Cleaning It Up

Although cleaning up my diet is (and has been) challenging, time consuming, and expensive, I'm committed to making it happen (and maintaining it).

In the past, I was ignorant of healthy food choices, and ate what I liked and had always eaten. More often than not, that was whatever was cheap, easy to prepare, and on sale. Unfortunately, the least expensive, most convenient food is often the most toxic.

In addition to researching clean eating and trying healthier products, I'm learning to listen to my body (recommended by Geneen Roth in Women, Food, and God) by analyzing how I feel after I eat something. I'm learning to ask myself: Do I feel bloated and lethargic? Do I feel energized? Do I feel full, or am I hungry an hour or two later?  

This mindful approach can guide me in what to eat and what to avoid. For example, I don't think I've ever felt great after eating fast food (which is no wonder, considering the processed Frankenfood on the menu). So why continue eating it? Because it's cheap and readily available? It's not worth it if it makes me obese, diabetic, and cancerous.

I need to stop looking at price and convenience and start looking only at food labels. As Jillian Michaels (I absolutely love her!) writes in Master Your Metabolism: "Think of it this way: Every time you spend a few extra bucks to buy organic, you're saving thousands of dollars in co-pays for chemotherapy or diabetes drugs."

I'm so thankful that I haven't sustained major health damage from years of unhealthy eating (not to mention lack of significant exercise for most of my life). Now I've come too far to backslide. I can no longer claim ignorance because now I have the tools to change my diet, my body, my health, and my life. 

Small changes can cause major differences. And sometimes the extra expense is worth paying. This is one of those times!

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 I strongly recommend Women, Food, and God for women prone to emotional eating (and really, what woman isn't?) and Master Your Metabolism for anyone needing a comprehensive clean-eating primer.