The one where I get all crunchy-granola on your ass

So it's been a little over two weeks since I quit smoking. And I know that I'm now officially entering decrepitude and living on Old Lady Time because that seems like freakin' yesterday. Doans pills and a hot water bottle, anyone?

Anyway, yes, I am still quit. (QUITTER!!!) And I'm pleased to say that I haven't cheated once -- not even in the realm of nicotine gum, lozenges, or patches -- and though the first few days were an unremitting hell of physical withdrawal, I passed quickly from the smoking cessation version of the DTs into a miraculous recovery of a sense of overall physical well-being: I frankly haven't felt this energetic and physically alive since I was in my early 20s (when I of course never appreciated energy and health, or a lack thereof, unless it somehow interfered with my main life objectives at the time: drinking copious amounts of alcohol and flirting with cute boys (in that order, in most cases)).

Gee, it's almost as if I'd been RELENTLESSLY POISONING MYSELF EVERY DAY, SEVERAL TIMES A DAY, FOR FREAKIN' DECADES. (smacks forehead) (and gives self The Finger)

And with these feelings of healthfulness has come a kind of, well, optimism. Something along the lines of: Well, if I can feel THIS much better making this one, single change, how much better might I feel if I removed some of the other toxins from my life that I've been marinating in?

Okay, before you start looking at me sideways and wondering who the hell I am and what I've done with Tracey, please know that this does not mean I'm going to start listening to The Grateful Dead, playing hacky-sack, or wearing tie-dye. I am committed to bodily cleanliness, loathe the smell of patcholi, and firmly reject anything and everything smacking of overly-earnest college student hippieism. I have never been, and never will be, anything remotely close to touchy-feely, and my love is far from free. None of that has changed.

I am, however, very interested in not slowly killing myself and those I love with potentially toxic, chemical-laden substances that we may be thoughtlessly putting in, on, and around our bodies. Call me crazy.

This experience of quitting smoking has made me think a lot about my biology -- about human biology generally, to be honest. And let's all face facts: those of us who eat Standard American Diets consume a whole lot of processed crap chock full of chemicals and additives and genetically-engineered food-like substances that our bodies were never intended to process. Next time you're in the grocery store, just randomly pick up packages of any kind of pre-made food and marvel at the dyslexic alphabet soup of language under “Ingredients”. What the hell ARE those things? A lot of it borders on frighteningly Frankensteinian. I mean, yes, these chemicals and additives came from substances found on planet earth, but beyond that their origins are unclear. And logic would suggest that if we can't spell, pronounce, recognize, or comprehend these things in our food, our bodies might have just a wee bit of trouble dealing with them as well.

Like, DUH. (gives self The Dread Double Finger)

It's such a ridiculously simple idea, I'm almost ashamed that I've reached my late 30s before fully getting it. I'm embarrassed that it took an experience as extreme as the one I've had with cigarette smoking to make me see just how important what we put (and don't put) in our bodies is -- not just to our physical health, but to how we actually feel on a day-to-day basis. But now, having finally got it, I'm making a few changes, including:

• Eliminating artificial sweetners (I'm now using Stevia for coffee/tea etc)
• Drastically reducing refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and white bread consumption
• Generally cutting out processed crap
• Reducing dairy as much as possible (using soy milk for most needs) (we're already vegetarians, and though I'm not heading to Vegan territory, in terms of social-consciousness the dairy industry engages in the same reprehensible wasting of resources as meat production, and I'd rather have less participation in that)
• No soda or other carbonated, processed beverages
• Trying to eat only packaged/prepared foods containing clearly identifiable 'natural' ingredients
• Trying to eat organic as much as possible

You'll notice a lot of qualifiers in there, because I'm trying to be realistic. It's impossible -- at least for me -- to go from 100% Standard American Fare to 100% Whole Food Organic, zero-to-sixty style. Rome wasn't built in a day, and my diet can't be rebuilt in a single day either. But in just two weeks I've made these changes, and am already noticing a significant difference in how I feel. My body is clearly responding to Real Live Actual Food -- the stuff it is designed to run and function optimally on. Among other things I've noticed, my digestive system seems to be much happier, and my previously bloated belly is visibly deflated. I really feel like my entire physical body is re-calibrating itself, returning to its intended state of natural well-being. Does all this sound kind of crunchy-granola? Yeah, probably. But seriously, dudes, I'm a convert. Amen, and pass the organic soy products! (ducks)

I'm also trying to minimize our use of chemicals in cleaning and personal care products, replacing some of these with all-natural(ish) versions. So far so good, except the Natural Enzyme Deodorant I bought appears to be causing some kind of putrid underarm gangrene. Which doesn't really contribute to my health OR hygiene, so I may need to change that up to something a little less conducive to festering rot. I am, however, definitely NOT down with rubbing a giant crystal on my pits. Just for the record. I would do anything for health, but I won't do that.

