Dani Spies

Ever notice how much easier it is to give advice to others compared to how hard it can be to take your own advice?  What’s that all about?

Well guys, although I had big ambitions I’ve decided to call it quits after seven days on the “vegan” cleanse.  I’ve gotta say, vegan eating is not for me.  I just did not like the way I felt and I was having serious cravings for protein (ie. chicken and fish!).

Four days on my “cleanse” and all is well.  I will say that today was the first day that I was craving meat, well fish to be exact… I was really craving salmon.  Hmmmm, let’s see, salmon is rich in protein and rich in omega-3’s so maybe my body is trying to tell me that I need to get some more omega’s and more protein.  I’ll have to experiment a little in the next few days and see what happens.

The Spring and the Fall are transitional times of year and I often find myself thinking about doing some sort of cleanse, so I’ve decided to try this 21 day vegan cleanse from Kathy Frestons book, “Quantum Wellness; A practical and Spiritual Guide to Health and Happiness” (it’s the same one Oprah did about a month ago).

Many people (including myself) turn to food for a variety of reasons other than the simple state of hunger.  We turn to food when it’s time to celebrate just as we turn to food when we are feeling down.  We turn to food to ease us through an uncomfortable moment and often times as an attempt to escape the uncomfortable moment (which doesn’t work b/c as soon as we’re done eating the discomfort is still there patiently awaiting our return).  We turn to food when we’re happy, sad, lonely, anxious, bored, etc., you name it… in so many ways food is a friend that holds our hand through the roller coasters of life.

I really didn't feel like going to the gym today.  No particular reason, just didn't feel like it... but i did it anyway. 

You all know the feeling.  You really should, you certainly could, you would be happy if you did BUT you really don’t want to. So what do you do? 

For as long as I can remember this has been a question at he forefront of my mind. I remember being in college and bouncing from major to major in search of what my passion was.  I seemed to be a little bit interested in everything making it really hard for me to settle in on one major (did I ever tell you guys it took me eight years to get my four year degree?  Yeah, well it did).

Day one went just fine.  Nothing to exciting, although I did have a little headache the first half of the day.  Maybe that was a result of no caffeine.  I do love my morning coffee:).

This whole idea of cleansing really gets me thinking about the difference between our physical needs for food and our mental/emotional needs.

I have been debating whether or not I wanted to do any type of cleanse this spring.  I have done cleanses in the past and know they can be challenging to say the least.  Acually, the only type of cleanse I have done in the past is the Master Cleanse.  If you're not familiar with it, it's basically a ten day fast that consists of drinking a lemonade made from fresh lemons, maple syrup and cayenne pepper.  I personally find this to be a VERY challenging cleanse and wasn't looking for something so extreme this time around.

Ay yay yay... have you ever noticed this happening to you??  You're feeling a little tired or worn down and suddenly you feel the need to snack (preferably on something that is high in sugar or carbs!).

Yep.  That was me this past Sunday.

So, I was flying home on an early morning flight from school this past weekend and was sure to take the time to pack my own food for the plane.  I had a bag of cherries (which I am currently ADDICTED to), a banana, and some nuts… because I wasn't t gonna eat the nasty, pre-packed, made of God-only-knows-what- plane food they serve… duh!!  

A kitchen is as essential to a food blogger as is a trusty computer!!  
As I sat down at my desk and began to work today I just had to chuckle.  I mean, look at this…