Day 19, Quinoa Anyone?

Years ago, I was introduced to an ancient grain called "quinoa." Out of curiosity (and an elevated sense of my willingness to be "healthier"), I bought some, but then never used it.  I seem to do that a lot with things to which I'm not accustomed.

Fortunately, in desperation for something other than rice, this diet has forced me out of my food ruts.  This morning, I finally made some hot cereal with quinoa flakes and it was surprisingly nice.  I added some apple slices and a bit of Agave Syrup--my new friend--and enjoyed a cooked breakfast reminiscent of the cream of wheat that my mother used to make me.

Who knew that agave was so good or that you could get it in other flavors?  I was always afraid of it, thinking it would taste sacchariny sweet like stevia; but it's more of a subtler cross between maple syrup and honey.  I even found some "Baileys" flavored agave to liven up the afternoon tea.

Interestingly, the easiest item to have relinquished from my diet is caffeine, and I've suffered headaches when I reintroduced it over the holiday with sips of coffee.

 Consuming wheat again had its effects too--with bloating and general fogginess. Which leads me to the unexpected realization that this much resisted cleanse , has become my "reset" point for feeling good.  This is fortunate because my doctor has asked to see me at the end of the cleanse given my strong reaction to it the first week.

Apparently, more cleansing in the works for me. That I can type these words without crying signals a significant shift--to which I must credit this challenging diet.