Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Food for Thought...

I have a sweet tooth. I have a hankering for all salty foods. When I'm stressed or feeling like one of life's puzzle pieces are out of place those cravings come into full effect. So before I get completely lost in the next batch of cookies, box of twizzlers or plate of nachos I am diving head first into a 7 day cleanse.

No, people I am not saying I want to spend the next 7 days stuck in the smallest room of the house. I mean "cleanse" in more of a mental way. I need to cleanse my mind and my taste buds of all things I know better than to indulge in. Typically I eat with the 80/20 ratio in mind. Making majority of my food choices healthy and unprocessed. The other smidgen is open to sweet treats and salty findings.
It's a smart ratio, one that keeps things in balance.

apples and oranges, cleanse, healthy eating


Until I get stressed. I get into a cycle of all or none. I may hit the drive-thru instead of the salad cafe. And not just one day of the week but like 3 days of the week. I might, might just pull up to the speaker and decide to order a salad but then I add the chocolate milkshake and say yes to the 3 cookies for 99 cents. Another way my eating habits change when under stress...is in the other extreme direction. I will keep myself so busy that I completely forget to stop and eat. There are days upon days that I settle back into the home with my family and realize while cooking dinner that I hadn't eaten at all during the day. By the time I sit to eat dinner I am famished and irritable. After eating dinner I feel icky and exhausted. My body is screaming at me for treating it that way.

strawberries, healthy eating, cleanse


So what do you call this? Is it considered emotional eating? We hear a lot about emotional eating. It is a problem for many people. Cookie dough and a chic flick is the classic combo for the night after a major breakup. But so is chips and salsa with fishbowl margaritas and a circle of girlfriends. The scenarios of mindless eating when under stress are endless. Can you relate to any of this?

Then we have the days of a "busy bee" attitude when there is no time for food.  You fill your days with so many activities that you've completely forgotten to eat. By bedtime "hangry" has taken over, fatigue has set in and no matter what foods you choose to chew and swallow your body doesn't have the time to truly benefit from any nutritional value it may have held. Anyone recognize with this?

I am guilty of both! And, I guess that's OK. So long as the desire to get back on track is present.
We're human. Life isn't perfect. And nachos and chocolate cake are so damn good.
I believe we're gonna fault. we're going to struggle. we will make bad decisions based on the fact/confusion that we do deserve to enjoy all the yumminess in the kitchen, at the restaurant, the bakery...
So what happens when this isn't just a slip up? When we find bad patterns in our choices?

vegetables, veggie cuts, food prep, healthy eating

For me it means I start to lag. I start to feel frustrated. I even decrease my gym time. And if I choose to run my day with a "busy bee" attitude and not stop to eat 'til the kids are in bed....I hit the same wall of frustration and slacking off.

The body can only function properly when it's fed properly. Managing stress becomes even more difficult when turning to poor food choices. People who live strict lifestyles of only unprocessed foods literally become sick to their stomachs after making a bad food choice. A vegetarian wouldn't dare dig a fork into a piece of meat, not just because of their values but also because their body will react negatively as if meat were bad for it. These lifestyles, commitments, and values start somewhere. We each want something better for ourselves. We each have goals. Mine is to stay smart with my food choices and overhaul when I eff up too much.

fruits, fruit display, whole foods, healthy eating, cleanse

The mind can only stay strong when it's given the chance to. If you're in a bad cycle of eating all the wrong foods, are stuck in a rut filled with cravings for all things fried, salty and sweet you may want to consider a whole food type of cleanse. If you're dodging meal times and stuffing face at a later hour then thou should, you may want to re-introduce yourself to the healthy food groups and remind yourself of the natural energy given by foods that will help you "do it all".

Notice I'm not promoting weight loss? Weight loss shouldn't be the sole reason for eating healthy. Correcting your eating habits and improving upon them shouldn't be driven by a need to loose weight but by a need to live better. Loosing weight is an important goal. I've had that goal. I respect, support, motivate, and encourage anyone's goal to loose weight. But, the goal of loosing weight may not be enough to sustain the important decision of healthy eating. We must want to eat healthy. We should want to understand what fuels the body and what breaks it down. Understanding the body's system, it's reactions to all things good and bad is a much more convicting notion for such a commitment.

