Okay, I’ve got an idea. Can I run this by you?
What if…instead of focusing on eliminating certain types of food, counting calories, and depriving ourselves of the things we love…we merely ADDED the things that fuel us and make us sing?
And if that list is a big list ~ and oh honey you know mine is ~ we would literally run out of hours in the day to get all that good stuff in!
Maybe you ate a gorgeous blueberry muffin with streusel topping for breakfast, which exceeds your calorie intake for the remainder of the day. (Not me. I didn’t do that. I’m just saying if maybe you did, or if you know a friend who behaves in this silly manner…) Maybe we could say, “YAY! THAT WAS DELICIOUS!” As long as your friend gets her spinach salad in, and a handful of raw almonds by the end of the day, and whatever else is on her personal list, then you’re good to go!
I think what would happen is this: we would be SO FULL that we eventually wouldn’t even bother with the muffin the next time because we know we have only so many hours in the day to get our long list of healthy habits in.
PAR EXAMPLE…
Trying to get 6-8 glasses of water in a day?
It sure is hard to achieve that AND drink a bunch of soda. But if you can drink all that and not spend the entire day on the toilet looking at Facebook, then go ahead and drink that soda!
(That was really hard for me to write. I absolutely loathe soda and what it has done to our health.)
The truth is: that muffin or soda only fills us up, and possibly comforts us. It doesn’t actually feed or fuel the body, but you knew that already, right?
It’s like putting coconut oil in your car instead of motor oil. It really is. We are actually starving our needy bodies when we eat foods like that.
Which is why I will be starving at 11:30 today, after having eaten only half of that muffin.
My gut will be saying, “FEED ME SEYMOUR! TACO BELL? WAIT, NO, NOT THAT! I’M HUNGRY FOR REAL FOOD. I NEED SPINACH AND OMEGA 3’s AND CLEAN PROTEIN!”
Look, I’m 46 years old, 5’2″, and weigh 153 pounds. My feet are the size of a 10 year-old girl’s feet. No joke. I need to to lose weight just so my feet don’t hurt anymore. But I am getting NOWHERE with the eliminating and the restricting and the beating myself up.
NOWHERE.
So here goes:
I have a long, overwhelming list of things I’d like to do every single day to feel my absolute best. I can’t possibly get all of these things in, but I’m ready to start focusing on the fueling and forget about the eliminating.
MY HEALTHY ADDITIONS
Eat the rainbow! One big ole salad will do. Lots of colorful veggies and dark leafy greens, please. Add some fruit and avocado, and pump up your salad dressing with lemon juice, turmeric and apple cider vinegar, and you have a serious winner. I’ll work on a good recipe for that. Stay tuned.
(And if that’s all you did for yourself every single day, your body would be SINGING!!!! But here’s more if you’re the over-achieving kind…)
Drink green juice or hot lemon water every day. My favorite green juices are powdered drinks I have from Organifi. I’m a huge fan. http://www.organifishop.com. They’re expensive, but last forever in your fridge, and buying green juices can be really expensive. If you don’t have access to green juice in some way, or if you need a break, hot lemon water is also an amazing and easy detox drink. Just don’t forget you need an organic lemon if you blend and strain the whole thing.
Green and herbal teas. I’m still looking for an herbal tea I like. This would really help me get past the need for a yummy drink at night.
Clean protein. Fish and eggs are my faves. Wild-caught salmon, flaky white fish, anchovies and sardines, cage-free eggs, organic free-range chicken. That’ll do, but if I get sassy and have some bacon, that’s okay too. NO ELIMINATING!
Bone broth. Sip it as a snack, or use it to flavor your veggie bowls or soups. Trying to get my collagen in, but also, it’s just delicious.
Probiotics and Prebiotics. I try to eat sauerkraut and kimchi for my prebiotics, but I often fail. And I take a probiotic at night that also has melatonin so I can try to sleep through the dulcet tones of the snoring Viking who sleeps next to me, God bless him.
Yoga. I just discovered infrared hot yoga and it is sensational. I’m sore as all get out, but it’s a keeper.
Meditation/Prayer. Also a keeper.
Journaling. Have you seen these adorable journals? So fun! And great gifts… https://knockknockstuff.com/collections/journals-notebooks?gclid=Cj0KCQiAz53vBRCpARIsAPPsz8V2kE-GIBgSHD8ztcSHfWfv-4aV9ItAmr30o3AyB3bXkexJImlus2EaAiHDEALw_wcB
Intermittent fasting at least 12 hours. Stop eating at 8pm and have a late breakfast and you’re good to go. Or just skip breakfast. Either way.
Does that seem like a lot? I like the idea that I would overload my day with these great things, and then, if I have french fries, I’m not super sad about it. And chances are, I won’t be hungry for fries because I’ve gorged myself on greens and veggies and other delicious and fueling foods!
I will start posting recipes that support my healthy additions. Stay tuned!
So…where do you get your anchovies and sardines…and your bone broth. Where and what brands?! I am assuming canned but what are reputable brands. I have never had bone broth… A loyal fan …Love this post by the way. I think once you start adding good stuff your body definitely begins to crave that…and only that…
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