Beginning of the Beginning

Dear Diary,

Wow, what a month this has been. I wasn't sure how I was going to make it through the first week and here we are, embarking upon the second month already. I feel like I've learned so much in this month, so much about making positive changes and about just being easy with myself and not trying so hard to solve problems that aren't even if front of me yet. Wondering how I was going to make if through the first week of 'eating raw' is just one example. It sounds so cliche to say we make it one day at a time, but that really is the truth. First one foot, and then the other. 

Through this crazy, amazing experiment, I've really become quite comfortable with my juice routine. I've gone from wondering how in the world I was going to fit it into my morning, to being really excited about making it work, and now, to just being relaxed about it and looking forward every morning to my green lemonade. I've even considered the possibility that I might eventually burn out on it and decided to try and expand my repertoire. This morning, I opted instead for a pineapple/pear/plum/lemon/ginger combo. (No juice seems complete these days without the addition of lemon and ginger.) It's really good, to be sure, but after a few sips, I had to put it to the side for mid-morning and make myself a green lemonade. So much for changing it up, right?

Another big shift has been in the way I look at food. I really have gotten a lot of junk out of my diet. I'm not talking about traditional 'junk food', I'm just talking about processed food that's considered healthy. I was consuming a lot more of that than I realized. Here's a good example: I love those delicious little green pea crisps - you know, the ones that are shaped like snap peas? I think those are kind of yummy - and they're gluten-free, so I considered them a safe snack. Once we began this experiment though, I had to acknowledge that when I fill up on food like that, I'm not going to eat an equivalent amount of fresh, raw vegetables. Besides, gluten-free or not, they're seriously just grown-up Cheetos. 

Some things have been a bit more of a challenge, things I hope to figure out here, in the next month. Despite all my efforts, raw vegetables for dinner just don't seem to sit well, meaning they leave me with one heck of a stomach ache. Not for long, but long enough. Not leafy greens so much as things like broccoli and cabbage, even carrots. I'm not quite sure the reason, but until I figure it out, maybe this takes me back to my original intent of 'raw until dinner'. Despite my good sense in setting 80/20 as my intention, my ever-present tendency to push for more found me striving to eat a dinner of raw vegetables every night and maybe I'm just not there yet. Maybe I'll be steaming my dinner veggies for a while longer. 

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I really love this routine and want to continue building upon it. I'd like to try a few new recipes here in our second month and expand my repertoire in that way. I've also been thinking about EatRight4YourType and looking forward to revisiting that book and perhaps incorporating some of the things I learned about myself there, along with the successes, into this practice. (Thanks to Maggie for my renewed interest. Looking forward to more exchanges on that topic.)

I can easily see a strong, vibrant life emerging from the decision to embark upon this adventure together. I can see other wonderful practices growing from it, too. Sun salutation and green lemonade under the clear skies in the morning? Maybe the return of my daily walks? One foot in front of the other. One foot ...

See you Saturday,
deborah