Since I've seen my shiatsu practitioner, Mr. Mori, I've tried to maintain a "greens and grains" diet. He encourages me to chew a lot. To eat lots of seasonal vegetables. To eliminate sugar. When I'm mindful about doing this, I feel good. My stress is a little lower, my tight neck feels looser and my system is very regular. Like 2-3 times more regular than usual.
But summer came, thwarting all my intentions of being mindful. Or eating healthy. As far as average Americans go, Doug and I eat pretty well: Not a lot of meat, limited trips to fast food, caffeine and alcohol in moderation. But when the sun is shining in the afternoon, lingering into late evening, I really want a cocktail. I want barbecued meats. And brownies. I don't even want to get into the amount of time we've spent sampling ice cream from our favorite places in town: Molly Moon's, Bluebird, Parfait, Snacks and Peaks (frozen custard).
A huge wake-up call came last weekend at a party our good friends hosted where there were margaritas and Mexican food. Doug and I really enjoyed ourselves, but the Mexican food didn't sit too well with either of us and we each observed strange reactions in our bodies to the alcohol. Doug gets very very red (an Asian allergy thing), then very very cold, then very very pale and unhappy. I don't even get buzzed anymore. I go from loose and a little happy to a headache and upset stomach.
Then there's the coffee. When we arrived in Latte-land we did not drink coffee. It's only been in the last few years (prompted by the birth of our kids, probably) that we've become coffee drinkers. I love the smell. Especially when I'm sleepy and Doug is making the coffee, whisking warm milk into a froth. The taste of the heavy coffee buoyed by refined white sugar and milky bubbles is one of the ultimate expressions of Doug's affection for me--denying a cup would hurt his feelings, right? That's what I kept telling myself this summer. Even as I took over the coffee making for the two of us.
So, for the month of September (to start, I hope), we're quitting. Going to eliminate as much sugar as possible. Going to eat more greens and grains. Going easy on the dairy. Going to move more. Going off the sauce. Doug hasn't decided if he's off coffee yet. These last few days I've gone half-caf, half-decaf, using rice milk as my sweetener of choice.
A bonus of our September Detox is a trip to the Olympus Ladies Spa or Banya5. Every once in a while, everybody needs a good scrubbin'.
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