Eating Clean!

For as long as I can remember, I've had digestive issues.  By digestive issues I mean constant tummy aches, bloating, not going to the bathroom regularly, cramping, etc.  In high school, I didn't think much of it; in college I was living in NYC and that was the last thing on my mind; then post-college it started to bother me and has just gotten more and more irritating.  I've always been a “healthy” eater…chicken, fish, eggs, veggies, fruits, 12-grain bread instead of white, brown rice instead of white rice, no milk (I've never been a fan of cow’s milk to be honest), etc.  But I have a weakness for cheese, chips, and basically anything salty, which meant processed crap because up until recently, I didn't think anything raw or natural would satisfy that salt craving.

Last year I reached the point where I didn't want to feel uncomfortable all the time, so I made a choice.  I chose to go Paleo which includes fresh meats (preferably grass-produced or free-ranging beef, pork, lamb, poultry), fish, fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and healthful oils (olive, coconut, avocado, macadamia, walnut and flaxseed).  It helped, but I would still feel bloated and have the occasional tummy ache, albeit not as bad.  Then I tried grain-free, cutting out all grains of any sort.  I still couldn't pinpoint what my pain trigger was.

By May this year, I had enough so I met with friend who is a nutritionist, and we came up with a plan.  The plan is to do a one month food cleanse during June, then modify it and slowly add things back (if I want to) and see how my body reacts.

I started a week ago, and I have to say, my body has never felt better than it does now.  I haven’t had a tummy ache, haven’t felt bloated, and I have more energy!  If you’re not 100% committed, it may be difficult, but I was desperate to get rid of my stomach pains so I committed a 110% and I feel amazing.

My food cleanse is in a nutshell:

     -no alcohol (yikes!)

     -no dairy (that’s cheese for me!)

     -no red meat

     -no sugar (including fruit! Ah!!)

So basically it’s lots of lean protein (chicken, turkey, white fish like tilapia), veggies (green is great!), and raw protein shakes.  I eat all these anyways (with the exception of the protein shakes), and I love veggies, so the main challenge was eliminating cheese and alcohol.  So far so good!!!  I even attended a wedding this past weekend that was open bar and had a gorgeous display delectable foods, but I stuck to my cleanse and had a salad with light EVOO and balsamic, some almonds I brought with me, and a small piece of chicken, and I sipped on H2O all night!

Today begins week 2 and I’m really excited.  Some of my meals last week were:

     -oatmeal with cinnamon and slivered almonds

     -chia pudding (I soak chia seeds in coconut water, then add almond butter and cinnamon)

     -salads with avocado, green beans, broccoli, onion, lightly dressed in EVOO and balsamic

     -baked chicken with asparagus, broccoli and/or green beans

     -egg whites with spinach

     -ground turkey lettuce wraps

     -broccoli and celery soup (super easy…cook broccoli, onion, celery and garlic in vegetable stock for a few minutes, then purée until blended)

I’m beyond thrilled to be on this journey to finding the right foods that work with my body.  In the words of the wise Socrates, “The secret to change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”

Also, don't forget to enter my giveaway for a FREE race entry to any Spartan Race before tomorrow, June 11 @ noon PST!