Changes: The Good News/the Different/the Undesired

The Good
The grains: Today marks my 30th day off of all grains. There were a few days when I didn't think I'd make it, but I have. My friend Cheryl asked me why I decided to get off of them. I told her it was because I felt better when I was not eating wheat, found that I was eating lots more oats, and decided to see what it was like to be off of all grains for 90 days. 
I've also wondered if certain grain components have affected my absorption of nutrients and contributed to inflammation in my body (you can read more about that here, on the Wellness Mama blog). 
The probiotics: I've been eating raw (and organic, mostly) sauerkraut for about a month to boost my body's ability to take in nutrition by boosting my gut health. A couple of weeks ago I added daily consumption of capsules containing a weird dirt (well, soil)-based blend of probiotics, as well. 
Results: I've had several positive results from these changes:

A Lot

I eat a lot of food.
Although I am eating better food, and much less (or, in some cases, none) of foods that are not my friends, I now realize that I regularly eat a large volume of food, much more food than I need on a daily basis. (I'd be even fatter if I didn't walk most places, and work out.)
When I say I eat a large volume of food, I don't mean all in one sitting (although I used to do that). Instead, I eat two or three meals a day, and graze throughout the day. Here's an example of what I can consume from the time I wake up through an early afternoon:

1 apple
1 plate of greens with a small chicken thigh and 1 egg
1 small sweet potato
1/2 serving (2 squares) of dark chocolate
1/2 cup of raisins, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds

That is enough food for an entire day (and too many carbs), yet I will probably eat more around dinner time. (Note: I normally don't measure the raisin/walnut mixture I consume, but did so this time just for this post.)
I need to (1) start measuring the raisins and walnuts I eat (as I did with the granola) and (2) start keeping a food diary again. Even as I type that, however, I get a clutch of fear coming up, that I am going to be deprived of food once I start tracking it. That is most interesting as I've seldom--even in these last couple of years with my major food changes (and this blog) limited the volume of food consume. That is, I've limited the total grams of carbs I consume, for example, but the not the total volume of food. Even the idea of counting calories--!!!--makes my eyes roll toward the back of my head.
One or another, however, I am going to have to acknowledge and work with that very difficult feeling of deprivation--and reduce the volume I consume. I don't think there's a way around that.

It Came to Me

I'm not sure why or how, but I'm now ready to let go of granola.  Simple statement, but a big deal. This was not in my recent detox plan. What was in the plan (and what I've been doing quite religiously) is measuring the amount of granola I eat. Still, I'm going to honor this desire, which came to me yesterday, and let go of granola.
I've known for a while that granola has been my cake/bread/muffin/pie replacement, and that I don't do well when eating a lot of carbs. But I just haven't wanted to give them all up. I was bargaining with my body--everything but the granola with raisins and cranberries.
I've also had a desire to eat more greens, and I have started sprouting clover and alfalfa seeds. This morning I had 2 boiled eggs on a bed of greens with sprouts and salad dressing. Then I had half a cup of cooked yam. Quite yummy all around. 
A key issue for me is not muscling myself (again) into lots of changes all at once. I am (for now) going to keep buying dark chocolate, and will also eat the dates I currently have in the house, but won't be buying any more.