Days 96 and 97 (Tuesday & Wednesday): Depression and White Flour
Been mulling a bit on white flour. (Some people I know mull over more profound topics -- like ancient Hebrew words and their meanings! I mull over white bread.) When I think of the food I've eaten most during my lifetime, white flour has to be at the top of the list -- from childhood right on through adulthood. And white flour registers in the body exactly as sugar does. Chemically, it causes the pancreas to secrete insulin, the fat-storing hormone that stimulates the appetite and slows down metabolism. (The latter part of the sentence above is taken directly from the article I've posted below.)
What caught my eye in that sentence was that the releasing of insulin after ingesting white flour does two not-so-cool things if a person is trying to detoxify his/her body: (1) It stimulates the appetite (for more of the same, usually); and (2) it slows down the metabolism. So, I've decided that the white flour I've been allowing myself has to go. In fact, what I'm realizing if I want to see amazing results ... not just modest results ... is that I need to let go of ALL things that in any way do not contribute to DEtoxifying this body of mine. If it adds to the toxicity, it needs to go.
During my hydrotherapy yesterday, I expressed some discouragement with my progress in getting more fit, and the first thing the therapist said to me is that if you're eating any white flour at all, it can contribute significantly to the blues, the blahs, etc. ... i/o/w, depression (which she perceived to be at the root of my discouragement). I had to wonder if she might be on to something as far as what was affecting me. I've been having pasta salad here and there (today I even had mac and cheese, about 3/4 of a cup), and often have croutons in my salad or crisp bread w/ parmasian on top. These little white flour add-ons . . . that seem small . . . are not helping me detox. In fact, if what is written in this article is true, they serve to stimulate my cravings for more white flour and sugar, and they slow down my body's ability to get rid of toxins -- which is one aspect of losing excess weight (exercise is the other biggie).
So at least for a while, I'm going to streamline my meals to no longer include white flour. Given where my body is at present, it will only hinder my progress, not enable it. My hydrotherapist also said something encouraging. She said to just "continue on." That may not sound like a big deal of a thing to hear, but for me it was. She said that even though I am not where I want to be, remember that I'm dealing with years of poor eating habits, etc. (and added that ALL Americans are!) -- so just continue on and be at peace knowing my body is detoxing one day at a time and changing for the good . . . that any self-criticism about not seeing "results" fast enough is worthless and will just impede my progress. Even though I knew what she said already, I really needed to hear it yesterday.
By the way, here's my hydrotherapist's website (still under construction):
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