Day 13 of the Engine 2 Diet

I will be honest I am not in love with this vegan challenge.  I think it is more because of everything else.  I am still always tired and not sure if it is just because I stopped birth control.  It has been 7 weeks since I stopped the pill and I haven’t had a good night sleep and woke up feeling refreshed since.  I have been tired for 7 weeks!  I had hoped this challenge would help.  I think I need to go back to juicing. 

So this week was just like any other.  I shared my Quinoa recipe which I had for a few meals.  Yesterday I made pasta, veggies and roasted walnuts.  I had a super craving for pasta.  It is one of my weaknesses.  Pasta,  french fries and peanut butter… Yum.  I normally love cheese too but I am surprised how easy it has been to give it and chocolate up.  I mean I want to eat them but don’t have cravings for them.

I want to try to reduce the gluten in my diet but I haven’t had time to do all the research I need on it.  I plan to do what I am doing now for the next week.  I am going to the Red River Gorge in KY next weekend so I will do my best to stay on the challenge.  My game plan is to try juicing once I return.  I have tried it once before and loved it but it takes a lot of commitment.  I find it hard to commit with all the excuses to go out for lunch and dinner. 

About a year ago I watch Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.  A documentary, you can find it on Netflix, which walks through Joe Cross’s efforts to juice across America.  His goal was to reverse his health problems by giving his body pure nutrition.  I recommend watching the video.  It is motivational and then if you join the website or Facebook page you will see a ton of people who also have great experience.  I will warn you that you will have a bit of withdrawal.  I think the first 5 days were very hard.  I still ate but only veggies and fruit and very little.  90% or more of my diet was juice.  After the first 5 days I felt really good and had more energy and ended up losing 15lbs.  It was awesome.  I even felt old injuries heal.  You do need a juicer and not a blender.  You need to take out the fiber from the fruit and veggies and only getting the nutrition.  Now everyone asks if I get enough protein.  Just look at the cow, the buffalo, hippo, elephant and gorilla.  Each one only eats vegetation and they are some of the largest and strongest animals on the planet. 

So that is my game plan.  3 weeks vegan and 1 week juice and slowly reduce gluten.  I can’t wait to have my blood work done, May 2^nd to see if it has improved. And retest my heart beat to see if this is worth it.