I was out walking with a friend of mine that I had not seen for a while and she was telling me about an organic, whole foods program from www.deliciousplanet.com that she had participated in for three weeks during the spring. She is a mainly healthy eater but felt like she had fallen into what she called a “sugar rut” and was feeling less energized than she would have liked.
This three week meal delivery program included meals and snacks and had the following features: Gluten free (perfect for me with my celiac disease), sugar free (but with no artificial sweeteners) and vegan (there was also an animal protein option). She talked about how much she had enjoyed the food and how much more energized she felt at the end of the three weeks. She dared me, her dietitian friend, to give it a try.
I was intrigued but also resistant. So I made a list of pros and cons.
On the pro side:
- Meals and snacks just for me delivered to my door for three weeks. A working mom’s dream come true.
- This has been a very busy summer work-wise and I have been grabbing chocolate far too regularly during my 3pm meetings. My health would benefit from less sugar.
- I have been cooking less and eating out more (including summer ice cream stops) so I know that a whole foods diet would feel really nourishing right now. I have a long history of eating healthfully but never as healthfully as I will for the next three weeks.
- The end of Summer/beginning of Fall is a great time to recalibrate health-wise and I am always up for a challenge.
And on the cons side:
- I am not good at feeling deprived. My friend said she felt satisfied at all times with the yummy food but would I feel differently? I don’t want to end up bingeing on cookies at the end of the three weeks (or after week 1).
- Will social events feel awkward? We have a good number of those coming up in the next three weeks.
- Will it feel strange to eat differently from the rest of the family? Or will this just inspire me to get back to more cooking so the family is eating more healthfully too?
The pros won out and I placed my order. I had a summer birthday and so my husband and I agreed that this would be my birthday present. I know he’s thinking that a more energized wife is a great present for the whole family!
And now its Monday morning and my first food delivery will arrive before noon. The program starts with dinner tonight. I am apprehensive and excited. We are going to our neighbors for dinner this evening and they looked at me a little strangely when I told them that I would be bringing my own food. I am tempted to eat chocolate all day…you know that “last supper” phenomenon…but then I remind myself that this is not a diet but a way to support my health. And that my goal is to emerge from these three weeks having fewer sugar cravings and feeling excited about a healthier diet.
So I am taking a deep breath and diving in. I’ll be blogging at the end of the month about my progress so keep your fingers crossed and I’ll keep you posted.