If you're at all interested in these subjects, I highly recommend Alex Jamieson's The Great American Detox Diet, as well as the Roizen/Oz joint You: Staying Young. Both really helped me to jump-start this detox process, and gave me plenty of concrete advice and scientifically-supported reasons to make changes.

Have you made any changes that significantly impacted your health -- for the better or worse? What changes would you like to make that you haven't? Why haven't you?

Comments

[Kim]

Congratulations on quitting. I've been clean for a year in August and I totally agree with you - I felt better within a few weeks of quitting. Now I cannot stand the smell of smoke. I have to shower after hanging out with my two friends who do still smoke.

Once I quit, I found myself making other healthy choices, like skipping McDonald's for lunch and having a salad instead. I starting going for a walk more often. I haven't had a cold or bad cough since I quit, either (knock wood).

I didn't go the whole organic route but I did start incorporating more whole wheat, vegetables, chicken and shrimp (we all hate fish) in our diets and laid off the red meat and potatoes.

Even small changes add up. You can't overhaul it all at once but gradual incorporation of the good stuff makes a difference.

[Kelly]

oddly enough, tom uses the giant crystal stick for deodorant.

[BaltimoreGal]

I agree and also try to do the healthier diet thing and love soy instead of milk (are my fellow lactose intolerant peeps out there?) except for cheese- I love the cheese too much and need some natural calcium.

I will NEVER give up the Coca Cola- I am a southern girl- but artificial sweeteners are poison as far as I'm concerned plus they give me migraines. I just keep my consumption of all sugar and caffeine as low as possible- 1 drink per day most days.

I keep other artificial ingredients/preservatives- to a minimum as they definitely affect me- this has always been a big flaw in Weight Watchers products as far as I'm concerned.

I eat meat, but I do try to eat meat that is lean and raised responsibly, preferably raised organically. I also eat a lot of fish.

I do wish I could give up the deodorant but for everyone's health and safety that can't ever happen. You'd know it across town at your house! (My fam has the extry hormones.)

Aaaand- I'm getting a puppy on the 15th so lots more exercise ahead! Good times!

[Martha]

I don't drink soda but sadly, am a slave to the bean *gazes lustingly at her coffee cup*

On the plus side, I naturally rarely eat meat, mainly because I don't like it (except for chicken--run chickens, RUN!!!), and am about to embark on a month-long, natural colon-cleansing dealie (since apparently, old poo can hang in your tract for years* and be icky/toxic!! and colonics are invasive, inconvenient, and involve people other than me touching my butt). Bonus: I hear it can make your tummy flatter :) Not that, um...that's ANY reason for why I'm doing it. But it's a nice thought.

*Still REALLY squicked out by the thought of poo from the early 90s in my body...

[kaleigh]

Well done!
The real food will also taste so much better without the smoking. Amazing how those taste buds get suppressed by smoking.

With all the wacky allergies I have (corn syrup solids, many fragrances), and with me working in food service, I'm pretty obsessive about label-reading. And for the most part, we go with the fewest ingredients = better rule (including chips...plain old potato chips or fritos are so much better than the flavored stuff). And I've made my own cleaning products for ages...dish soap + water + vinegar + a few drops of essential oil (because I like the smell) works just as well as most manufactured spray cleaners, for much less money and without freaky chemicals.

I'm with you on this whole post, really. We're not at all crunchy granola people and find the whole hippie thing somewhere between amusing and annoying, but there's a really nice middle ground in there somewhere.

[Sheryl]

This is such a well written post. We try to buy organic; we rarely eat red meat. We don't used boxed stuff, except for the occasional mac & cheese, which I never ate as a kid, and cannot fathom why my kids like it. i don't keep any junk in the house. Diet soda though, I must say I consume far too much of-- 2 or 3 a day, but I can't drink alcohol, and a girl's gotta have something, yes?

