A blog and a bit - is this writing?

Following a deep, long chat with a budding writer/friend of mine, I was thrown into a whole debate around the worthiness of blogging. She dismissed blogs as simply being light, superficial chat, unworthy of any critical acclaim.
For me however, they open up the world of writing to so many people that they deserve some kind of recognition.
I see blogs as being a simple, honest, unpretentious ways of keeping notes of events, happenings, random views, rants, debates, ideas - basically a virtual diary. Blogging doesn't have the pretense of many full-blown articles: they aren't really meant to be pompous, in-depth features with facts and figures or deep philosophical meaning, but are rather informative, personal views and accounts. My friend seemed outraged by the fact a book had been published out of a collection of blog posts. Indeed it doesn't claim to be high literature - or anything with some kind of depth- but I still believe blogging is a style in itself - a 'lite' version of writing perhaps. As a matter of fact, I really don't see anything wrong with it. Many authors have in the past published critically acclaimed diaries or short stories, and this is very similar - it just touches the realm of the virtual. I don't see how a notebook or a word document is superior to a virtual, online account of one's life experiences. Blogging is writing after all. It is open to anyone, it's free and has no class or intellectual barrier. There lies its appeal and worth.

Detox

I think I need a detox. I know I've been going on about this for a while but I think it's due very soon. No matter how healthy my diet is throughout the year, some things just need clearing. Start with the skin - sleep, water, fruits, veg and vitamins are a pre-requisite for healthy looking skin, but there's no point being so saintly if you're going to undo all that goodness with booze, caffeine, chocolate and sugar. Right so I'm no alcoholic - I hardly drink- and I don't consume much caffeine either, but I admit I have lacked discipline when it comes to chocolate. Even the dark, low sugar, organic -and supposedly satisfying- kind does seem to leave its mark. As much as the media has lauded the benefits of consuming dark chocolate, it remains a food which is high in toxins. Cocoa, to be consumed, needs to be roasted, cooked and processed. Even the darkest of chocolates are high in fat - not the best type of fat either. The toxins and saturated fats found in chocolate seem to irritate my skin, causing breakouts and rashes.

Right, so that's one thing out of the way. Caffeine, sugar and a lack of a regular sleep pattern also affect my health. So I may not exactly be acne prone, but I have noticed that some foods irritate my skin. Saturated fats for instance. A two week trip to India (full of ghee laden treats, cream and whole milk products) created an outburst in skin trauma. Even locals asked if I had been bitten by mosquitoes on my face! Quite embarrassing. Sugar is definitely another culprit, so as the lack of sleep.
It is thus time to act. I need to clear away all this crap from my system and engage on a positive cleansing routine. Inside and out. This means no sugar, no chocolate (noooo!!!!), alcohol or caffeine for, what, a week? Longer if I can resist. Summer is the best time for this - I am less hungry, thirstier, fruits and vegetables are plentiful, fresh and tasty, so it shouldn't be too hard. What about supplements? Vitamin C and spirulina should do the trick. Oh and regular exfoliation. When do I start again? Hmmm...