DAY 30

I’m so sorry, my loyal followers! I’ve been having terrible internet connection and I’ve just now been able to log in.

SO:

I completed the Wellness Challenge. 30 days. Done. I was not allowed to eat legumes, grains, sugar, corn, potatoes, and a few other things. I survived by drinking a lot of kombucha and water and eating a lot of salad, tuna mixed with salmon, soup, and my own pure will. The other day, I even bought myself a slice of german chocolate cake at Alberstons, my favorite, and do you know what I did with it? I gave it to my brother. BAM.

What was so great about this cleanse? I find that I have a lot more energy and everything just seems brighter. I don’t really know how to explain it, but it was like my eyes were more focused and I could see everything. On top of that, my skin, which normally breaks out and resembles a pizza, looks a lot better. I rarely have breakouts and when I do, they’re tiny. My scars on the sides of my face are also healing at a rapid pace which I’ve been trying to accomplish since I first stepped into the world of puberty! I’ve lost 10 pounds all together and with this feeling of accomplishment and motivation I’ve decided to buy a gym membership and work out at least 3x a week and take a yoga class.

Now, I’m really not one for exercise. I hate being on machines and just looking at the same spot for 20 or 30 minutes and then going on to the next one. I would much rather walk dogs around my neighborhood but there aren’t any dogs around me that I’m able to take. That’s why I’ve also decided to pursue a volunteer job at Greenhill Humane Society as a dog walker, so I can get my exercise and tire out the pups as well!

So what’s up now? What will I be doing now that the challenge is over? Well, adapt. I’m switching over to the Paleo diet, and here’s why:

The Paleo resembles the GAPS diet in that you still can’t eat grains or processed sugars. However, you can eat sweet potatoes. This makes it easier for me to eat at restaurants whenever my family goes out. I’ve only been able to eat salads and the occasional soup, but now? I can eat burgers as long as the buns are made with sweet potato. I can eat a normal Thanksgiving dinner without having to explain to bewildered (and probably offended) relatives that I can’t eat potatoes. It’s a little more forgiving, but is still great for you. The one thing I don’t believe in is the no dairy aspect. Since the biblical times, people have been drinking milk and making cheese. Paleo dieters believe that milk is bad for you and shouldn’t be consumed. I believe this, to an extent. It has been proven that milk really doesn’t digest very easily in our bodies. That’s why so many people suffer from lactose-intolerance. However, I believe that milk that is raw, unpasteurized and comes from organic, free-range, grass-fed cows is great for you. After a lot of research, I’ve come to the conclusion that people really weren’t starting to become allergic to dairy until the commercial milking came into play and people were drinking milk at every meal.

I really don’t even like the taste of milk, but I do enjoy a half a cup of milk with a cookie or two. It just helps wash it down and tastes better than water. Now, dairy also includes yogurt and cheese. Yogurt is extremely good for you because of the probiotics, as is kefir. I have mixed feelings about greek yogurt because the by product is hazardous waste, but kefir is something that has been proven to be good for you. Cheese is “iffy” for me, because I really don’t eat it, so I don’t have much of an opinion about it. In conclusion, I will be eating yogurt, drinking SMALL glasses of milk and exploring kefir.

On top of this, I’m going to try and eat different types of meat. I’ve really only eaten salmon, tuna, halibut, beef, pork, rabbit and chicken so I want to try quail, duck, goat, mutton and bison, just to see how each one tastes and to get a well rounded mix of meats. I’d also like to try quail eggs. I’ve heard they’re extremely good for you, so we’ll see. I’ve had duck eggs, but they’re super rich. It tastes like a chicken egg covered in cheese!

Until I’m able to grow my own Farro and Kamut wheat, I think I’ll stick with this diet and exercise plan. The only thing I really need to worry about right now is processed sugars and grains. Those are the important ones I’ll make sure to watch out for.

Anyways, I believe with my last post I was having trouble with greasy hair and gross breath. It’s gone! I found out that with the coconut/castille soap mixture, it works better after the first day of making it. So now my hair is super clean and feels pretty good! I wash my hair with this mixture probably once every two days and then condition my scalp with apple cider vinegar to help lock in moisture and help prevent dandruff from irritating my scalp. With my face, I wash with raw, unfiltered honey. That’s it. It works wonders! As for body soap, I really only use it once every couple of days because body wash strips the oils off your body and that’s what causes dry skin. I generally just wash with water, though, as it still does the same thing. It just doesn’t leave a scent.

I’m still trying to buy the ingredients I need for making lotion and deodorant, but so far I’m using an organic, locally-made lotion and Tom’s Apricot deodorant, which smells amazing. It’s great for the everyday activities but if I’m really working out or something I either need something stronger or I need to reapply it every couple of hours.

So, I believe that’s a wrap! I think from here on out, I’ll mainly just be talking about how my day went, how the diet’s doing, how I feel about certain issues and whatever else comes to mind! And as I said before, I apologize for the internet problems. I did not abandon you!

Hopefully you have a great night and rest well for school or work or…whatever else you do. Goodnight!