[Sheryl]

OH! I forgot to say I can't believe you've gone 2 weeks without a cigarette! That's so amazing, I'm so proud!

[Meghan]

I'm almost a month out on breaking my 6-10 can a day Diet Pepsi habit (I KNOW). Reading this page on artificial sweeteners and sugar is what did me in. I stopped (almost) cold turkey (I had about 3 diet pops in the first week. I'm weak!) Now when I 'need' something carbonated I mix one part pomegranite or orange juice, and 2-3 parts sparkling mineral water. It's not the same, but I get a little bored of just plain water all the time.

The whole thing started because one of my aunts has her entire on the Feingold program, and has been following it for almost 10 years. It's often called "the ADHD Diet" because it's based on the belief that the impulses and actions that manifest in ADHD can be alleviated by eliminating artificial flavorings and colorings from diet. They talk about the rise of artificials in our diets, and the rise of behavioral problems in children, and I would think the success stories that are listed were overhyped if I hadn't seen a complete 180 in my cousin (the target of the program for them). The kid was overly aggressive, labeled BD, and we were all afraid of him. He had a lot of physical ailments as well, swollen joints, was in and out of the hospital with severe asthma, etc. He's now a HS senior, kind and funny, a joy to be around, has a steady girlfriend, acts in plays and even has been in a movie. NONE of which could have been said about the kid he used to be. He also has not had to be hospitalized for his asthma since they changed their diet. That is what got my butt on the website to see what it's all about. 'Junk' food is still allowed, just the better version of junk food. (Instead of Oreos, eat the Whole Foods or Trader Joe's sandwich cookies, which are freaking awesome. Sprite is ok, as is certain root beer and cola, & surprisingly some fast food is ok too.)

I don't have any of the ADHD issues they intend to alleviate, but after reading about all of the crap that is in so much of what we eat, I couldn't go on putting that stuff into my body. I wrote a little about it here, though I'll definitely have more to say as time goes on. A little over one month of no artificials, and I'm feeling pretty damn awesome. I'm finding that a small bit of Sprite (Feingold approved, no artificials!) will leave me satisfied, whereas I would get the GIANT 42oz diet pepsi at the drive through and still want more when I was done. A little bit of the real stuff makes my body so much happier.

[Mrs. Davis]

Congrats on quitting! An making it through two weeks! I need to stop the Diet Coke. I drink anywhere from 4-8 cans a day, and have since college.

As for deodorant, etc, there's a great site that ranks the toxicity of cosmetics, shampoos, etc, called Skin Deep.

[Kelsi]

I make a homemade dinner for us nearly every night. We take the kids to the Farmer's Market every Sunday and purchase almost all of our fruits and vegetables there - which are grown without the use of pesticides or additives. There's an added bonus of exposing the boys to the farmers so they understand where our food comes from. I avoid the middle aisles of the grocery store and rarely buy pre-packaged meals. We don't have sodas and I even stopped buying juice because of the high fructose corn syrup. Even with all that my cholesterol hovers at around 240 without meds - damn genetics.
Congrats on the progress!!

[bouncy]

I feel so silly - I am so proud of you for not smoking and I don't really "know" you.

*blissfully dances off into a sunny meadow*

[ozma]

This is going to sound ridiculous. I have strayed slightly into nicotine land but damn, I'm doing everything except sleeping. But I cannot sleep (for complicated reasons). So I guess my goal is to get a life where I can sleep.

The food thing is really good though T! It really does help!

[Amy]

Fabulous--your quitting smoking, this post, the comments. Since having a baby we've been even more aware of the crap surrounding us--and we were pretty strongly of the crunchy-granola persuasion to begin with.

One change we're making that I feel very good about is trying to eat as much local food as possible. We have a freezer full of organic chickens that my husband slaughtered, blueberries and strawberries we picked locally, peas and beans from the garden, and pasta sauce I made from tomatoes I grew. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside when everything on my plate came from the county I live in.

[sweetney]

loving the comments. you guys are so awesome.

speaking of awesome, i forgot to add to this post: have any of you seen the BBC America show "You Are What You Eat"? OMFG, if you need an impetus to change your eating habits, WATCH IT. scary/mind-blowing/teh awesome.

