Food is powerful.

I'm two days into the Resolution Challenge detox and...OMJeezy. I am learning all kinds of things about my self already. Who knew that food could do such a number on your mind and emotions like this? I heard all the warnings about detox symptoms (headaches, flu-like symptoms, fatigue, etc.) but I didn't think it'd hit me as hard as it did. I thought I'd kept fairly healthy eating habits and stayed away from caffeine before, but I guess that doesn't make me immune to symptoms! Albeit uncomfortable, it's my body's way of telling me I need this, and to keep going.

Quinoa wraps w/tahini dressing. SO GOOD

Aside from the physical symptoms, the biggest struggle has been the mental warfare going on in my head around food. Willpower is an incredible thing when it's put to the test, and shows up even when the rest of your mind is close to defeat. The first & second day, I took a brief road trip with my bestie to Portland, and all I could think about on the drive down was all the food I couldn't have. It's not that I don't have copious amounts of delicious, healthy food at my disposal. It's trying not to focus on the bad stuff I immediately turn to when I'm stressed, tired, lazy, busy or "on-the-go."

Food prep for Portland

Also, I never realized how much food and the whole production of 'eating out' was such a big part of my life. I shouldn't have been that surprised since I don't cook, but in Portland it struck me hard that most of my mental energy around food is where I'm going to eat out next. Sometimes that's fast food, and most other times it's sitting down with my boyfriend, a friend or family at a restaurant. I even sat at a pizza place, a breakfast biscuit joint and Starbucks w/my friend while she ate and I drank water! It wasn't as hard as it might've seemed, but it did get me thinking about how much of my time and social interactions are centered around food. Making all of my meals this week is a totally new practice to me. Now I'm thinking of all the other things my loved ones and I can do that don't involve food.

Raw tacos

One delightful surprise is learning that I don't need to eat (/graze/snack) as much when I know what my next meal will be; that I eat that meal until I'm full; and when I'm consciously drinking as much water as I can. Another fabulous surprise is discovering that I actually enjoy 'cooking' my meals for this detox! Since we are using mostly raw, organic ingredients for recipes, I don't have to touch the stove or watch how something cooks in a pan (for the most part. I haven't tried the quinoa pancakes yet!) Most of the meals are combined together by hand or in a blender. Turns out cooking healthy isn't as much of a pain at all!

Found a place that makes a green smoothie I can have! The Grasshopper smoothie at Prasad:

Spinach, ginger, parsley, hemp milk, chia seeds & apple

Exercising a lot of willpower at Pine State Biscuits. Double-fisting water!

I am doing this whole Resolution Challenge, detox and workouts and diet and all, because I want to make a very conscious lifestyle change with my relationship to food. It's not just about "starting the new year off right" or sticking to resolutions I've made for myself. For me, it's learning about: new foods I like that are good for me; how to think about what food goes into my body and why; not being so dependent on food as the centerpiece of social interaction; and just making better choices for my body in the moment. My boyfriend the MMA fighter already eats Paleo most of the time, and I am in search of the right healthy food balance for me.

Detox tea

Does this mean I'll never eat at a Filipino family party, holiday shindig or restaurant again? Probably not, but I'll have a totally expanded knowledge of what to eat that fuels my body so that healthy eating is what dominates my day-to-day lifestyle. Having a support system during this detox has been AMAZING, and I am so thankful for my girls for that!

"In order to get to places we've never been, we have to do things we've never done."