My January detox plan
Saturday, January 1, 2011 at 2:46PM | Darya I'm not a fan of New Year's resolutions, but I do want to start 2011 off on the right foot.
After a season (err, year?) of too much partying, eating and drinking, I'm ready to cut out all the crap and get my healthstyle back on track.
These aren't resolutions and this is not a diet. But this is my plan to give my health a little kick in the ass for January. Because I'm worth it.
For the rest of the month* this will be my plan:
1) No sugar. I'm not breaking this one, there's no reason I can't go 4 lousy weeks without dessert.
2) No alcohol. This will be the hardest to keep, but even on the few inevitable exception days* I don't plan on going nuts.
3) Eat most meals at home. Restaurant food is rich, and has been my biggest problem for the past 12 months (not eating out is much easier when you're a single grad student living in SF--you just can't afford it). When I cook at home my meals are both healthy and delicious, so this is not a sacrifice. It just requires dedication.
4) Gym 5-6 days per week. Working out is a joy when you've been taking good care of yourself. I want to feel fit and strong by the end of the month.
5) Practice meditation 3-5 days per week. I'm new to meditation, but have found it is very helpful in two key aspects of my life. First, mindfulness is half the battle in healthy eating. Mediation is great for helping eat mindfully so you can slow down, eat less and truly appreciate your food. Second, all my life I've struggled with insomnia. Meditation is by far the most effective way I've found to fall peacefully asleep without medication. I use the guided meditation CDs by Jon Kabat-Zinn. I highly recommend them.
I like to keep it simple, so that's it.
Who's with me?
*I do have a few scheduled exception days--not having beer when going to see the Lakers demolish the Warriors is an impossibility
Reader Comments (19)
I'm with you. With a focus on number 5. Meditation is something that I would like to make a regular habit. All the best in 2011.
I'd love to hear details about your new found meditation routine. I am a newbie myself, and have introduced myself to meditation only in yoga thus far. However, i'd love to integrate first thing in the morning.
DP - Fantastic Approach for 2011 & onwards!~
I started after Thanksgiving and I hope to continue the same attitude in 2011.
Wishing you all the Best!~ I know YOU CAN DO IT!!!
Darya - thank you for posting these. I'm looking forward to working on much of the same for January (and hopefully beyond). You might be interested in Belleruth Naparstek's guided imagery as well. I have yet to use her work myself but hear great things about it. http://www.healthjourneys.com/ Happy New Year and many wishes for living our best and truest life!
I would never give up alcohol... No matter how helpful it is too get rid of it during diet, drinking is one of the social things I enjoy doing the most -I'm getting rid of carbs though, and eating less of all!
@Laura For sure, will post an update here in a few weeks.
@Rony Thanks! You guys coming to the Lakers game???
@eliza Rad, thanks. Will check it out.
Sounds like a good plan, Darya. Probably not a good plan for me, though. My plan is to not give up anything I currently enjoy but to eat just tiny amounts of the things that are not strictly healthful. That has worked well for me in the past. And I'm going to give myself a firm talking-to about stepping up my exercise program!
I can deal with this. Of course, prior to reading this I had bought a fairly healthy backed chicken meal at Albertsons with a Kirin beer. I'll try it all for a month. The gym thing I really need. I'm not overweight but definitely need to get fit. Sugar in coffee will be hard give up. I like oatmeal and find that a mashed banana thrown in prior to microwaving for two minutes gets rid of any need to add sugar.
I'm with you too, Darya! Sounds like a great plan, though I may struggle with working out daily. I sure am going to try! I can't wait to start cooking for myself again; I got some beautiful looking purple bok choy from the farmers market today that is calling my name.. Go Lakers!!
Just curious if you have any good resources on how to cut out sugar and/or flour. I'm a little confused as to whether or not this includes fruits or just processed sugars like corn syrup. To be honest, I haven't done any extensive google searches yet, but I thought you'd be the perfect place to start!
I was just writing my own list of 25 things to accomplish this year, trying to get myself reoriented to a better day to day life. Your post and Julien Smith's most recent blog post have been great sources of inspiration for doing things that are good for me and me alone. You are right, we are worth it and our bodies/minds are most deserving.
@Jean I agree with your tactic, and that is what I try to do most of the year. But at this point I feel like a need a reboot.
@Natalie You're awesome.
@jenn You can do it however you like, but I am definitely continuing to eat fruit. I just want to kill dessert and highly concentrated sugars for a little while.
Hi Darya,
Your posts are great! Coupled with my new years resolutions it gives me the motivations I need to do something similar. I'm curious about the mediations; How do you sit? I'm listening to the Jon Kabat-Zinn you recommended and he talks about whether you're standing or sitting etc, but do you think there may be a position that's better than any for the best results?
Thanks for these great posts!
Justin
@justin I'm just getting started and so experimenting with different postions myself. Right now just trying something different each time.
I've also been a lifelong insomniac, so maybe I should give this meditation thing a try. I'm always learning great tips from you, Darya, and not just eating tips. Thanks again!
Darya, if you haven't already, I'd love to see a post on how to get into cooking your own meals. I really think it's an essential part of eating healthy but, like everything in life, it's hardest to get started. Especially as a senior in high school =/