New Year...New You: Days 5 and 6 and 7 and 8 and 9 and so on and so on

Well, I am actually ready to rap up my entries about the detox.  Not because I am done doing it....I have two more days to go...but because I can sum it all up in one entry what I have learned these last five days.  Unfortunately, I am not nearly as beautiful with words as my neighbor and friend, Sara Wells, is.  I guess it is because she is published author! She blogged today about her journey on a 30 day detox.  And her words were priceless.  So in order to save me the time and agony of putting all of this into words, I encourage you to check out her blog post at http://networkedblogs.com/Tgta6. She culminates her thoughts on how you can make a case for and against doing a detox.  The bottom line is having good, healthy boundaries with food. 

I was getting to the point that I was educating myself so much that I was becoming scared of any sugar and processed foods.  I mean....everything is linked to cancer these days, right?  I couldn't ignore what I was reading, but I noticed that I was really struggling to find the right balance with what to eat and what not to eat.  And what to feed my kids and husband. After all, I am an advocate for green smoothies and essential oils so a plant based diet is what I teach about. But in reality, health in all areas is what I teach about.  Food is only one of those components.  These last five days on the detox have helped me regain a healthy balance with those dilemmas.  It all comes down to the way you feel.  Do you feel vibrant and alive with the foods you are eating?  Do you feel sluggish and weighed down?  Food should give us energy and help keep us alive.  God gave us food because it is good for our mind, body and soul.  There should be no guilt involved.  If I want a cookie that I so lovingly made for the girls, I can have it.  If I have three of them and feel guilty, then maybe I should try just having one and enjoying the whole thing.  I will have that slice of cake at a birthday party because I am enjoying it with my kids.  But overall, I will maintain many of the habits that I developed this week because they made me feel good.  I wasn't driven by hunger, I wasn't consumed with what foods I was eating or not eating and I thoroughly enjoyed my meals.  I had peace of mind that I know I can maintain.  I didn't really learn about food this week because I didn't eat so differently from what I am used to.  What I did learn was how to listen to my body and live guilt free days.  And that pizza I fed to my kids yesterday and today, because I was sick, is totally okay.