A Good Habit

I'm always so proud to see my colorful and healthy haul sprawled out across my kitchen counter after I get back from my weekly trip to the grocery store!

It's been about eight months since my husband and I started taking our eating habits more seriously. If there is one thing I've learned in these last eight months, it's that our diet affects a whole lot more than just our weight. I no longer feel sluggish, bloated, or fatigued, and I've noticed a huge difference in my mental spirit. There used to be days where I was completely unmotivated, in bad moods, or super sad, but for no apparent reason. I am pleased to report that since we have started eating cleaner and smarter, I've had very, very few days like that. 

Weight loss was the motivating factor behind all this. I've been fairly consistent with working out and staying active for about the last five years. Who knows where I would be if I had started eating better then! Like a ton of other people I fell into the trap of "diet foods" and fad dieting. Don't get me wrong, they work, but the results aren't permanent. My weight has yo-yoed because I wasn't making the right choices when it came to my nutrition. I've learned that abs really are made in the kitchen because I'm close to having lost a solid 25 pounds just from changing my nutrition habits. The key was to eat better, not less.

We cut out processed food and introduced more fresh produce and whole foods into our diet. Basically we eat how humans were meant to be eating; natural. So we don't buy anything that contains an ingredient we can't pronounce or know what it is and we pay attention to exactly how many ingredients are included on the labels of the food we're eating. On a weekly basis we'll eat small portions of pasta and bread only if it's 100% whole wheat and made with whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins like chicken and turkey, and slew of leafy greens like kale, spinach, and romaine lettuce. 

I was terrified at first because I thought eating clean meant that I was going to be miserable and starving. However, I have been pleasantly surprised how good healthy foods can be without the help of preservatives and artificial ingredients. I get excited when I find new clean recipes and it makes me feel amazing to know that the food I'm using and the recipes I'm following are good for me! Besides marrying my husband and going to college, changing my eating habits has been one of the best decisions I've ever made.