My Extended, Ongoing Nutrition Adventure

OK, so I guess it's time to write about the actual nutrition adventure I've been on this year.  (What? Not rocks, sidewalks or some other bizarre reference to nutrition/nourishment??)

In January, someone I highly respect gave me a look, pointed a finger at me and told me he didn't like what he saw, and I needed to make some changes or I was going to have issues. (For some of you who know me, you know exactly who said it - LOL) My body was unhappy, and it looked like it and felt like it.  

While I started working on (and continue to work on) several aspects of my life, a major contributor to where I was at that point was what I was eating and drinking.  Let's just say I had been rationalizing and making a lot of excuses. Huh, when you take that away, crap, you have to honestly look at your own behaviors.  Nuts.

Soooo - started by looking at my choices and seeing where I wasn't being congruent with being someone who promotes nutritional products and a healthy lifestyle.  Damn - there's that honesty again.  So much easier to help someone else see their choices!

Long story short, over the last 8 months, I have gradually changed how and what I eat and drink with the goal of having a happier, healthier body. Gradually started replacing my less healthy choices with better choices - nothing drastic, just a nice progression.

So how has my diet changed?  I'm now eating lots of fruits and veggies, nuts and beans, and I mainly drink water and tea (do you have any idea how many different teas there are to choose from?!).  I gradually moved away from bread, dairy and sugar.  Meat is the occasional side dish rather than the better part of the dinner plate.  (And yes, my dear brother, some of what I enjoy looks like it came from the bottom of your lawn mower...)

Do I still eat junk food? Of course!  Just not very often.  Do I still eat yummy desserts?  Of course!  Again, just not very often. So when I have a great dessert, I savor and enjoy every bite. 

The results?  I feel better than I have in a long time, I'm sleeping better, and I am now fitting into clothes I haven't fit into in a looonnng time.  (I don't own a scale and have no idea what I weigh, I just know it's a lot less than it was in January.)

So my advice?  Take a good look/listen to what your body is telling you. Everyone is different and needs to find what makes their own body happy. Experiment and try new things and see how you feel.

It's not just about making different choices, it's about making choices differently. Make loving, caring choices for yourself.