[Mig]

You are doing really great! I still cannot quit completely - I do smoke cigars every once in a while - which is not really the same thing, but still poison.
But cigarettes are out!

[Deb on the Rocks]

I'm no hippie, but I do use the hippie strategy of having a lot of sex because it is a reliable, local, minimum packaging, completely renewable resource, 100% organic treat.

[All Adither]

I need to cut out Cadbury Carmello, but I just can't!

I'm seriously interested in this topic too. I currently consider myself Moderate. As in, moderately participating in the detox/organic thing.

You're an inspiration Sweetney.

[CARLA]

Tracey:
SOY is of the EVIL!!! really you will inflate and hold weight and screw UP your hormones and thyroid royally! I would say to hell with it if I were you! Also, grains esp. wheat are bad bad bad! you go girl to drop the artificial sweetners they are truly poison and sooo many people are so misguided by corporate rhetoric and product dev. good luck!

[Daily Tragedies]

Congrats on quitting! Hope the dietary changes make you feel more healthy and alive, too.

I've cut out soda and most processed foods (though I still eat out more than one ought to). Small changes like keeping whole wheat pasta in the cabinet instead of white starches, etc. Lots more fruit and veggies. WATER. Ohmygod, how much more water I drink these days. Eventually you get used to all those extra trips to the bathroom...besides, it's a little extra exercise, getting up from my desk every damn hour just to pee.

[marymuses]

Excellent work both with quitting smoking and changing your diet. GO YOU!

In our house we eat as few processed foods as possible. We are big fans of making things fresh when we have the time and making enough to freeze so that when we don't have the time (or energy), there's something in the freezer. I also can no longer eat refined sugar due to my skin being intolerant (nothing like severe adult acne to send the last holdout of my formerly Standard American Diet packing), and am a big fan of agave nectar, especially in my coffee. I have an easy recipe for chocolatey, incredibly healthy dessert bars using agave as sweetener; if you'd like it, just send me an email.

Again, excellent work and GO YOU!

[Sue]

We're getting rid of soft plastics (polly pockets, my little ponies, etc.) and plastic dishes (cups, bowls, tupperware, etc.) The stuff I'm reading about chemicals leaching is scaring the crap out of me.

Congratulations on staying smoke free.

[Lisa B-K]

Good on you for staying quit. It's the hardest thing you'll ever do, because you're doing it every day. It's worse than exercise.

I quit diet soda 12 years ago and very rarely have regular soda now - only if it's made with sugar.

Over the past 5 years we've transitioned our diet to mostly organic/local stuff. I don't believe in ultimatums, so every now and again there is something I wouldn't normally eat creeping in there. I like to cook and bake, and we mostly eat simple but quality food. We frequent the co-op and the farmer's market and I garden large. We're not into "health food", but we're big on quality. I guess I should get more whole wheat pasta in there, but frankly? BLAH. I do bake a lot of bread, even with the full-time gig.

We quit most soy. We do the tofu thing every now and again, and the Vegetarian Teen (tm) eats a lot of soy, but the rest of us avoid it. I've read that it can fuck with your hormones (I need to avoid that), and I'm pretty sensitive to overprocessed food anyway (which soy can be). We eat organic and pastured dairy and meat, which is to say we eat them on a small scale, since they cost so much. You would not believe how much our Thanksgiving turkey cost, but it is so fucking worth it every year. You can't go back after you've had one.

A lot of my thoughts on nutrition and food have been formed by this book called Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. It's a decent read. I don't use it as a roadmap for life or anything, but I think the principles are pretty solid and I do what I can (or what I feel like, or what I can afford).

Food is stored in glass containers. We ditched the plastic awhile ago.

I hate the microwave. The only thing it's good for is heating up those rice-filled socks on cold nights, IMO.

I use baking soda on my pits. Deodorizes like a charm. It's not so great in summer, but in winter it works out really well.

Organic tampons only. I haven't yet braved the Diva Cup.

All our shampoo is by Burt's Bees (who just got bought by Clorox, which is bad for me since Clorox tests on animals), our toothpaste is by Desert Essence, and the soap is from... Zum, I think? We buy it in slices at the co-op.

Cleaning products are all low-key, and many of them are homemade. Vinegar is the best!

