Avoid Highly Processed Foods

Initially I was going to avoid packaged foods, but quickly realized that I would be eating only fruits and veggies since everything else comes in a "package" these days.

So, I'm almost done with week 1 of this diet and I'm not feeling lethargic at all after meals which is good. However, I have noticed that I have gotten out of bed in the morning so quickly that I almost fainted, 3 times in the past 2 weeks. I haven't necessarily been good about eating a consistent dinner, so that might have more of an affect than anything else. I entered the week with a substantial sleep deficit from the weekend and this probably affected the rest of the week.

Due to evening social events, I was not able to get out to the gym or for a proper run, so I can't really compare how my this diet affects my physical power and stamina. I did get in a few early morning exercises, but nothing substantial - just enough to get my heart rate up and a 5 minute muscle burn.

My stomach handled the food well all week with the only exceptions being when I "cheated" on the diet. A Jiffy peanut butter (the best convenience store option) sandwich threw my stomach for loops. In addition, 90% of a Trader Joe's flatbread fresh pesto pizza also had a similar effect. Another night I had some peanut butter - organic molasses - right before bed and woke up with a grumpy stomach. So, I guess I learned that peanut butter should not be overdone.


It may also be important to note that although I didn't cut out alcohol completely, I did restrict my consumption to only the beverages that were "clean" and simple. For example, I passed on having beer and instead had a single malt scotch. I could have had some wine, but felt it best to keep overall alcohol intake to a minimum.

I wonder if it would have helped to have some red meat during last week? Perhaps my iron was low. When I had taken iron in the past, due to it showing up low on tests, it significantly improved my max power, exertion stamina, and overall energy. How can I balance this, considering the next 3 weeks are meat-free?

I do think that avoiding the heavily processed foods has made it clear that they negatively affect my energy level and upset my stomach, when consumed in large quantities. There were times during this week when I did cheat a little bit, and didn't have any big problems  - like the 2 slices of pizza  between lunch and dinner. I think that having a full stomach from a healthy meal helps to moderate the effects of "bad foods". Proportional quantity seems to be the key here.

It is interesting to note that whereas I had the belief that homemade goods are significantly better for digestion than packaged goods, I came to realize this is not always the case. The homemade blueberry bread almost immediately caused some stomach rumbling. Clif products seemed to be fantastic.

EASE OF IMPLEMENTATION
I didn't have too much trouble avoiding the highly processed foods. I could generally find food that worked at most locations and didn't have to specifically bring my own.

OVERALL
What worked:
I did notice a not feeling food-fatigue after meals and in general I felt a bit cleaner.

What didn't:
Through no fault of the diet, I suffered exhaustion from a general lack of sleep, hunger from just simply not fixing a proper dinner, and a bit of grumpiness from a lack of exercise.

Take away:
Although I did enjoy my favorite shortbread cookies for snack today, I will certainly be conscious of the amount of these items that I consume. I imagine that having eaten clean for a week would help to reduce the cumulative effect of these items and allow some flexibility before feeling affected. However, if I were to continue this diet for an extended period, I would imagine that I would become more sensitive to processed foods on those rare occasions.