Brad’s detox diet has detoxed me. The evidence: Without participating myself (other than that one regrettable week) and without even really realizing, some changes have been made around here. Changes I like.

For one, white sugar left me. It has threatened to before, but this time it up and stormed out of the house, never to return. It probably got offended that I usurped its jar for my steel-cut oats. What can I say? I needed the space. I have oats coming out my ears, thanks to a recent trip to Whole Foods.

The top of our fridge used to be home to boxes of (organic, as-close-to-whole-food-as-you-can-get) cereals. Now, it houses a jar of my homemade muesli. (Which, seriously! Why has no one told me about muesli before, other than my dad multiple times in my childhood when I was impressionable and should have listened?)

Inside the fridge, our cheese drawer got more and more empty as I just stopped buying it. Not because I don’t love cheese with my whole heart—I’m from Wisconsin after all—but because I wasn’t comfortable with the ingredients in most of the wedges in my area grocery stores. So I commandeered the drawer to store the herbs I’ve been harvesting from our little patio garden. A whole drawer just for herbs! It sounds like something extravagant Gwyneth would suggest in GOOP and I would then laugh at. But I’ve done it and I’m happy about it.

P.S. Remember when I moaned and groaned through a month-long sugar fast? I don’t know if it’s because Brad can’t eat anything I bake, or I don’t have time because I’m making my own meals solo at night, or because my own pseudo-detoxing has actually detoxed me to the point where processed sugar makes me feel a little sick (the injustice!), but I don’t crave sugar as much anymore. I’ve even turned down treats in the last few weeks.

Having said that, I could really go for a scone right about now.