I’ve eased up on the detox just slightly; we ate out several times while my friend was in town, and we kept it healthy for the most part, but sometimes it was hard to find gluten-free options. I also allowed myself a couple cups of coffee, but it only made me feel jittery. Guess I’m going to have to order caffeine free the next time I get a coffee craving.

I’m still making every effort to keep gluten, dairy, and processed sugar out of my diet when I eat at home, which has been getting easier. I haven’t had any more cravings for macaroni and cheese since day 5. I haven’t been craving sweets, either, although I did whip up a batch of sugar-free vegan avocado chocolate mousse over the weekend.

My sinus improvements seem to have plateaued, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s because there are other allergens lurking in our 80-year-old house. One unexpected result of the detox has been a big change in my skin. I have had oily skin my entire adult life (hence my never-ending mission to find skincare products that keep it under control). A few days after I started the detox, I noticed my skin felt softer and smoother — not greasy and slightly gritty like it usually does when I wash it at night. Several days later, my skin still feels great.  Even after a sweat-soaked Bikram yoga session, my face didn’t fee like a greasepit the way it would have before.

I knew diet could affect the skin, but I always thought that had more to do with things like acne and other visible skin conditions. I guess I thought oily skin was something I was just born with — like wavy hair and hazel eyes. If I had known that eliminating wheat and dairy from my diet would have left my skin feeling so great, I would have made the change a long time ago. Not only does my skin feel fresh and clean, but this may open up a whole new world of skincare products for me to try!

I also started reading Dr. Junger’s Clean: The Revolutionary Program to Restore the Body’s Natural Ability to Heal Itself. The Clean program involves eating one solid meal a day (recommended for lunch) and liquid meals (smoothies and soups) for breakfast and dinner. The book contains a lot of recipes, as well as a thorough list of foods that can be included or excluded. The excluded foods are in line with what I’m already doing: no dairy, wheat, processed sugar, etc. I’m going to finish reading the book and then prepare for one week of the Clean program. He recommends doing the program at least once a year, starting with one week and working up to three weeks. I figure since this is my first time I can start small, but the changes I have already made should give me a good head start.

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