of the above criteria! Still, it is doable and actually sustainable beyond the initial 3 weeks (I'll think about that when I get to the end of this thing!).

One commitment I will be making beyond the cleanse: I am now a vegetarian!

So, here I will be sharing the joys and pains of this 3 week cleanse, recipes and foods that work on this type of plan, and vegetarian living tips for those interested! Thanks for listening and for keeping me accountable for these next few weeks! :-)