First of all, I have to admit that I'm not quite sixty .... yet. I will be, in less than a month and that's close enough for the purposes of this blog. Sixty is a big punch in the gut for a lot of people; I'm not quite that dramatic so it's more like a stern talking-to for me. I'm not crying over my lost youth, or looks, or opportunities; I didn't even come close to human status until I was in my 50's, so things actually keep getting better in my world. It's more of a realization that I'm not going to live forever and if I want to be healthy, happy and productive in the time I have left I need to make some adjustments. Right now seemed like a dandy time to do that.
The Whole30, for those of you who aren't familiar with it, is a 30 day elimination diet. Eliminate alcohol (no problem), beans, peas, lentils (meh), grains and dairy (I will miss you guys), and sugar (NO! NOT SUGAR! HOW WILL I LIVE WITHOUT SUUUUUUUUGARRRR?). You may not be aware of this, but I have a sugar demon. Yes, it's true. I gave up alcohol after years and years of daily drinking. I succesfully quit smoking even though I still thoroughly enjoyed it, even with a cough. I severed my ties with a number of relatives intent on making me miserable. But sugar? Letting go is so hard. Oh, sugar, you've been my constant companion since childhood when I hoarded candy in my dresser drawer. You were always there when I felt down. Or up. Or anything in between. Wreaking havoc with my blood sugar, putting me on the brink of diabetes. Helping me to become 40 pounds overweight and not being able to do a number of things I've always enjoyed. Wait a minute.......Alright, it's pretty obvious why eliminating sugar is a good thing for me.
So what about the other foods? I've eaten them all my life and never had a problem, right? Well, maybe not. I wake up congested every morning. I have some skin and digestion issues that are annoying. Sometimes I am so. damned. tired. For no reason that I can fathom. What if those are food related? What if my body is retaliating after my decision to eat that blue cheese? What if I knew what those foods were, totally eliminated them from my diet and felt FABULOUS?
I start today. Stay tuned.
