Doritos & Budweiser: A Love Story
Anticipation is often worse than reality. This was definitely true of my return back to work after maternity leave, and of (most) cross-country flights with my kids. This was not true, however, of the 30 days I went without sugar, caffeine, alcohol, gluten, soy and dairy.
Having spent several summer weekends in a row where daytime drinking and Doritos were the norm, I was actually looking forward to September 29 — the day I would give up six integral items from my daily diet. And having felt mentally and physically subpar for many years, I was excited to see if changing my eating habits could make a significant impact. After all, 90% of serotonin is produced in the gut, and 70% of the immune system is based there.
Doritos aside, I considered myself a healthy eater, and am happy with my weight. But I had recently developed eczema, and struggled for decades with IBS and anxiety. If swapping cous cous for quinoa could help then daggonit I was willing to try it.
My husband joined me on “the cleanse,” for moral support and because he always suspected his body and gluten didn’t really get along. I borrowed the Clean Eats cookbook from a friend, and purchased a NutriBullet for morning smoothies. I even bought bok choy.
The first few days were confusing. We had no idea what we could and couldn’t eat. I sought food that met our dietary restrictions but was quick to prepare after a full day’s work and full evening of coaxing my kids from school to sleep. I dreamt of pizza, and cursed bok choy.
By week two, we had discovered Thistle, a dinner delivery service that met our dietary demands. We saved money on coffee, wine, and dining out. We spent money on supplements and organic smoothie ingredients. We started to feel better.
By mid-week three, I almost threw in the towel. We attended a wine and food fundraiser and I hosted a trunk show for a friend. Holed up at home, the cleanse wasn’t so bad, but in public, it was excruciating. Waiters scoffed and friends interrogated. We agonized over invitations to social and professional events, aching to feel fun again. But instead, we felt better.
Brad’s stomach pains were gone, in abeyance with my eczema. The mental fog that had shrouded us both was lifted. We had more energy, and less stress. But damn I wanted a beer.
The final week felt endless. After all, it had been nearly a month since our last glass of wine, dinner roll or cookie. We were counting the days until October 28 when we could have one of these things — reintroducing one vice at a time in order to discern the culprit of our maladies. I picked Chardonnay.
Since the cleanse, we’ve continued to avoid caffeine and gluten, and have enjoyed everything else in moderation. We feel pretty good, though I’m still bitter about passing up my father-in-law’s famous stuffing at Thanksgiving, and am still recovering from Christmas cookie-withdrawal. Fortunately, gluten-free and decaf are easy to come by these days, if not nearly as good. The jury’s out as to whether we’ll make it through 2016 without real pizza or beer. But whatever happens, we feel so fortunate to have our health, and to be able to toast a glass of champagne to it.
About the author: Liza Bennigson is a mom of two and the Director of Business Development at KonnectAgain, an alumni engagement software startup. She enjoys running, writing and dance parties with her kids.
