5 Day Eating Clean/No Processed Food Challenge

So I tried this earlier in the month but it was during a very inopportune time. I'm going to challenge myself again to eat clean for the next 5 days.

"Eat clean"...what exactly does that mean? In a nutshell it means that you eat only whole foods...Foods that are as close to their natural state as you can get them. If something didn't grow that way, it's probably not a whole food. For me this means that I can enjoy fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains but nothing pre-packaged...Protein bars, Protein Shakes, Morningstar farms products.

Yikes! 

Although I think that I eat pretty healthy most of the time, my weight loss has stalled so it's time for me to kick it up a notch. Most of the processed food that I eat is consumed out of convenience. I don't THINK that what I eat is extremely unhealthy. But I'm not a Nutritionist so what do I know?

If you've been reading, I haven't been posting my food as religiously as I did a few weeks ago. So I am going to start tracking my meals again, take more photos and share my clean eating intake. What I'm not going to do is count calories. I'm going to trust that if I eat clean and get my compulsive grazing under control, the weight will start to come off again. It's only 5 days, so it shouldn't be too painful? Right? We'll see.

Yesterday was a Manic Monday in every way. I didn't have time to take walks on my 15 minute breaks nor did I have time to do anything on my lunch break. It was one "urgent" email after the next. By the end of the day I was so ready to change into my workout clothes and get the heck out of the office!

Being out in the fresh air and getting a run in is one of the best ways to relieve stress...at least for me. Not only did it center me, but it gave me time to be alone with my thoughts and reflect. Everything about yesterday’s run felt different. There was a chill in the air that I normally don't like because it symbolizes the change in season. I didn’t mind it so much yesterday, however. I just took everything in and really appreciated the blueness of the sky and how green the trees were...everything looked more beautiful. I started thinking about the possibility of being diagnosed with an illness that I’ll have to fight and I realized that one day, I may not be able to run. That motivated me to push myself and keep going even after I got tired. I didn’t even use my C25K app, I just ran and left everything I had on the trail. I’m no Lo Lo Jones, but I can’t remember the last time I jogged 2 ½ miles without stopping.

It felt great. Even though it took me over half an hour, it was a huge accomplishment.

I’ve been thinking a lot about life and death and my own mortality lately. It’s not just about going for a run and appreciating the beauty that God made. I’ve also been very present with my family. I’ve been making a conscious effort not to argue with my mother. I’ve been enjoying every single second that I have with Travis…even when he woke up in the middle of my night time work out. I just turned off the DVD and stayed with him even after he fell asleep. As I sat there with him, I realized that I AM dying. We all are. From the moment we are born we are all waiting for God to call us back home. My grandmother lived until she was in her 80’s. My first born son only lived an hour after his birth. Both of their lives had meaning. We are all put here for a purpose. And regardless of whether we are given a diagnosis that comes with an expiration date or we are just going about our lives and something tragic happens, it will eventually be our time to leave what we think of as our home. It is my hope however, that we all try to live in the moment and appreciate everything that this temporary yet wonderful world has to offer. We should use tragedies to help us appreciate miracles. We should embrace the cold and darkness of the winter because with it is the promise of the warmth and newness of springtime.  I sat up for hours last night wondering…what if I returned to the doctor in December and found out that I am the picture of health? What if this scare was God’s way of getting my attention and drawing me closer to Him?

My prayer for everyone who may be reading this is that you live in the moment. Appreciate every aspect of your life, the good and the bad. Take time today to go outside, breath in fresh air, and marvel at the beauty that your Higher Power has created.

Make today your best day ever! And do at least one today thing that will improve your health.

Thanks for reading and may God bless you and keep you!

Always,

Blaque