More Holistic Eating

 We are what we eat. How many times have we heard that adage? Yet it's true. If we eat better and more holistically , we'll feel better. It's just a question of eating what's best for our bodies and not our taste buds.

I felt this way yesterday when I underwent my third gall bladder cleanse. Yes, I finally got rid of what looked like hundreds of stones but I couldn;t stop wondering, what if I had eaten better? I wouldn't be in this dilemma It was a rough flushing out that did and didn't end well. (it was vile let's leave it at that).However if I had eaten sensibly I wouldn't have gone through all of this, the horrific prep and the even more so aftermath. This is where holistic  food shopping and eating comes in.  Holistic nutrition means eating food in its' most natural state.This means what we ingest has to be unrefined, unprocessed, and organic locally grown food. If I had been on a diet of these food stuffs, I definitely would not have the problems I have now. This is not only true for me but for others who succumb to taste over value. Can I reform my eating habits? Definitely. There's another old adage -you're never too late to learn. Anyone can refine his or her diet. It';s just a question of will power and determination. 

How do you start a holistic diet when you're feeding yourself one of sweet and salty fat and transfat laden foods?Take it easy for starters. Start with sweet. We're hard wired to reach for sweets since our Neanderthal days when sweet meant safe. We should go back to those fruit gathering days. Start thinking about having fresh fruit for dessert and when you're craving a cupcake or cookie. One  favorite snack/dessert of my  is a Winesap apple sliced and rolled in pure cinnamon. Don't add any sugar to the cinnamon. The Winesaps are sweet enough.  Pears are out right now and again, they're the perfect as an lunch or dinner time dessert. Groceries also offer containers of all varieties of cut melon. These are not only refreshing but low in calories. From the sweet graduate to the savory. Fresh veggies are hard to come buy right now however there are frozen veggies that  have the same nutritional value  more or less. Think about a broccoli salad with good for you olive oil and fresh garlic or even better a string bean salad. As for protein , yes you can have meat but only lean cuts. Try white meat poultry such as chicken or turkey breasts grilled with a little lemon and herbs. Fatty fish is a must so stock up on salmon, lake trout and mackerel. These can be steamed with sage or turmeric for flavor. Holistic dining can include beef but make it very lean sirloin and try to have it only once in a great while. 

Eating better means feeling better. It's just s question of steeling yourself away from the bad and eating the good. It will be hard but it's the first step towards a better life and a better body.

After The Cleanse

There is a lot of hype regarding cleanses. People swear by them. They live by them. Yet most times they're just quackery. If you want that healthy body, then eat healthy. I know I have to do this.

For me the gallbladder cleanse was the biggest hoax on the Internet. I followed My Cultured Palate's remedy for eliminating gallstones to the letter. It simply did not work even after I drank the vile liquid that is Epsom salts  twice. This was at six and eight PM and I thought this is going well. At ten I had to drink the mix of half a cup of extra virgin olive oil and half a cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice.I drank that with no worries. After all I use the vinaigrette in my salads all the time and had to resist the urge to salt and pepper it. At about eleven PM all hell broke loose.  A mechanical sounding swoosh indicated a quick run to the bathroom. This went on for five hours, until four in the morning. I was sure there would be tons of gallstones. Nothing. Each time. There was one  - only the size of a pinhead about eight hours later . That was it. Some black things came out of me and I'm figuring it was poo that was lodged in there for a while. As for a regular flush , it was good. Yet I still have gallstones. I still have a dull ache and burping after I eat.

I have now resorted to this gallbladder cleanse tonic from Complete Natural Products. since I don't want my gallbladder removed.It should come in a few days and I'm relying on it to eliminate them. The tonic is made from such ingredients that promote gallbladder health. There is organic artichokes along with Chanca Piedra - stone breaker from the Amazon. There's also milk thistle , lemon and apple cider along with turmeric, all ingredients I've used in the past. Honey, lime and peppermint are some of the other important components in in along with Valerian and red cabbage. There also have to be some dietary changes on my part.  Processed foods are way off the table. That means no frozen pizzas which are full of chemicals and preservatives and processed baked goods. Good bye Tuxedos, those tasty Oreo lookalikes from Acme. Those became my best friend during the lock down. Also off the table are the Tate chocolate chip cookies. Luckily I can recreate these using all natural ingredients and the most important whole wheat flour.  Cold cuts are gone or will be a rare occasion treat. Bacon, shrimp and even avocados are now taboo. The last is rich in fat and not good. I don't know what I'll do as a replacement for guacamole. Maybe salsa.

Eating healthy is the best way to cleanse the body. These flushes simply and truly do not work. I don't recommend ever doing them. Ever.

Cleansing Foods

Once you do a cleanse it's important to maintain that "cleanliness" in your body. That means strict dietary changes however they're for the best. What should you eat? What should you avoid?

Tomorrow I do my gallbladder cleanse. It may take more than one to thoroughly flush out my liver and gallbladder (most gallstones actually begin in the liver and should be called liver stones). It would be so easy to go back to old habits and favorite  but bad for me foods. Maybe occasionally I can have butter and white breads like when I order from Panera. Possibly I could have cold cuts now and then along with sandwich cookies. Yet I cannot make a diet of them as I've done in the past. Luckily I have gone off French fries  which are just super bad for any digestive organ. It's now cutting out the Popeye's any of the fried chicken along with tuna in olive oil. To soothe my gall bladder along with the rest of my digestive tract, I have to give up sugary foods and drinks. Again luckily I have a Soda Stream where I can make organic sodas with water and freshly squeezed fruit juices (I'm looking at a homemade cherry one). Snack candies like Tootsie Rolls and Milk Duds will be replaced with cherries and blueberries. Even avocados are off the table too, They contain too much fat.

There will be a new diet once my gallbladder and liver are thoroughly cleaned.  White flour products are definitely banned. Home bakers should take heed with this and consider rye or barley flour to bake your breads. The great flour and baking supply company ,King Arthur has these and they can even be used for cakes and cupcakes. This also applies to rice, where I'll be cooking more with brown rice and whole grains like quinoa along with veggie and bean based pastas. As for meats, cold cuts will be eliminated and a sandwich with freshly cooked meat will be subbed in. Subway can make up heroes with fresh chicken mixed with sliced veggies.I live in a semi vegetarian household so there is no dairy. I can have oat milk ice cream but with fresh cut fruit like strawberries or peaches. Tofu is also good for gall problems so I can still have Gardein products from their hamburgers to meatballs. Dining out will be tricky but it can be maneuvered. There's always grilled chicken salad with a simple vinaigrette or a variety of veggie sides sauteed in olive oil and garlic.



Any cleanse is exciting but also a chance to start anew. It's then just cutting out the bad foods while embracing the good. It's the best way to live for you and your digestive tract.