30 Days of Clean Eating

 It's now September 13th, almost two weeks into my 30 days of clean eating. There have been a few slip ups (2 cupcakes last Saturday and a 2 glasses of wine last Wednesday), but here's what I have learned:

1. Your body goes into shock when you decide to cut out all alcohol, sugar, gluten, soy, most dairy (everything but Greek yogurt), and limit your caffeine intake to 1-2 glasses of black coffee in the morning.
2. When you're body goes into that shock, you realize just how deeply your mind plays a part in your healthy eating. I learned my body really wasn't hungry when i thought it was, and it was more satisfied by the things I was eating than what I wasn't eating (how's that for a Dr. Seuss riddle). 
3. If I focus on eating lots of lean proteins (beans, nuts, fish, lean beef, chicken, lamb, etc), drinking more water and herbal tea, and eating fresh produce and healthy fats like avocado and extra virgin olive oil I "magically" take the compulsivety out of eating. 
4. When I am free of that compulsive eating behavior, I am free to live a healthier and freer lifestyle. That leaves me so much more brain power and space to focus on people and things that are important to me other than food.

   So why don't you try it...30 days of clean eating. No processed foods, nothing in a package with ingredients you can't pronounce. Just good old fashioned good food. It doesn't have to be gourmet or organic, just fresh stuff. As a warning...this does take practice, patience and planning. You will have to cook more, plan more and you may make a mess of your kitchen. I'm learning even with a few blunders that it is so much more worth it than any other option.  

P.S. If you can't give up all the things I've been trying to do, don't sweat it. Start with changing on 1-2 things about the way you eat or drink. Maybe it's giving up soda/sugary drinks and replacing it with water and herbal tea. Maybe it's eating out less and cooking at home more. It's all about making small changes that equate to long term gains.