For the month of January, 2018, I decided to eliminate all things from entering my body that I thought may be causing some harm. I ate only vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, green and herbal teas. The items that I eliminated: Highly-processed foods, coffee, alcoholic drinks, grains, added-sugar, meat, seafood, dairy, eggs.
Of these eliminations, I had already been limiting highly-processed foods, grains, dairy and meat. Highly processed foods are full of GMO corn & soy, salt, sugar and refined grains. I know these make my body feel abused, but still at times I ate them. So what would it feel like to completely eliminate them all for a month? Grains make my body feel bloated, especially in their highly refined forms, like flours. They are also highly glycemic and contain minimal nutrients in these forms. --But I love a good bread. Dairy and meat I can put in the same category of animal products for which the vast majority are produced by animals living and dying un-naturally and cruelly. I believe that this causes their meat and eggs to contain negative compounds and negative energy. Coffee is something I love. But is it the grinding of the beans, packing the freshly ground coffee into the cup, manually pressing the hot water though the coffee press and frothing the almond milk that I love? Or is it the rich flavor, the aroma, the warm cup that I love? Or is it the caffein affect? I did not miss it over the 31 days of January. Why not? I used to drink one or two cups a day. Red wine is the only alcoholic drink for me over the last oh-too-many years to say. I love red wine. But, like coffee, is it the ritual or is it the substance that I love? Or is the alcohol affect? I did not miss it over the 31 days of January. Why not? I used to drink three to four glasses per week. Sugar is added to so many foods that might otherwise have been allowed in my experiment. I have a sweet tooth and prior to January, would indulge in chocolate, ice cream or cookies -- my three weaknesses. For the experiment, I allowed myself to eat a few dates each day and perhaps some dried fruit, no sugar added to these, but they have plenty of naturally occurring sugars. I've come to like the combination of a Medjule date with some raw walnuts as much as chocolate or cookies. Now that it's February, and the 31 day experiment is over, do I load-up on cheeseburgers and Twinkies, washed down with frappuccino's and Cabernet's? Of course not. I don't feel an urge to reintroduce any of these foods due to not having them for a while. However, part of my experiment is to reintroduce each item, one-at-a-time for a couple of days each. By doing this, I hope to discover if I really like these foods and drinks, how they make me feel (mind, body and spirit), and whether I want to include them back into my regular diet in some form.
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AuthorKen Schmidt |