Last year at this time I blogged about taking a “whole-life” challenge. While I still believe in that idea and try to live by it, this January I’m going back on what I said (somewhat) and both Kimberly and I are taking a 28-day challenge of sorts. We’re doing a detox.
I started one week ago, on January 1, and Kimberly started today, along with a group of people from our yoga studio in Naperville. While I’m participating from 813 miles away, and I’m not on the same schedule, I’m thankful for Kim’s support and glad we’re doing this together.
In the first six days I eliminated various foods from my diet, most notably including gluten, soy products, peanut butter, caffeine, alcohol, chocolate and sugar. The next step (the past two days and next four) is eating only fruits and vegetables and brown rice. Woop woop!
I’ll be the first to admit I’ve been wary of detoxes or cleanses in the past. And I’m not sure how I’ll feel about the experience after the 28 days are up. But right now, eight days in, I’m happy I decided to give it a try and I’m feeling good!
For the past four months, I’ve been living the life of a busy and often-stressed grad school student, complete with not-even-close to-desirable dining hall food and MUCH less time on my mat than I prefer. My eating habits slowly (or not so slowly) became much different from my pre-seminary days, even though I have tried so hard to stay balanced and healthy. I’m using this detox as an opportunity to hit the “reset” button on my diet and my body.
Already I find I’m more aware of how I can be fueling my body with the kinds of foods we all know should make up the vast majority of what we eat every day: fruits and veggies veggies veggies. I’m also re-learning how to listen to what my body is calling for — when I am truly hungry and what I am hungry for. This is a real (good) stretch for the girl who has eaten the same thing for lunch for probably the last four-ish years, just out of a default, ‘this is what and how much I eat for lunch.’
I’m looking forward to experiencing how my body continues this processes of detoxification, and hopefully how my mind and spirit will continue to be set right and refreshed at the same time. And to hearing what Kimberly has to say too! I hope she blogs about it. Wink wink. 😉
Julie