I consider myself a relatively healthy person. I get 7 or 8 hours of good sleep a night. I eat consciously—by that I mean I’m not a strict dieter, but I generally make good choices. No doubt, I enjoy a good night out and a nice meal, but everything in moderation. Most weeks, I’m a 3-times a week exerciser and I walk the lengths of Manhattan every day. Simply put, I’m not extreme in either direction.
But lately I’ve been feeling sluggish. I haven’t been sleeping well and consequently have trouble getting up in the morning. Things haven’t been…regular (TMI?), and my appetite is all over the place—sometimes ravenous, sometimes totally disinterested in food. Just to quell the rumor mill: No, I’m not pregnant. (I’ve had a few people ask me.) So, why do I feel sapped of all my energy?
Recently, I had some of my dearest girlfriends visiting for a week. And of course, we ate, drank and were merry all seven days. My normal bedtime went straight out the window as we talked and laughed until the wee hours.
While my girls were here, my husband hasn’t. His well-deserved vacation couldn’t have come at a worse time—we’re moving! With Andy away, the task of apartment hunting, decision making, and lease signing was left to me.
As soon as my friends boarded their flight back to Europe, I boarded one to Haiti for a work trip. In Haiti, we have early mornings, late nights, and grueling car rides through the countryside. When I got home after that I all but collapsed. The weight of the previous weeks was finally taking its toll.
What I’ve learned is that these disruptions to my schedule and lifestyle have a significant impact on the way I think and feel. And if my life is making me feel like crap, clearly I need to make a change. So, I’ve decided to start a cleansing program. For the next few weeks, I’m cutting out caffeine, sugar, and alcohol (at least on the weeknights!). I’m getting rid of all those things that falsely keep me going when my body is too tired or too stressed to function. I’ll trying to eat only unprocessed whole foods, getting to bed early, and not allowing my work to drag into the evening.
I hope that in a few weeks I’ll be back to equilibrium. Because when I’m not feeling good, life is not as good. And I want life to be good!
Good luck, Maggy!
I’m trying to sleep better, move more, and eat more vegetables. Spring is a good time for this renewal.
Thanks so much for the quinoa recipe- I bought some but didn’t know how to cook it. Love that there is a bit of cream in the recipe- it is all about balance and pleasure.
All the best to you Maggy! Maybe a trip to the doctor is in order, as you may have picked something up in Haiti? Hope you feel better soon.
I love quinoa & the recipe was delicious!
My husband and I did a 3 week cleanse at the beginning of the year (it was called CLEAN and I highly recommend it). We both felt great afterward. As a matter of fact, we were just talking this evening about doing it again!
Good Luck!
What a great idea! I hope you are feeling much better in a few weeks! If things don’t start looking up you might want to ask your doctor to do bloodwork and check your thyroid – I’ve had some serious trouble with that myself. All the best to you!!
I have been feeling the same thing, but I have been blaming the time change and season change! Getting enough sleep, but mine is interrupted at least once a night and I need to move to the lazyboy for sleep!
No sugar, caffeine or LIQUOR? You’re a stronger person that I, Maggy darling.
Than I.
THAN.
Good luck with the rebalancing Maggie. Spring is actually the perfect time to give your body a rest and cleanse. My I also suggest adding drinking lots of water and eating lots of leafy greens.