At the beginning of 2019, I promised myself that I would spend more time working on my physical and mental health. Growing up as an athlete, taking care of myself has always been a priority for me. However, in my freshman year I found myself struggling to keep up with a healthy diet while balancing a newly busy schedule. So, I decided I’d dedicate my summer to changing things up and becoming the nutrition queen I’ve always wanted to be. I devised a plan (with the help of my wonderful nutritionist) for two weeks of dairy-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free and mostly plant-based eating. After these two weeks, I would then slowly incorporate healthier options back into my diet. Saying goodbye to pasta and some of my favorite carbs for two whole weeks was tough, but my excitement for an improved, healthier lifestyle outweighed it all.
Here’s how those two weeks went:
- Week One
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The first week of my detox went much better than I had expected! Fruits and vegetables have always been an important part of my diet, so adjusting to eating more of them wasn’t too difficult. The biggest challenge I faced was spending more time than usual on things like meal-prepping. Meals like baked chicken and roasted broccoli or brussel sprouts became a staple in my diet, and to pass the time while cooking I spent time with my family or did some homework. Overall I felt proud of myself for making the changes—and I felt much more refreshed.
- Week Two
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The second week was much more difficult; the excitement faded and I was growing tired of my very restricted menu. My schedule started to get busier and it was harder to make time for meal prepping. However, I kept pushing through the struggle and found ways to make it work. Some ways I did this included making a weekly schedule and putting time aside on my less-busy days to cook, choosing easier breakfast options like almond milk yogurt and picking up food from my favorite local juice bar and restaurant.
The most noticeable change during week two was my energy level. I felt more tired than the first week, and as a result, I was finding it challenging to motivate myself to go to the gym. These frustrated feelings made it difficult to stay positive, but with the end drawing nearer, I knew I couldn’t give up.
Reflection and Moving Forward
Though the two-week detox was quite a rollercoaster ride, I feel proud of myself for accomplishing my goal. I learned so much about myself on this journey. I found that taking the time to focus on what was making my body feel strong led to improvements in both my physical and mental health. Overall, my relationship with food has definitely improved. Realistically, I know that I won’t be able to keep up with such a restricted diet every day. While cooking every meal is definitely not going to work out in the long run in college, I feel more confident this semester knowing that I have the skills to make myself a healthy, protein-rich dinner. I feel like this experience has taught me new techniques and healthier substitutes that are attainable in college. It’s easy to make simple, every day changes like swapping Greek yogurt for almond milk yogurt, or eating the gluten-free versions of my favorite snacks.
I’m so glad that I found the determination to make these changes, and I highly recommend taking your own steps to change your life, too!