And so it begins ...

Good morning lovelies, it is 0220, my guys are sleeping peacefully and the house is quiet as I try to unwind. I always adapt quickly to the night shift schedule that I rotate through every four weeks, and tend to enjoy the alone time .... yet regret my night owl ways when I'm awoken by (a very cute) 2 year old early in the morning.
Over the past few months I've been changing and tweaking my diet and lifestyle in an attempt to move closer to a healthy, high raw, plant based diet. After soaking up lots of info via books and web, I've had it in my head to embark on a 21 day cleanse. A bit of Kathy Freston mixed with Kris Carr is what I'm going for - losing the "big five" (alcohol, gluten, refined sugar, meat/dairy, caffeine), bumping up the raw, adopting healthy habits. Already I rarely drink, and have mostly eliminated meat and dairy. I have also been victorious in dropping my coffee habit! Now the chocolate, breads, and sweets habit - not so much. They make vegan s'mores now, for goodness sake. My goal is to go raw for breakfast and lunch, and have dinner be 75:25 raw:cooked.
There are several healthy habits I'm looking to gain, and I'll be going into depth on some as I go along. They include: consistent exercise, daily quiet time, daily reflection/journaling, not eating before bed, and giving thought to food combinations. I do have more ideas, but am attempting not to put too much on my plate (literally and figuratively), and instead allow things to progress naturally.
While my intention is to gain optimal health, it is becoming very clear to me that I've been neglecting my emotional and spiritual health. I am wife, mother, daughter, sister, healthcare provider ... and yet am so out of touch with plain old me. A move away from friends and family, a stressful (yet equally wonderful) job, relationship stress, unresolved past issues, and one energetic toddler have thrown me a bit out of whack. In my single days, supressing emotions, self-destructive behavior, and work-a-holic-ism were my survival mechanisms. Now, it's time to move past that and start living as a whole person. I want to be balanced and present for the ones I love and so my path has lead me here.
Today will be Day Zero, a day to reflect on my goals and ease into the cleanse.
Mind:
My mind is swirling, and my reflex is to stomp it all down and find something to distract. Instead, I am attempting to allow the thoughts to flow and putting some down in writing.
Body:
Nutrition ~I am sitting in front of an empty bowl, one that was previously filled with NewmanO's. Yummy, non-dairy, and yet purely sugar. Natural refined sugar is still refined sugar! Today I will forgive myself if I do not eat as well as I would like. However, I have some beautiful produce in the fridge just begging to be juiced and chopped for a salad. Homemade spring rolls are the plan for dinner.
Exercise ~ this will probably hit the back burner, as I have piles of laundry and will most likely be using my son's nap time in order to rest, myself.
Spirit: Sunday! Time for some fellowship and worship. I've realized lately that I am really lacking in community, and so I am hoping to overcome any sleepies I may face in order to attend the pre-service bible study. Connecting with people on deeper level has never been a strong point for me. Very much an introvert I prefer few close confidants to large social circles. And yet, I am realizing that over the past couple of years I have pushed away even my close friends. Time to start chipping away at some of those walls.