And by “skinny” I mean the low-down, the nitty gritty, the scoop. Not my waist-line.

So I am now at day 13 of being wheat-free, dairy-free, nearly sugar-free. You’ll notice that I did not say alcohol-free. I have done a little imbibing on the weekends. Coffee and a drink or three have been my weekend treats. But overall, I have been a clean-eating fool. I’ve basically been doing the anti-inflammatory diet and I think I feel better and the scale is showing some results. It hasn’t been as hard as I imagined and I have found some tricks that are worth sharing. Here are a few things I’ve learned.

1) I can actually have coffee without milk

I’ve used So Delicious coconut creamer and it’s not bad. It’s not milk, but I will survive.

2) Detoxinista

She has some great Paleo and Vegan recipes. The Harvest Breakfast Cookies saved me the first week. Easy to make, delicious, and healthy.

3) Vega One shakes

A vegan protein powder with tons of great stuff- maca, probiotics, omega 3, greens, antioxidants. Good stuff. The Vanilla Chai with frozen blueberries tastes great and lasts. It’s not cheap, but it is on sale at Whole Foods right now.

4) There’s usually an alternative

Swap Brown Rice Syrup or Maple syrup for sugar. Swap coconut oil for butter. Swap Coconut/Buckwheat/Spelt(related but different from wheat, not for celiacs but fine for someone like me) flour for wheat/white flour. The internet is such a wealth of inspiration and information. It has given me a new challenge in the kitchen that is actually enjoyable.

5) Cashew cream sauce

Makes a great alternative to peanut sauce, salad dressing, cheese, etc. Delish. I made Veggie enchiladas with brown rice tortillas, cashew cream in lieu of cheese for me, cheese for the fam.

6) Chia pudding pops

Blend chia seeds, cocoa powder, almond butter, coconut milk, banana, sea salt. Pour in popsicle molds. Healthy fix for the sweet cravings.

7) I can have a glass and still lose, but not more.

Whether it is the inflammation, the calories, the dehydration factor or all of the above remains to be seen but the scale goes up or stays the same when I have more than one. Regardless, I know that I can stay on this long-term as long as I can have a glass of wine here an there. Which means I will have more to write about. On that note…

8) I’ve got another writing gig

Starting next week I’ll be doing some guest writing for Living Direct’s wine blog, blog.winecoolerdirect.com. I’ll send links or you can check the site directly. Next week I’ll start with a piece on South African wines. We will be drinking them (and more) with “those friends.”  Stay tuned.

Happy weekend!