Sugar free, Gluten free, Animal-product free....but I can still eat french fries!

Yes, people! I made it! Today is my 21 day without sugar, without animal-products, and with only a small amount of Gluten (I'll explain later in the post).

So, it all started when I was in Utah. I had returned to SLC after a day of skiing and was vegging on a love sac, watching Oprah, waiting for friends to get ready to go out to eat. It was the episode where they had Michael Pollan and this other lady who is a vegan. They were talking about food and the ills associated with it etc. This lady recommended that everyone should do a 3 week cleanse and avoid sugar, gluten and animal products. I decided I would take on this challenge.

It has been remarkably easier than I thought. I still eat when I'm hungry, I just eat fruits, vegetables, and nuts. It was a little difficult to find foods to make that I could "grab and go". That is why I ate a small amount of gluten too. In the process I've lost 10 lbs. I think my skin is healthier because I feel like it is not producing a lot of excess oil. My bathroom habits are much healthier. And, above all, I've proven to myself that I do have some self-discipline and strength.

Its been great to see other people support me too. I've gone out to eat with friends probably 2-3 times during this 3 weeks. People think it is great what I'm doing, and don't try to pressure me to eat things I shouldn't have (except my roommate, who does it for fun and that's fine). I usually get a salad, no dressing, no cheese, no meat. Cheesecake factory has a great vegetable salad that if you order without cheese and without dressing it works for the cleanse, and...its yummy. However, yesterday, after hiking with friends, we went to a hot-dog stand. Pretty much nothing on the menu was ok for me...except....french fries! Yay! (thank goodness for vegetable oil)

Some of the foods that I have eaten during this week were:

(I can send recipes if anyone is interested, let me know).

Tofu spanikopita (made with tofu and tahini instead of cheese...the real thing is still the best, but this is not a bad vegan alternative). This is where my small amount of gluten came into play.

Vegetarian spring rolls. (this picture is pre-rolled spring roll)

Fruits (usually a banana for breakfast everyday).

Peanut Butter (smuckers natural has no sugar added).

A spinach salad for lunch everyday at work consisting of spinach, cucumbers, bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, olives or beets, sunflower seeds or walnuts sprinkled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a serving of strawberries or watermelon on the side.

Hummus and carrots.

Bryers no sugar added fruit pops.

Vegetable fettuccine alfredo (I didn't get a picture of this one because I ate it all before I started taking pictures). The noodles were made by julienning yellow squash, zucchini, and carrots and flash sauteeing them. Then the sauce was made with macadamia nuts, water, tahini, yeast extract, red pepper flakes, and then I thickened it with cornstarch. I went in hoping for an alfredo taste...very disappointed. The second time I ate it though, I knew what to expect and it was really good. I think they should call it something else because the name is very misleading.

So now the question is, will I stick with it? This is really funny because when I went out to eat at cheesecake factory someone asked me if I was doing it for animal rights/PETA sort of reasons. I responded (I'm sorry if this offends, but its my opinion, it doesn't have to be yours) "I love meat. I love leather coats. If eating more meat meant that I could have more leather coats, I would do it." I was doing this more for the experience and for an experiment, than anything else. I was actually planning to stop the cleanse that night. It would have been 3 days early, but I was going out for a friend's birthday and I was ok with that decision. I came home from work, I made supper yummy delicious looking fruit tart cupcakes to end my cleanse with. I couldn't bring myself to eat one. I couldn't bring myself to stop the cleanse that night.

As I write this I am a little torn (and a little crazy too). I'm having anxiety about eating meat, sugar, and gluten again. I think I may stick with a lot of the habits I have gained during these three weeks. A spinach salad every day. Rarely eating sugary treats. Avoiding a lot of unnecessary gluten. Maybe I'll be able to shed the rest of the weight that I want to shed. That, however, has also come because I have re-started my half marathon training. And, I've started spending time with people who like to hike on the weekends. I went to Peralta trail this weekend with my friends.

It was super fun, but I should have taken a snack cuz I was STARVING by the time I got back. :) Live and learn!

Preview of next week: A week without facebook.