I've been pretty good thus far on my clean eating journey. I've cheated once for a small bowl of strawberry ice cream with whipped cream. Nobody's perfect.
My mornings have consisted of smoothies concocted with some combination of the following ingredients: bananas, greek yogurt, fresh strawberries, fresh peaches, almond/coconut milk, chia seeds, and protein powder. They have been delicious and filling enough to last me until lunch which usually consists of a spinach/arugula salad with various fruits and nuts mixed in with a small amount of balsamic vinegar. I've been feeling pretty good the past few days and I think getting rid of all that processed food is helping. I am craving some nachos, however.
The other night I made a very delicious taco salad. Here is what I did:
EVOO and ground turkey seasoned with salt, pepper, and my favorite hot sauce (Cholula), black beans, and corn over a bed of baby spinach and baby arugula. I added a little bit of salsa on top for a bit more spice. It was so good I didn't even miss the crunch of tortilla chips.
Eating more healthily is definitely more time consuming and more expensive, but the benefits far outweigh the cons. Cooking my own food is not only teaching me how to prepare healthier meals, but it's helping me become more creative in the kitchen. I have so many ideas floating around in my head and when in doubt, Pinterest has the best recipes!
I encourage anyone to switch out a couple fast food meals for home cooked and see if it makes a difference in your life, too. It's not as quick and convenient but it's much better for you and makes, at least me, feel very accomplished.
Keep on keeping on.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
introduction.
My daily life is hectic, as I'm sure many lives are. It's filled with coffee, small breaks for food, and exhaustion. I've sort scaled back my eating to this formula to get through the day: coffee for breakfast, a banana, small salad or sandwich for lunch, glass of wine or beer for dinner. Healthy? No. Effective? Barely. The difference I find between me and many other people, though, is the chronic headache condition I suffer from. Every moment of every day there is a dull throbbing ache in my head no matter how many Advil I pop, or how many glasses of water I drink. I've lived with this chronic headache for the better part of ten to fifteen years and it's just become a constant shadow that follows me around. I hate being followed.
Within the past few years my mom has gotten into a "wholistic" (yes, I made that word up) way of living and eating. She takes the proper vitamins, walks daily, and eats (to the best of her ability) only whole foods. She takes care of herself, and it has proven to be very effective in curing her migraines. I've avoided this way of living because I am very stubborn and don't like to give up things I enjoy, ie: beer, ice cream, coffee, candy... Recently, though, she's been a lot more adamant that I try her way instead of my own. I'm finally giving in.
I, too, suffer from migraines, and two days ago I had one of my worst. This time it lasted two full days, and it's still lingering on day three. On the second day I had double vision and vertigo all day. The pain and visual disturbances scared me and I made the decision to follow my mom's advice and stop being so damn stubborn. I'm only 26 and feel like I'm falling apart more and more rapidly. I've complained about my chronic pain not being fair because "I don't eat like a jerk" and I try to exercise on a somewhat regular basis. I've compared myself to the the people in America who eat fast food regularly and probably never feel as terrible as I do on a good day.
It's not about comparing what you eat and do with others. It's about doing the best you can for yourself and making better choices in your daily life for no one other than you. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired and I'm finally ready to make a change. All the coffee in the world can't keep me energized anymore and I'm over floating through life rather than truly living. It's time to feel good not pain.
Today starts the serious eating clean detox I probably should have done years ago, and this blog is my journey through it. I plan to describe my progress not only in how I feel physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. I'm hoping to concoct some deliciously clean meals I can share here, and I'm sure a few fails also.
Here goes nothing...
Within the past few years my mom has gotten into a "wholistic" (yes, I made that word up) way of living and eating. She takes the proper vitamins, walks daily, and eats (to the best of her ability) only whole foods. She takes care of herself, and it has proven to be very effective in curing her migraines. I've avoided this way of living because I am very stubborn and don't like to give up things I enjoy, ie: beer, ice cream, coffee, candy... Recently, though, she's been a lot more adamant that I try her way instead of my own. I'm finally giving in.
I, too, suffer from migraines, and two days ago I had one of my worst. This time it lasted two full days, and it's still lingering on day three. On the second day I had double vision and vertigo all day. The pain and visual disturbances scared me and I made the decision to follow my mom's advice and stop being so damn stubborn. I'm only 26 and feel like I'm falling apart more and more rapidly. I've complained about my chronic pain not being fair because "I don't eat like a jerk" and I try to exercise on a somewhat regular basis. I've compared myself to the the people in America who eat fast food regularly and probably never feel as terrible as I do on a good day.
It's not about comparing what you eat and do with others. It's about doing the best you can for yourself and making better choices in your daily life for no one other than you. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired and I'm finally ready to make a change. All the coffee in the world can't keep me energized anymore and I'm over floating through life rather than truly living. It's time to feel good not pain.
Today starts the serious eating clean detox I probably should have done years ago, and this blog is my journey through it. I plan to describe my progress not only in how I feel physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. I'm hoping to concoct some deliciously clean meals I can share here, and I'm sure a few fails also.
Here goes nothing...
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