Ounce of Prevention....

Well, I did it. I made it through that darn Detox Week. It was the hardest thing I have ever done but I did it and without eating that brownie. I lost a significant amount of weight and actually feel pretty good. Scratch that.... I feel bursting-at-the-buttons proud of myself for sticking with it and finishing that week. Now, I can eat but I am still on an extremely restricted diet that is gluten-, dairy-, sugar-, and red meat-free for the next month. I can add gluten and dairy partway through next week but the purpose of being on this diet like this is to see if I am gluten-intolerant and what the dairy does. I have long suspected that I am lactose intolerant and this diet will hopefully confirm that. I am also hoping that I am not gluten intolerant as I am struggling to do without gluten products at present. I never realized how prevalent gluten is in our food. Even the organic and natural food section at the grocery store is chock full of items with gluten ingredients. Now, I am facing a long distance trip with a very limited food selection and I am not looking forward to it. Still, I keep telling myself that the result (a healthy body and healthy life) is worth the effort (this restrictive diet) and that it won't be much longer before I can start adding more foods. What also helps is knowing that my reactions are normal. How can one go from a diet such as the one I was eating to what I am on now and not balk at the thought of not eating a cheeseburger? It is a daily struggle to find ways to cook foods I am used to eating without using the 'avoid list' foods. (Ever try to make french toast without wheat bread or milk?) I know that most of my struggle is due to the fact that I am not being creative enough with the foods allowed to me nor have I actively embraced my new menu. I keep thinking in terms of 'a month from now' and what I will be allowed to eat then instead of what I can eat now. The other thing I keep reminding myself is that by doing this now and getting healthy, I am saving on those horrificly large hospital bills that would be the result of an unhealthy lifestyle later on. So an 'ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" will hopefully work out in this case. So, now I am off to dream up a gluten and dairy free version of chicken pot pie.