Our bodies are little machines. They are all we have to support our dreams.
We deserve. our families and friends deserve. one that runs well.

cleanse, healthy eating tips and strategies, fruit bowl
1 (my pic)//2 (source)

I choose this cleanse strictly because it has no fluff. It's primary focus is indulgent in all healthy food groups, each to regulate the mind and body. I doubted my decision with this particular cleanse quite a few times. I'd put it on back burner and read up on other cleanses. But I always came back to this. I would rather avoid special concocted drinks and baggies of pills. I would prefer to purchase my cleanse at an actual grocery store. Now this is just me. Just my feelings. I believe in the benefits available through many of the cleanses being advertised right now. But for me and my situation a cleanse that actually focused on food was exactly what I needed to regroup and kill off the sweet, salty, and greasy cravings. The vast popularity of this cleanse  also created doubts, the "too good, to be true" kind of doubts. But again, I am not cleansing in an effort to loose weight. I simply want to dive head first into the apple cart and remind myself of how delicious healthy eating really is. There are 1,000's of reviews on this cleanse. A cleanse that offers you that level of information should be given some heavy thought.

fruit snack, cleanse, healthy eating, healthy snacks


All in all this 7 day plan is a no-brainer. I mean, really. You spend a day on each food group. You eat yourself silly into all fruits one day, veggies the next. And just when you can't pick up another piece of celery...you get to spend the next day choosing between fruits and veggies. The forth day seems a bit like hell. It's an odd day to me. I would have liked to of seen more dairy options, more protein. Days 5, 6, and 7 pretty much allow all healthy foods. It does however restrict you from red meats. The system is set to allow your tract to more easily digest the current days food so it can better work on all the junk you've shoveled in, just days//weeks before. This cleanse (as I found) forces you to think outside of the box. You can only eat so many cut up chunks of fruit or slices of veggies. You must dig a little deeper to  create more satisfying meals from what options you have that day. End result? Sure you may loose a few pounds but you will gain an incredible, strong backbone for warding off nasty cravings. You will give new foods a try out of pure desperation to cure the hunger pang. Most likely you'll realize that eating healthy isn't all hard or boring.

If you find any of this cool....follow my  random tweets or pics on IG. At the end of these 7 days I'll do a total recap. I hope to change just one persons outlook. I hope to encourage just one person away from the vending machine and to their lunchbox of clean eats. And of course, I hope to curb my cravings and learn what other items I could be stocking the fridge and cabinets with, in my home for me and my 3 L's.


Wish us luck!!!
And tell me your thoughts, pretty please!!!
Have you considered a cleanse? emotional eating?

*Thank you for reading this all the way through!
It may seem a bit long but it's important to me to express myself correctly and not offend anyone!
You know I devoted January to creative salad ideas to help promote healthy eating, hopefully the passion here doesn't surprise!



post signature
Linking with Just Because, Tell Me Tuesday, Tea on Tuesday, On Your Heart

46 comments:

  1. I totally applaud you for taking on a cleanse. I do not think that I am disciplined enough to do it! That said, I didn't think I was disciplined enough to train for a half marathon either & that has been going well. Maybe I'll see how you do & try it next time :)

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  2. I enjoyed this post. I have a sweet tooth and have to make sure to curb that impulse sometimes. And it's harder than you'd think. This cleanse seems like a good one... It seems doable... and it seems healthy. I think I always had this impression that cleanses were unhealthy because the ones that get a lot of press are the ones that have you making some disgusting drink that you live off of for a week or two and that just seems like it would take a toll on the body. But reading the graphic you posted above makes sense and seems like you'll still be able to keep energy up and you'll still be eating well. Can't wait to read your recap next week. Good luck!

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  3. I know I probably should do a cleanse...I just don't know if I could finish it! Thanks for linking up!

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  4. omg, I've wanted to try a cleanse for a while and this one sounds great- both do-able and healthy :) thank you for sharing, and I can't wait to see how it goes for you!

    one question- what kind of exercise schedule will you be doing during this? I've read that you shouldn't exercise *too* much while cleansing and was curious :)

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  5. I've never done a cleanse before...not sure I'd be able to do it! I do like that this one actually lets you eat the entire time. I've heard of other ones where all you have is liquids which I personally think is nuts.

