Last summer I attempted to do the Clean Cleanse. I don’t think I ever wrote about my experience. I did not complete the three weeks; I made it five days. Five very long days. I’m not sure how people can manage to be active while doing a cleanse. It was dreadfully hot outside and I didn’t have any energy, I felt like I could pass out at any moment. While the cleanse didn’t last the planned three weeks, it was successful in that it was a huge leap out of my comfort zone. I also think I learned a bit about eating healthier and discovered a few tips for healthy eating.
Start Early, Start Small
One of the cleanse habits that has stuck with me over the last year is starting the day with a smoothie. I have varied my breakfast routine over the years but I think the smoothie habit may be with me for life. I’ve always preferred veggies to fruit and have never been very good about getting my daily allowance of fruits and veggies, but my smoothie typically contains 4-5 servings of fruits & vegetables. It’s a great feeling to know that I’ve met most of the daily requirements with my first meal. A typical smoothie for me contains a banana, a pear, some pineapple, spinach or kale, yogurt, chia seed, and some coconut milk or cranberry juice. I wasn’t too excited about adding the greens but after reading that I wouldn’t be able to even taste them, I decided to give it a try. The key is to start with a little bit and gradually increase the amount of greens. I’ve been putting a large handful of spinach in my smoothies lately and I don’t taste it at all.
Allow Yourself a Treat Now and Then
In addition to my daily smoothies, I’ve also cut back dramatically on processed food, including processed sugar. I am not super-strict about this but I do make an honest attempt to avoid the processed stuff as much as I can. I read ingredient labels and if something contains ingredients that I don’t recognize as food, I try to avoid it. I still allow myself the occasional Dr. Pepper and I’m not very strict about what I eat when I eat out. I’m a moderator (versus an abstainer) – if I told myself I could never have a Dr. Pepper again, I’d go crazy wanting one. By eating healthy most of the time, I know I’m doing a lot better than I was a year ago.
Just Try It
If you are new to healthy eating, it’s going to take you out of your comfort zone. There’s a whole new world of strange foods that you’ve probably never had. You don’t have to eat what you don’t like, but at least try it. My philosophy is that I will try anything at least once; if I don’t absolutely hate it, I will try it again and again. It’s kind of like when you tried alcohol for the first time; very few of us liked that first beer, but because we were motivated, we pushed through the initial bad taste. Just think of that green smoothie as a beer, someday you’ll love it and be glad you tried it. Over the last year, a few of my new foods have become favorites; quinoa, chia seed, kale, coconut milk, almond milk, and coconut sugar have all become staples in my house. The only thing I’ve tried that I absolutely hated was mango, and a friend tells me I probably had a bad one – so I will try that again when a knowledgable person can pick one out for me.
Different things work for different people, the important thing is to figure out what works for you. Check out some healthy eating blogs. Try some new foods. Look at it as an adventure, once you find what works for you, you’ll feel better and wonder why you didn’t begin sooner. What are your tips for eating healthy?
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