To Heal, Eat First

Nearing the end of 6 weeks on this food cleanse, and all systems are go!  Here are some things I'm noticing now.  My skin has gotten silkier and more youthful.  Before I had lots of tiny little rough spots all over my arms and legs that were scratchy and thin.  In the last week or two, those little spots have disappeared and the quality of my skin is much smoother and moister.  Wow!  The weight continues to slide off, slowly but surely.  Sinuses remain clear.  I'm monitoring my blood pressure and have permission from my doctor to cut my BP meds in half in the near future, and eventually to get off of them entirely if I can stabilize my levels.  All of this seems a bit magical, but it is just the payoff for eating a clean diet for all these weeks.  In general, I feel terrific, my energy levels are high, I have no physical complaints at all.  For my age, this is terrific!

I'm reaching the point where I can gradually begin adding a few foods back in, one at a time, starting with corn, then peanuts, then nightshades (tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes), and moving slowly down the list from there.  The idea is to try something, wait a few days and see how the body reacts, and then try the next thing.  That way, if there is anything that causes a problematic reaction it should be clear what it is.  As it is, I'm quite used to eating this limited range of foods and it would not be a problem to continue for several more weeks.

I read some interesting articles this week.  One in the New York Times was called To Heal, Eat First, and described a program where several of the culinary institutes are enrolling doctors to learn about healthy nutrition and how to cook delicious, nourishing meals.  I've seen several articles about the massive amounts of sugar that the average American eats (something like 158 pounds per year per person), and how many of our processed foods contain big amounts of it.  No wonder our bodies are completely bamboozled!  My awareness about nutrition has been expanding rapidly and is a real motivating factor to keep on keeping on.

I'll keep updating this as time goes by.  I have a blood test due next week, and my goal is to have a marked improvement.  I want to startle my doctor - we'll see!