Day 2: Tomorrow will be better

The first thing I want to do is put all of my grousing in context. For a pizza-loving, wine-drinking, Starbucks slurping (OMG---have you tried their new little cake pops? ) extremely busy mom of two going cold turkey on all of those things can be pretty uncomfortable. Before I took this on, I thought "No Problem." but the reality of the situation is my body is going through withdrawals and I am feeling a little hungover as a result.

I would like to be a font of inspiration but on Day 2 I am just taking it minute by minute. The thing that keeps me going today-- besides having my beautiful mother (who is DRINKING HER GREENS for the very first time in her life) as my partner in crime is--- I gave birth TWICE. The second time, without any drugs. The pain was temporary and I made it through, both times to hold the most precious gifts in my life. Pain is sometimes the only conduit to a better, more meaningful life.

I am doing this also to change my family's life. My husband may join me next month in this endeavor. Ti Cauldron, the founder of Cambiati says that this kind of diet is ideal for people with autoimmune diseases. Last year, I took my youngest daughter to see a naturopathic doctor as conventional medicine doesn't offer a cure or even an effective treatment to address alopecia aerata in kids. Her first recommendation was for us to go on an elimination diet. I got through 1 day of that.

Cambiati is a system that allows you to "blueprint" the way that food interacts with your body. If we have the support and guidance to get through this we can then administer such a diet to Cate and see if it helps with her hair growth. Already she is joining me in the morning, having a smoothie, drinking tea and helping me shake up my drinks in my little shaker. She's a natural.

Cambiati---Day One. Why did I sign up for this MADNESS?

Guess what? I can have all of the tea I want. Yay Tea!

As I made my vegetable upon vegetable upon vegetable- comprised dinner this evening I was visualizing my next step after chopping---you guessed it--vegetables. Normally that step would have included a liberal dousing of oil to almost smoking point and a light browning of said vegetables. But no, according to Cambiati guidelines I am to sort of steam everything in the pan using broth. For me, no olive oil during food preparation is kind of like dry-humping, all of the motions and only some of the satisfaction.

Today was HARD. I literally wanted to gnaw off my toes. And curl up in a ball in the corner. With Ben and Jerry's. When my 3-year-old yelled argghahahahahahahah!" at the top of her lungs when she didn't get a grape lollipop I matched her in tone and tenacity. Which made her cry. "You scared me Mommy". Well, I scare a lot of people, kid. Get used to it.

With a light head I accidentally dialed Martinez Patch.com editor, Jim Caroompas looking for my coach. I knew I was losing it. But it gets worse. "Nicole, how ARE you???" asked Jim in a warm excited to hear me voice. "Great. Who IS this? I replied.

When I connected with her, Allie my coach basically said take it minute by minute. "Will you starve, literally starve, Nicole, if you don't eat that thing that you want the most in the world?" No, I answered her. But dammit, My kid's 20-minute old leftover Mac N' Cheese sure looks like the spread you get on the last night on death row to me. So tasty. And cheesy.

No Cheese. No dairy, wheat, sugar, alcohol, coffee or snacking. No snacking. OMG.

So. Yes, today I started this 28-day cleanse thingy---with my mom. It is super-vegetable focused and my mom will tell anyone who will listen, that she WILL. NOT. EAT. VEGETABLES. EVER! Or she will throw up. She ( I am so proud of her, by the way because this is a HUGE step) drank her greens today.

Now. I'm doing this thing because I have known for a while what I want to do (with my relationship with food) and I am not quite sure how to get there. All of these glowy happy people have emerged from the woodwork singing Cambiati's praises. Like a cult. But one that allows you to live with the "other" people who have not ascribed to the edicts you've embraced.

Also. I am a photographer who wants to focus primarily on weddings and I want to be gorgeous like Jasmine Star and woo my clients so that one day I can make $10,000 a wedding too. Part of becoming a signature photographer is working on the whole package. Part of all-day on-your-feet work is having a high endurance level and the ability to THROW yourself on the ground like you're a private in boot camp.

The name of my business is Sweetness and Light Photography

And I want to be lighter.