It is DAY 26 of my 26 day detox and I am still alive! In fact, I feel better than I have in a very long time. It was NOT an easy task. It was 26 days full of cravings, emotions, determination, frustration, and exploration. I learned a lot of things about myself and my body.
I find it a little ironic that today is INDEPENDENCE DAY. I do feel free, not just because I am an American, or that I can start eating some familiar foods and sprinkle a little salt on my avocado, but I feel a sense of freedom because I am no longer going to let food be so controlling in my life. Before this detox, I would submit to cravings, eat emotionally and was afraid to go without. I learned that I don’t need so much protein, and that plant based foods can be quite sustainable and healing!
This morning I had a nice patriotic bowl of oatmeal with blueberries, raspberries and walnuts. This usually would not have sustained me, but it did today!
Were any of you fortunate enough to listen to any of the FOOD REVOLUTION SUMMIT that was hosted by John & Ocean Robbins a month ago? It was excellent. They interviewed many experts that really opened up my eyes in a way that really rang true to me and motivated me to eat more clean.These are guys know their stuff. Although the summit is over, you can follow them on facebook. The things I learned on the summit and in my association and learning with Ahlea Khadro, has really helped me to stay motivated in changing the way I eat and care for my body. It was very timely!
I have to give a shout out for my dear friend Ahlea. She is an amazing women and I feel so privileged to have her in my world. In my search for “how to eat”, and “live” (which has been VERY confusing) in a world with so many philosophies, her simple ways really resonates with me, and maybe they will with you as well.
I love the book she coauthored with Louise Hay and Heather Dane LOVING YOURSELF TO GREAT HEALTH. It is chuck full of wisdom on how to love yourself in a way to create health, happiness and longevity. It has tips for menus, recipes, affirmations, and exercises to help support a healthy balanced life. LOVE IT! I hope you will check it out.
So now that I have completed my detox, I am going to continue to eat as clean as I can. This means listening to my body more closely and giving it what it needs, instead of what everyone else thinks it needs. This does not mean that I am going to be vegan, vegetarian, or paleo, I am simply going to reduce animal products a lot, only eat dairy occasionally and keep eating more live plant based foods and avoid processed foods as much as possible.
Going over my symptoms before I started the detox and I how I feel now, there have been some significant changes occur. Nothing life shattering, but good enough to say that I would do it again in a heart beat. Do you want to know what they are?
Here are some of the improvements:
- No more acid reflux
- No more stiff and achy feet in the morning
- Hardly any joint stiffness and aches
- Less sacroiliac joint pain
- No low back pain
- Less swelling in hands, face & feet
- Hardly any brain fog and sick head feeling
- Not as depressed, more hopeful and content!
- Hardly any abdominal fullness
- No more sinus congestion
- Less fatigue
- Scratches and things seem to be healing a lot faster.
- No more sore stomach in the mornings
Who knows what my platelet count is? I will follow up with some blood work soon and let you know if things have changed from the Lupus profile as well. I am still experiencing hypertension, which I really thought the diet would take care of, but now I know it is something else and will continue to search for the root cause of that.
This will be my last post about the detox and about food for a bit. Thanks for hanging in there with me. Has anyone else out there done a cleanse before? What did you do and how did it effect you? I would love for you to share!
If you are considering cleaning it up a little with a detox, I highly recommend it! I am excited to move forward now with my new way of thinking and being!
LIVE, LAUGH , EAT WELL & PLAY!
Share:
Jan Howell
Connect:

Jan Howell
Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.