The "Down" Side of Healthy Eating

Okay, so the title is a little misleading, because there's really no down side to healthy eating and healthy living. I've discovered some side effects though that if you're not prepared can catch you off guard. Since I have experienced all of these within the last 24 hours, I thought I'd share them with you.

• You'll need a lot less sleep. Right now, if I get six uninterrupted hours of sleep, I wake up without an alarm clock and have no grogginess to overcome. I don't need coffee, tea, pop, energy drinks or other stimulants to get going.
• You know when you've had something you shouldn't or even too much of a good thing. As your body detoxifies, when you reintroduce something that isn't healthy...you'll know it...soon. For me, the trigger foods are anything fried, soy, meat, dairy,  processed/refined sugar or flours, and too much salt (even sea salt). Headaches, blemishes, brain fog, gas, bloating, swelling, body odor, dry mouth, or dry eyes can quickly ensue. And yeah...that last bite of salad looks good and you really hate to waste it, but it's not going to taste as good as the first bite did...and if your body is telling you it's full...stop.
• Your taste buds are clean and not coated with processed, refined junk so the old foods don't taste good anymore. A chemical manufactured in a lab is just not going to taste as good as sun-ripened berries or sweet, juicy watermelon. Those chemicals only taste good when we have a steady diet of them. That's why companies add addictive substances, like aspartame and MSG...it keeps you coming back for more.
• You may not experience specific cravings. I learned a long time ago that as you tune into your body and actually take the time to listen to it, it will most always tell you what you need. This is why people need the mid-afternoon coffee and sugar pick me up. The lunch they ate didn't satisfy their body's needs, so they are experiencing a blood sugar slump. The fastest way to fix it is with the bad options. But as your body is healing, and you're getting all of the nutrients you need, you may not have that "feeling" that you need protein or chocolate or dairy or whatever that thing is for you. Sometimes I have difficulty deciding what to eat because food is now fuel...not comfort. I do still crave a salad or a juicy fruit when I'm dehydrated though.
• Your muscles may behave differently when exercised. I say may because this is a new one for me. When I have eaten a mostly vegan diet in the past, it was not highly raw. When I have previously juiced, I was mostly focused on detoxifying, not concerned with exercise and didn't juice long enough to feel this good. So what I've been noticing is that when I go for a walk, which isn't even strenuous, my muscles feel tight, or maybe firm is the better word, and even if I have some knee or foot pain while I'm exercising...it is quickly gone. I'm finding that I also am having less stiffness of joints and muscles a few hours later like I have had in the past after a workout.

None of these "down" sides to eating and living healthy are reasons for me, or you, to give up. In fact, all of them are indications that I am on the right track and need to keep going. Weight loss isn't the only benefit, or even the best.