I thought I would tackle the one thing on my list that no one should be interested in.  I’m bored even thinking of writing it down but I’m doing it as a way to process it.  It is something that bores me to no end; talking about diets.  Not with the people I love, because I want to know that…its the people on the interwebs or friends on FB or moms here that go on and on about the latest evil food.  Sam would say that I am obsessed with food, at least in trying to reduce the bad foods that the kids (or I) may eat.  That is true, mostly, (the kids do know how to read the nutrition label and grams of sugar–don’t judge) but I really do try to chill out and make sure they are eating well, over-all, but I have elaxed in how much dessert, say, I let them enjoy.  (It is easier to be chill when they are running around, literally, all day long.)

Which brings me to what I have been eating.  Or, rather, what I have not been eating this past week, and why.

If you know me, you know I want (need) to exercise every day.  Not hardcore working out…but it does me well to get in an hour long workout each day–emotionally, as well as physically.  But that doesn’t always jive with having small children.  Or with trying to get everything that needs to be done, done in the day.  So I had been tossing around the idea in my mind of finding a way to make peace with not working out everyday but not gaining any weight. (Because I know that the amount of food I eat would lead to weight gain without a workout.) Another thing you know if you actually know me, I eat pretty healthily.  Try to limit the junk or sweets.  Eat lots of salads.  But I do eat a lot of food–grazing and such.

So on to what I have been experimenting with:  The Whole 30  Pretty much it is an austerity plan for eating.  Very Paleo.  No grains, no processed sugar, no dairy, no alcohol.  More or less, no fun.  But what it promises to help you do is clean out all the foods that may not be doing you any good and then give you a plan to work them back in, according to your individual tolerances.  I can already feel a difference going without my usual glass of wine with dinner and recognizing the lack of protein in my usual diet.  Protein sources were sorely lacking in my day to day.  I think I also my be sensitive to, gulp, dairy.  This is very sad news, indeed.

You see, I was not sleeping well (and it wasn’t just the kids waking me up) and feeling like I was on auto-pilot (i.e. in a daze) much of my afternoon into the evening.  And along with Poetry Teatime, crept in more sweets than I would have liked.  Plus its winter and that makes one crave the stuff you probably shouldn’t be eating.  This week I have taken note of how many crackers, cheese, bread and snacks I was eating throughout  the day…now its carrots and nuts and apples and whole foods…

It really is no fun but I have found it easier to go without the foods (and wine) completely instead of giving myself the old, “Well, I’ll only have a glass of wine on Thursday night.” or “I’m going to eat that cookie with my tea in the afternoon.”  I have not given up cream in my coffee…but I am not really looking to heal my “leaky gut” which is what the authors of the plan say is what is wrong with everyone in the whole wide world.  (see–this kind of talk bores me!  Because NO ONE really knows how our bodies are supposed to work PERFECTLY.  Besides–don’t tell me ice cream doesn’t enhance life.)

In any case, I am appreciating how the plan is making me pay attention to what is going on with my body and what I am using to fuel it.  I doubt it will be a lifelong chance I make to my eating habits but I hope to stick with a lot of the clean eating. Hopefully with a little more cheese.