Let the detox begin

First order of detox: get more sleep.  I am aiming for being in bed between 10-11pm.  Last night I practiced a bit of Qigong while watching Sherlock (thanks, B).  Smoothing out this time will have its challenges, but I am determined.  Not getting enough sleep impacts every aspect of health.

For example, the kids often don't fall asleep till 10pm or after.  And they need me to be awake until they fall asleep.  A total retraining on my part, to simply go to bed when I am tired, rather than sometime after they have gone to bed, may be in order.

Second order of detox: reduce/eliminate grains.  Total elimination is going to be tough.  But, the closer I get to a point where it is clear to my mind (and not just my body) that the more grains are gone, the better, it should get easier to maintain.  I know getting past the first few days is critical.

Second order of detox, part deux: reduce/eliminate white sugar.  See above.  But, harder.  There seem to be arguments for going cold turkey on the sugar and grain elimination, but I just have a feeling going gentler with myself is the way to go.  I haven't done a ton of planning on the food, so this morning, when there was no bread in the house, I wrapped Brie in lettuce with drops of jam.  The jam had sugar in it.  (Both jams were as close to homemade as you could get.)  Denying myself the jam would have been one way to go, but I chose the other path.

Third order of detox: listen to the body, feel what's happening.  Make note.  Try to remember, try to be clear.  I woke up feeling pretty crappy today.  Gem crawling into bed around 7am woke me up for good, I probably slept about seven hours.  Cap rubbed my shoulders and upper back last night.  I was really tight and really grateful.  But, the toxins released had no where to go.  I woke achey and still have a headache.  I don't often get headaches.

I decided to hold off on practicing Qigong.  It's not recommended to practice when you're hungry/tired.  And full disclosure, I have a feeling I'd get the Qigong in in the morning if I would just practice first, before doing anything else.  (I'm talking about you, e-mail/facebook/Google reader.)  But, I resist.  Over and over again.

Fourth order of detox: skip the screen and go right to practicing tomorrow morning.

I have an overwhelming amount of "stuff" I can/should/want to do today.  Taking off the blinders can be that way.  I guess I'll make a short list and just get going:

• vacuum living room

• read aloud to the kids, play games with the kids, hang out with/near them as they do their table activities

• go through the bags of months' work of paperwork

• figure out lunch and dinner for the kids and for my detoxing self

(figuring out the quarterly as-of-yet unpaid taxes and buying renter's insurance to follow)

In the meantime, it just took me a surprisingly long time to find the lyrics to Jimmie Jones for Sag, Gem keeps getting hungry (growth spurt) and my headache persists and I am hot.

Peace and love.