As I have previously mentioned, I am part of the Spotify Mind Awareness Program, where Ratheesh Mani teaches us mind awareness and how that can enhance our productivity, focus and general well-being. The mind awareness training is based on five pillars: proper breathing, proper exercise, proper diet, positive thinking and relaxation. With all these in place, mind awareness and meditation will come easier than without. As part of the proper diet pillar I tried a two weeks detox program a few weeks ago with intermittent fasting and a special diet (see more below). I could really see a difference on my energy level during the evenings (higher and more even) and the regular meditation practice (half an hour every morning before the rest of the family gets up) was so much easier.

Last week Ratheesh presented me with a new exercise that I started today. For 47 days I will do one day of fasting (drinking only water) every week and the rest of the time follow a diet similar to the detox one I tried:

  • Only vegan food: no meat, no fish, no lactose/egg/dairy
  • No gluten: no bread, rice or pasta
  • No alcohol, coffee or tea
  • No potatoes
  • No citrus fruits
  • No preservatives
  • No fried food
  • No vinegar
  • No soy or soy based products
  • No nuts, except for cashew nut soaked in water for a day
  • No seeds, except for pumpkin seeds

Quinoa salladSo what will I eat? During the two weeks of detox when I first tried this diet I had a lot of sallad, vegetables and fruit. I am also allowed to eat black and red rice, quinoa and millet (“hirs” in Swedish) and quorn (made of mushroom). Coconut milk is ok too so I expect to eat a lot of thai-ish food, like spicy curries with coconut milk and black rice. The biggest challenges will be eating in restaurants and dinner with friends and relatives. It will be interesting to see how my body reacts, I’ll probably loose a couple of pounds…