2011 was the year of feeling under the weather. To kick-start 2012, I decided to attempt the Clean Program, a cleanse meant to reset the immune system and some other bonus side-effects. The main concept is to reduce food toxins in the body that cannibalize your immune system by requiring too much of it for digestion. Once those foods are eliminated and the toxins make their way out of the system, you sleep better, see greater skin clarity, feel less joint pain and even shed some pounds.
The first step was to eliminate gluten, dairy, sugar, soy, caffeine and alcohol. Whoa. At first, I thought there were tons of recipes and options. After literally three days, I felt the opposite. It's crazy how many gluten-free products contain soy or milk and how vegetables start to taste like eating grass after weeks of exclusive consumption. The shakes I ate for breakfast and dinner were horrible—gritty and flavorless—yet satisfying in a way that helped me not be hungry for real food.
Did I feel different after 3 weeks? Maybe. I felt lighter and was sleeping great. But let's get real for a minute. I write a food blog. I'm obsessed with fine dining. I want to taste ever flavor on the planet and I want to cook for as many hours a day as I can manage. Removing delicious food from my life did not a happy Ellen make. I would certainly recommend removing dairy from your diet for a few weeks to see how you feel. I noticed a big difference in something random, my throat was totally clear every morning. Now that I've added cheese and yogurt back into my diet, I often wake up with a sore throat that takes an hour or so (and a shower and a multivitamin) to clear up.
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