Today was the first day I have eaten solid foods since five days ago.
In the morning I had a blend of banana, kale, apples and coconut water, for lunch baked zucchini with tomatoes and leeks, and baked sweet potatoes and carrots. In the late afternoon I had a “snack”– a salad with red leaf lettuce, avocado, chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and radishes with balsamic vinegar and lemon juice. For dinner: sautéed broccoli with onions and some potatoes. I added balsamic vinegar and some soy sauce to that.
I felt heavy and sleepy after eating lunch. As I was eating I felt like I was violating myself, even though it was fresh, or only slightly cooked, vegetables and fruits that I was eating. For a moment I felt like I wanted to continue juicing. “I’m going to miss it,” I thought. But heck, not as much as I miss pizza and wine!
Seriously, I’m going to stick to more fruits and vegetables from now on. In just one glass of juice I’ve eaten more vegetables than I would have in a week. Health advocates, according to RebootYourLife, recommend that a meal consist of 50% plant foods, 25% animal protein, and 25% of some sort of grain. Most Americans, according to the Reboot program, eat 50% animal protein, 25% overcooked vegetables, and 25% white starch foods for a meal.
I have four more days until I start eating other foods. The Reboot guidelines for going back to solid foods after juicing is to eat only plant-based proteins, salads and smoothies during the first week, and then slowly reintroduce animal proteins and other foods, limiting, or even eliminating processed foods if possible.
But I won’t give up the pizza, or salami and cheese. I’ll just limit the intake, which will allow me to fully savor those foods when I do have them…