A healthy diet means different things to different people. For some it means a careful balance of food groups. For others it means keeping caloric intake in check. For some it’s keeping their sodium intake down. Or sugars. For some it means cutting back on fat. Or cutting out animal based proteins. For me it means cutting out grains and processed sugars. Is that the best healthiest diet? I’ve no idea. But I do know when I consistently keep grains and processed sugars out of my body I feel better. Not just better. Good. My stomach doesn’t hurt. I have energy. I sleep better. I am able to focus. My joints don’t ache. My skin looks better. And by golly, I’m a nicer person.

But having a healthy diet and eating well takes a lot of time.

Before I started at Automattic I worked part-time for a distributed company which focused on the paleo diet. Working part-time AND from home meant I had all the time in the world for meal planning and preparation. And I had amazing new recipes that fit my healthy diet ideal thrown at me all the time in the course of my daily work. I was surrounded, virtually, by co-workers who ate the way I did. It made it so easy to eat well. Hell, it made it hard to eat badly.

Fast forward to now- I still eat better than I did once upon the time. It’s not like I’m scarfing down cheeseburgers every day (unless my guy and I go on a bad food bender… which… you know… happens). But I don’t eat properly. I don’t eat well. My daughter and I are both gluten intolerant. We both feel like shit when we eat it and so tend to avoid it. But it slips in from time to time. Mostly though I’ve just learned to find junk food that contains no wheat. Pasta, bread, cookies, cupcakes, and other baked goodies made from other grains.  And there’s a sushi place only a few blocks from my place so rice is a thing.

I’ve forgotten once again what it feels like to be healthy. To breathe easy. To sleep well. To fit into my favorite dresses. To not use acne cream at the age of 37. With all that in mind I’m giving the healthy eating another shot. October, usually a month of great indulgence, is going to be a cleanse of sorts for me.

No I’m not going on a juice cleanse. I’m not fasting. I’m not swapping out meals for liquids. Just cutting out those foods I know are causing me to feel like crap. Or trying to. So you guys take all the Halloween Candy. And the Pumpkin spice lattes. And hearty ravioli that so often mark the start of fall.

I’ll be over here eating this lovely pork chop with a side of brussel sprouts and sipping my martini. What’s that? Oh yes, I’m not giving up the gin. I want to be healthier not crazy.