    -Sharon
    The Tiny Heart

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  6. Good luck on your cleanse!!!!You can do it!!

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  7. I'd like to try a cleanse but more of a 2 day one.. (have you heard of the How to Look Good Naked cleanse?)
    I pretty much eat all day and I get cranky because I get sick (I sometimes wonder if there is a health reason for that so I don't know how well I'd do.
    Good luck!

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  8. i want to do a cleanse or something like that some day. I too eat when I am stressed or more just bored. what you eat makes such a difference is so important which some times is frustrating - i wish candy was good for you!!

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  9. Wow! You're amazing for doing the cleanse! I really do need to eat healthier. I'm kind of like a bird when it comes to eating, I pick here and there. I never really eat a huge meal at one sitting. I almost always eat a salad with my dinner, but many fruits are hard for me to handle because of their high acidity. I have acid reflux and I love love strawberries, apples, and grapes but it kicks my booty every time! I should prob do some research about which fruits are best for me and veggies for that matter. I could def pick healthier options! I do eat grilled chicken and shrimp a good bit, but its hard for a Louisiana girl to pass up the fried seafood! :-)
    Thanks for this post girl! Anxious to see how it goes!
    Adrienne

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  10. I can see myself being an emotional eater. That's probably how those ten pounds came back after about a year of being at a nice weight. I'm thinking about doing this cleanse but I'm waiting until after st. patrick's day. I will be indulging in adult beverages and cleansing my system afterwards seems wise. I'm looking forward to your updates!

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  11. I love this post! I can totally relate to everything you said about eating to feel better - in both a good way and a bad way. I was turning to candy when I would come home stressed from school and finally gave it up for Lent b/c I was becoming an addict! Now I am still in search of sweets when I am stressed... but I am trying to eat healthy sweets. Oh my is it frustrating!

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  12. P.S. Thanks so much for linking up!

    www.confessionsofanorthernbelle.com

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  13. awe best of luck my dear! You can do it, no doubt about it! :)
    -wHiT

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  14. Good luck with the cleanse! :)

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  15. I can totally relate with the emotional eating. I splurge and I forget to eat. Neither feels healthy. I'm interested to see how this cleanse turns out. I think I could easily do day 1,2, and 6. Day 3 would be especially difficult. I will be following along!

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  16. I read about that diet and it says you gain the weight right back if you don't eat clean continuously after. As just a cleanse and to reset yourself, then it might be good. Personally, I don't think that it will work for me. I'm not supposed to have that much fruit in one day with my hypoglycemia, but the rest would be doable.

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  17. I am SO doing this--you're amazing!! Keep up the great work!!!

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  18. I would love to try this at some point!

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  19. Great idea Kristine! You are always so inspirational! I can't wait to hear how your 7 day cleanse goes! I totally understand about the emotional eating... boredom is always my main problem. Good luck!

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  20. I am so notorious about hitting the drive thru because I'm tired, rushed or stressed. And going all day without eating because I just forgot...
    Thank you for sharing-totally inspirational and honest.
    Can't wait to hear all the details!

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  21. This was such a great post. I am very inspired! SERIOUSLY. I like how you talked about this being a cleanse for the good of the body. I am excited about hearing the recap at the end of the week!
    :) Rebecca

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  22. I would love to try this sometime! And I'm totally reading through your January posts about salads to try because I'm on a salad kick right now. Glad to have found your blog!

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  23. This post was AMAZING!!! Literally just what I needed at just the right time; definitely going to give this cleanse a try as well. Do you have any tips for someone who is pretty picky (like myself??) as far as getting a good veggie intake during this diet?? Unfortunately, the vegetables I like aren't ALL that great for you (carrots, cucumbers, lettuce) and then I'm always tempted by salad dressing to make them taste better. Any tips or someday a post for us "picky girls" would be SO appreciated!! I am trying hard to try new things, but I just can not get into some of the vegetables (cauliflower, sprouts, celery, broccoli, etc.).

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  24. o dear!!! everything just looks so dang good!

