As you can probably assume by my lack of posts it has been a busy few weeks. I held my first Nutrition class, my business is continuing to grow, and the Vegan Challenge is drawing to a close, oh and The All-Star and I found a “secret” beach that we’re really excited about, it’s not really secret, but we’re pretending that it is.
I’ll catch you up a little bit on the Vegan challenge. Today is Day 24. No bail-outs or break-downs. We may or may not have consumed hidden ingredients. Unless a food is labeled vegan, you really can’t be sure. But we’ve done our best to avoid animals products at all costs and now over the half-way hump, I’m proud to say that I’m not missing much. It is doubtful that I will put this much effort into avoidance come July 1st but the continued effort to put high quality and nutritious foods in my body will continue! I’m really looking forward to my usual left-over lunches, which we haven’t had much of during this challenge, making grab-on-the-go a necessity at times. I found a very tasty Trader Joe’s wrap labeled vegan. Unfortunately it contains a little more salt than I’m used to. How do I know this? Not by reading the label. I know this by understanding my body and how it reacts to what it would rather do without.
Back to what I mentioned earlier about understanding yourself was a major message in my class last Wednesday – understanding our bodies and understanding our diets. By recognizing simple changes in the way you feel, you gain insight into how to modify your diet effectively to one that is health promoting.
Here’s a little exercise I’d like you to try. Take a week, just seven days, and cut out all processed foods. Make everything from scratch, even your dressing, and use salt minimally. No more chips, or cookies, or canned soup or crackers. No frozen dishes, cured meats or boxed cereals. Let it all be fresh and whole. If you’re motivated, write down how you feel after each meal and at the end of each day. On day 8, eat something typical of your usual diet. This will give you a quick insight into how foods affect you. If when you reintroduce a food back to your diet, you feel crappy, it’s probably not good for you. If you feel fine, munch away.Of course this is just a little test, but you should notice a change. I takes a bit more work, but once you form that relationship with your body and how it reacts to food, you can gain back control over your diet and your health and feel confident that you’re on a path towards wellness!