Detox

Good morning friends.

Well, it's Tuesday. Kind of boring day of the week in my opinion. Tank and I are hanging out until I go to class. Tank has had the unfortunate duty of being my companion while I embarked on a detox prescription diet over the last three weeks. He straight up ignores my cries for Little Debbies and encourages me to just relax. What a peach (he still gets to eat cheese).

My aunt and I are on this diet that started with a three day juice/smoothie cleanse followed by three weeks of gluten free, vegan eating. The longing in my heart for hot bacon and pancakes had to be pushed aside for the sake of my health. I honestly didn't know what kind of health benefits I was going to discover over the course of the diet, but I was willing to try it out.

After the first week my aunt asked me if I had been experiencing the same daily tension headaches that have been my M.O. for most of my life. My eyes opened wide as I realized that for a week (not counting the carb/caffiene withdrawal headaches of the first 2 days) I had been pain free. I was baffled. I've been working closely with my primary physician for years trying to track down a method for relieving my daily tension headaches. Unlike some of the stereotypical health-food nuts in America, I believe strongly in the power of medicine. Without it I would be dead. It's a fact. Little did I know, though, that eating a certain diet of nutrient heavy foods would work like a miracle drug for my headaches.

In culinary school I participated in many discussions about food as medicine. In my nutrition course we talked about how important it is to be choosy about what you put into your body. All those conversations were helpful enough, but what I lacked was personal experience and evidence to support the claim that healthy living was the best kind of living. Sacrificing the incredible flavors of dairy and meat products is a BIG DEAL for any culinarian. From day one in culinary school we are taught that fat is flavor, which is an undeniable fact. However, other flavors exist as well. Citrus fruits, fresh herbs, smoky spices, and all types of vinegars can make a dish extremely flavorful without the addition of animal products.

I understand that tofu will never take the place of bacon and a rare steak with blue cheese butter melting on top will always trump roasted mushrooms. But, if eating a gluten free, vegan diet is going to significantly decrease the amount of chronic pain I have to suffer through, I'm going to bite the bullet and stick to it as much as I can.

I've got the personal evidence now. I can back up the "healthy eating" story that doctors try to sell to us. It was definitely a difficult switch and I still dream of hamburgers and chocolate malts, but I'm practically pain free. It's a pretty big deal. I pray that you also find an eating style that makes your body feel it's best. Chronic pain can steal your joy, and I don't want that for you.

Here's to soymilk.

Love,
Marissa