I ascribed to the practice of eating whole foods in their natural state. What could be wrong with any type of fruit or vegetable? I also believed in all the so-called superfoods (salmon, oats, black beans, soy) that would reduce cholesterol. In fact, during the past couple of years, I ate copious amounts of these foods along with tomatoes, eggplant, turkey and asparagus thinking they were good for me and would aid in lowering my cholesterol.
Something else was happening during this time. I started to suffer from migraines and fatigue. While my mother endured migraines they were new to me and I didn’t like them one bit. They would last for days and cripple my ability to function at 100%. Furthermore, I was feeling fatigued. I was sleeping more and having energy dips throughout the day. While it would be easy to attribute it to stress and getting older, I wasn’t ready to raise that white flag.
During lunch with a friend, I was talking about how I was feeling and she told me about a book she was reading, The Plan by Lyn-Genet Recitas. The premise of the book is about how certain foods cause inflammation and how inflammation exacerbates ailments and issues within our body. The Plan starts with a three-day cleanse followed by 17 days of determining how your body responds to different foods. This concept resonated with me immediately. I have never been one to follow a diet nor have I participated in a cleanse. I’ve been resolute in my practice of moderation and eating natural foods. My weight has been pretty consistent so I figured this was a good approach. I was mistaken.
It’s been two months since starting The Plan and the impact has been astounding. No more migraines. My energy level is better than ever. I lost seven pounds, which was an unintended consequence. I wasn’t expecting to lose weight but apparently I had a few pounds to spare. My mind is clear, I feel refreshed and my skin looks great. People are noticing and wanting to know “what’s different”. I convinced my sister to follow The Plan. She is a little more than halfway through and is having an incredible experience.
Here are a few lessons I learned from this experience:
- Food plays a critical role in how I feel. I never would have imagined something innocuous as a potato, let alone all the so-call superfoods would cause an adverse reaction. Now, I understand and have control over which foods work well for my body and which don’t.
- Trust my gut, it never lets me down. As my friend was telling me about The Plan, it just felt intuitively correct and I took action immediately. It’s been one of the best decisions I have made for my health.
- There is so much I am constantly learning about my body and myself. It truly is a never-ending journey.
For those interested in learning more about The Plan, visit The Lyn-Genet Plan reduces chronic low grade inflammation …