Be HEALTHY: 6 weeks of (mostly) sugar-free, fake food-free, gluten-free amazingness.

WEll, I had intended to track my progress over the past 6 weeks with the Spent program (It's not a diet!!), but, well....that didn't happen. So instead, you get a nice and compact summary of the past 6 weeks, all wrapped up with a neat little bow.

Rather than focust on all of the things that I haven't been eating over the past 6 weeks, I'd like to share all of the delicious culinary curiosities that I have been enjoying.

1) The Breakfast Smoothies. Watch out Jamba Juice...here comes my blender! As part of the Spent Program, Dr. Lipman recommends eating a protien- and green powder-packed smoothie each morning.  I've done Raspberry/Blueberry/Banana, Strawberry/Mango/Banana, Blueberry/Avocado, Ginger Pear (one of my favs), even Chocolate Avocado (yes! chocolate for breakfast!) ...They are absolutely delicious and refreshing.

2) Almond Milk - So I originally bought this just as a smoothie ingredient (since cow dairy is off limits), and now I find myself looking for excuses to drink it. My latest gem: almond milk on gluten-free granola. Delish.

3) Quinoa - I've fallen in love all over again with this delicious grain. I think my fav was quinoa with butternut squash and pine nuts. mmm.

4) Goat Cheese (a.k.a. chevre.. tre french, oui?) - So I think you're really not supposed to eat dairy products at all, but I took the "sheep/goat milk is ok" loophole and ran with it. Turns out goat cheese is creamy and delicious and spreads on toast (rice toast) just like cream cheese! It is really delicious with berries on top, too.

And how do I feel after 6-weeks of energy-inducing eating? Great! I don't feel the ups and downs of energy throughout the day that I used to. I've lost 5 pounds. I'm eating food that tastes good, not just food that is available.

It hasn't all been roses and sunshine. I've had to pass on a lot of beer, french fries, and nachos (St. Pattys day was one of the most saintly days I've had all year...). Co-workers' birthday cake? No thanks.  Wine at Tuesday Night Dinner? hahaha...maybe once or twice. I'm not a robot!

Which brings me to one of the most valuable lessons I've learned from my detox program (it's not a diet!): stop "shoulding" and start accepting. There were actually specific sections of Dr. Lipman's book dedicated to basically telling you to chill out and stop being so darn hard on yourself. So yes, I had a glass of wine here and there, or a birthday scoop of ice cream. But that doesn't mean that I failed at my overall goal, which was to Be Healthy. I feel healthier, more energectic, and more centered and in control than I did 6 weeks ago.

Oh, and did I mention that I get to eat chocolate for breakfast??