Nine days ago, I started the Whole30 cleanse. I gave up dairy, sugar, legumes, processed foods, potatoes, all grains and artificial flavors/seasonings for 30 days. Marcela Perea took "before" pictures of me, weighed me and took my measurements on Tuesday morning (and by the way, had I known she was going to do that, I would have worn some mascara or something. ANYTHING to take the attention away from my bared midriff). I'm nine days in, and it's not as tough as I thought it would be. You can do anything for just 30 days, right? 

I'd already given up most grains a couple months ago and was happily surprised that cutting wheat from my diet had a remarkable effect: my asthma went away. I have had asthma since I was a baby, and it went away when I stopped eating wheat. I'm not joshing you. I realize that getting into better shape physically probably didn't hurt, but I've been dependent on inhalers all my life, but the asthma has just sort of disappeared. I haven't taken Advair in months, and I don't even know where my rescue inhaler is.

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The other huge thing is that I have a lot more energy throughout the day. It's 4:10 in the afternoon right now, and ordinarily I'd be crabby, tired and headachey. (I'd fix that by grabbing a Diet Coke and a cookie, which really doesn't fix anything.) Now I can stay awake past 8:15 each evening and I wake up way more refreshed in the morning, and I honestly think my mood is more stable thoroughout the day, too. I FEEL more pleasant, but will ask my kids and husband if that's just my imagination, or reality. I also suspect I'm sleeping better because I only remember waking up when our obnoxious cat wanted something.

Unfortunately, I have to admit that I DO think about sugar a lot. The other day I actually considered tackling a lady at Starbucks for her scone; it was gloriously covered in sugar granules that glistened in the sunshine. You'll be happy to hear that I resisted the urge to engage in hand-to-hand combat OR eat the sugary baked junk. I think about sweets a lot, though. Like, A LOT. Especially when I'm stressed-out or anxious.

So I have 21 days left. Care to join me?