Alcohol
Caffeine
Sugar
Dairy
Wheat
One of my favorite bloggers mentioned recently that her acne cleared up after quitting sugar. My skin has never been really horrible, but I've tried pretty much every topical everything to clear up my minor acne and nothing works. (I'm 35 and tired of having zits.) So I'm curious about that. Also, I have ideas about which of these foods will be the most difficult to do without, both physically and emotionally. I want to find out if I'm right. So here is my plan.
May 10-May 24 No Alcohol
May 24-June 7 No Caffeine
June 7-June 21 No Sugar
June 21-July 5 No Dairy
July 5-July 19 No Wheat
I realize, of course, that two weeks may not be long enough to completely purge the effects of these substances from my system. Nor may I truly understand what it is to be a dairy-free person, for example, after only two weeks. But as of right now, the thought of a day without coffee is terrifying, so I have to start slow. If I discover something miraculous about my wellness as a result of this experiment, I may try another round of this dealy-hoo starting in August. Or maybe in a month when there aren't so many yummy foods or beers to be had. Of course, the advent of summer garden foods is upon us so maybe I'll be so happy with my plate of fiddleheads and asparagus that I'll forget that a person could also be eating ice cream. (Please note that I have considered the fact that I can't have real ice cream for a solid month. In summer. And yet I sally forth.)
One oath I take as I begin this experiment is to keep my sense of humor about it. It's not meant to torture or control me. It's about my health and my well-being and finding out what makes me feel how. I'm not going to punish myself if I eat something I said I wasn't going to eat. Or if I go to a barbeque on the 4th and find out the only entree is cheese, I won't be rude and not eat anything. Oh, and what if I go to Indiana during this time period, which is more than likely? Indiana, hometown of most casseroles and a dessert called The Next Best Thing To Robert Redford (all of the things in the list above are in this thing)? Well, I'm not sure. But I will write about it here.
So starting today: no alcohol. I had a Corona on a porch last night so hopefully that will hold me for a while. I've felt for quite some time that I would feel better without alcohol. I don't drink tons, but alcohol is definitely a part of every week. I take after my family: you get home from work, check the mail, open a beer (or bottle of wine). This is how you unwind. You only drink one beer, but it is essential to the unwinding. I recognize this as a habit, and have lately stopped buying so much alcohol. I can also unwind with a can of fizzy water (though it isn't as comforting). I think that alcohol will be the easiest of the substances to give up, mostly because it's a beverage. Beverages seem easier. I won't be able to go to my neighborhood bar for two weeks, but that seems ok. I will have a beer on Memorial Day to celebrate. I don't feel like drinking right now and it's nearly beer time. In fact, R. is just now bringing me tea.
P.S. For those of you who are wondering why I'm not giving up meat as a part of the experiment: I did that already. That experiment was a part of my marriage and it didn't really work for me. In fact, the whole marriage thing didn't really work, but I have a whole other blog about that. Anyway, God made me a carnivore (just like he/she/it made some of you veggies).
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