Days 8, 9, 10 of Detox: And A Far Too Rapid Finish

On the tenth night, I fell fast out of my detox in a plunder I believe is a likely occurrence with novice detox-ers like me.

Instead of slowly rounding out the tenth day of legumes, whole grains, fruits, and veggies, and patiently re-introducing the near-forgotten foods I hadn't craved in days, I took my sister up on a date for Spanish tapas to celebrate the finishing line.

BAD IDEA!

Really bad idea.

Even though I passed over the bacon wrapped dates, I indulged myself in bites of manchego cheese, glasses of sangria, and a typical Spanish omelette of eggs & potatoes (a tortilla). These itty bitty bites really did me in.

It was a fun tapas bar, but I returned home to a night of belly aches and sleeplessness.

Let this be a WARNING to you all: when you are fasting, or detoxing, end the process as tenderly as you began it. Beware: The urge to bulldoze through a detox will end up gnarly and nauseated. I do not recommend it under any circumstances.

My menu the last three days of my detox was quite the same as it had been the first three days, so I shan't re-post the same ol' thing.

Looking back on the detox, and meditating on my New Years' wishes, the detox proved more like a lifestyle than a cleanse. As it turns out, I prefer eating like a vegan, which is really what this little blog experiement is about: exploration of my self as I relate to food, family, culture, love, community, and social justice. The various threads of my intimate, political, communal hopes braid nicely into a way of life that is mostly vegan and plant based. My partner is feeling the same inklings, and it's exciting as we embark on this new year together (2012!) to think that we can wander down new paths of exploration, and see how we transform.

Days 8, 9, 10 of my detox were nearly a month ago. What I have learned is that I don't want my "detox" to end. I want it to begin: I want to begin living my life with the same fervor I had whilst I cooked and ate consciously, tenderly, lovingly, and excitedly.

Cheers to the New Year!