I take fish oil every day. I think it helps boost my immune system. I take a raft of other supplements for some health issues I have, and I think in most cases the diet and lifestyle changes + supplements have helped a lot. If I got more exercise and meditated, I'd probably be even better off.

Sorry so long-winded - you asked!

[Undomestic Diva]

Seriously, congrats. Big deal on kicking the habit. Personally, I'm trying to quit my three kids and husband, but it just ain't happenin'.

On a serious note, you would really love the "YOU" books by Dr. Oz if you haven't already gotten into them. Sounds very similar to your theories on food intake and toxins. Try the "YOU" On A Diet book or the "YOU" Staying Young book. A plus: The books are kinda funny.

MH

[Jozet at Halushki]

I never, ever say this, I swear but

GOOD JOB!

Well done, you!

And this

"listening to The Grateful Dead, playing hacky-sack, or wearing tie-dye"

No, no, no, no, no...I'd have to pull the bong out of your hand. ;-)

[liz]

Tom's of Maine makes a great deodorant.

[joy]

this post is a total inspiration--and yes, I know tis is gushy, but it is! It is amazing the crud we eat, and how relatively simple it can be to get rid of the processed high sugar stuff (high fructose corn syrup is EVIL. avoid it, and you can actually drop your calorie intake by quite a bit). Have you tried Barilla whole grain pasta products? They taste delish and even have omega goodness in them.

I am not off to make myself a cup of bengal spice herbal tea, because I am THAT good.

[Surcie]

I've never smoked but quitting sounds like its one of the hardest things to do, ever. I'm sure everyone who loves you is really proud.

[sweetney]

(Lisa B-K is my new hero)

[gina]

a great cleaning product is citra-solv--works way better than most commercial cleaners, esp on grease, and smells yummy!

also, make your own glass cleaner with a tsp of dish detergent, about a 1/2 c of white vinegar, and water in the rest of the spray bottle. and it's super cheap!

i am unfortuntely a Diet Coke addict, ever since the birth of Sam. before that i HATED cola of any kind. weird.

[Leaf, probably...]

I am trying to eliminate some of the sugar from my diet because I rely on it WAY too much...

I also have to mention here that I love the re-design. It looks like it was worth all the swearing and gnashing of teeth. :)

[mom101]

As a slightly self-righteous ex-smoker of now almost 6 years I'm so so proud of you for kicking the nic.

I can't say I could give up the cheese, Trace - I love the cheese. I MUST HAVE THE CHEESE. But I can go way too long without eating a vegetable and I should probably work on that. Also maybe I should exercise once in a while. And chill on the pasta.

Wow, I pretty much suck, don't I.

[Zoot]

T -

I quit (for the last time, because we all "quit" several times) on Christmas Day 2003. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. Unfortunately for me, I didn't actually feel "good" about it for almost a year I think. I never got those bursts of energy and stayed sick for months. I'm glad you are seeing the opposite. I just want to say I am VERY proud of you. I feel the need to tell anyone that successfully quits that because it is so fucking hard, and only those of us who have been through it, or lived with someone going through it, truly know. Way to go, girl.

That was the first change I made impacting my health. The next was taking my lazy ex-smoking ass and running/walking a marathon.

[fitgege]

Hi! You are saying what I've been saying for *years*. If you ever have questions/need help, check out my blog! It's www.fitgege.blogspot.com. It has a lot of 'clean eating' information plus questions and answers about changing your diet. Good luck with your quest and congratulations! :o)

[Missie]

We bought a juicer two years ago, and routinely do all-juice fasts for a few days to detox. Between that and joining Weight Watchers, that has really helped us healthwise and made me feel a ton better.

[BOSSY]

Oy. You go first. Go on, Bossy won't be too far behind. She just has some pie and stuff to finish first.

[Erica]

Trying to stick to the outside aisles at the grocery store is one that I try to follow. The only thing that ALWAYS gets me is the Cheez-its on the end caps. I an intense label reader too. If I can't pronounce it, I shouldn't be eating it (with the exception of the Cheez-its - the Trader Joe's version is not the same).

For natural cleaning supplies, I am a big fan of Mrs. Meyer's all purpose spray. I can be a little OCD about cleaning, so I use the natural stuff for everyday kitchen clean-ups.

Congratulations on quiting!