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  25. Emotional eating is a huge struggle for me. I'm a HUGE stress eater. What's really helped is letting myself have whatever I want so I don't feel the need to reach for things that are "off limits" when I'm feeling out of control. It's been a process, and I'm still in the process, but I'm on my way.

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  26. Looks like we both were going through the same thing at the same time! Which is still hilarious to me that we separately decided to do the same cleanse on the same day.

    But seriously, the last 2-3 weeks have been so bad for me, food-wise. I've been good about the gym still, thank God, but it's hardly helpful when every day I have to have "something delicious" or I get grumpy. In the last week, I'm pretty sure I baked cookies, brought home a package of Oreos (and consumed 2/3 by myself), made nachos three times and had ice cream. None of which is normal for me! It's just like once I start, I can't stop. I can't just treat myself one day and not do it for days after, not when I treat myself as a crutch for some fowl mood I'm in or because I'm stressed. So I totally understand you on this!

    The first day of the cleanse, yesterday, the fruit day, was sooo tough on me. Probably because I literally just bought four different types of fruit and made myself eat them all day long. I felt sick and tired and irritated. But today, vegetable day, I started out the day with a baked sweet potato and I've been doing okay ever since! I got a little more creative for dinner and grilled a couple of portobello mushrooms and steamed some other veggies. It was good! Definitely helps reset your body, get rid of the junk, and help you get back to the basics of healthy eating. I'm actually only doing the first 4 days of the cleanse (the last 3 days really seem to knock me out, stop me from losing weight and make me feel crappy), but cheers to you for doing all seven days! If you do a recap, I'd love to see your meals and recipes! It'll make this cleanse easier to do next time around!

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  27. Good luck! It is so funny how one bad decision can easily lead you down a mudslide of bad decisions for food. Take tonight for example- Mexican. Not bad in itself, but for me Mexican ALWAYS includes a diet soda. (The only time i drink diet soda...its a weird association, but I need diet soda with Mexican. Its kinda of a pregnancy thing too...) Anyhow after the diet soda (I swear diet soda somehow screws up your mental I'm full feeling and leaves you craving sweets) it all goes downhill.

    I have heard of different cleanses (mostly a juice fast or the whole 30) as ways to re-train your mind and your taste buds that you don't NEED that extra sugar or sweet stuff. Anyhow, I've never heard of this one but I'm anxious to hear what you think.

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  28. Great post Kristine! I think you related to every person that read it and I love that you didn't promote weight loss - overall health is so much more important. I don't have a problem telling anyone my weight because it's a number and I feel healthy. :) But, you are right - chips and cake are SOOOO good! :) Have a great Wednesday!

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  29. My wife's starting this fast today after seeing your post. Such yummy looking pics too! Good eats.

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  30. I am guilty of NOT eating healthy at all. It's sad. I eat so much fast food it's ridiculous and I can feel it after I do...it's that gross, nasty ache. I try to give my kids healthy choices, but for some reason I don't take care of myself like I should. This post was amazing. Thanks for putting so much heart and time into. I know you not only inspired me, but lots of other ladies!!

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  31. You've got it hun, this cleanse will be a breeze! I find myself emotionally eating way more often than I care to admit and 10 days ago decided it was time for some change. I'm the sugar queen, so I purchased Sarah Wilson's I Quit Sugar eBook & eCookbook and started cutting sugar out of my life and getting back into the hot yoga routing. I've had my slip-ups in these 10 days thus far but the last 3 I've felt empowered. Happier, more alert, and dare I say it...slimmer? These types of positive changes fuel me to continue, even if there's a baby sugar dose here and there to keep me sane ;)

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  32. Wow, Thank you Thank you Thank You for sharing this excellent cleanse! I have been researching various cleanses over the past couple weeks. I have never tried one before, but as I have been settling into my new post-graduate "big girl" lifestyle, I found myself snacking so much more because now I have my own huge kitchen full of various amazing foods available to me 24/7. Because of this of course, my pants are fitting a LOT more snug than usual, so I wanted to make a change, and I thought a cleanse would be the first step in this process for my terrible eating habits. All the other cleanses I looked into creeped me out because I don't think drinking mixes and taking pills (like you had mentioned) would really be as healthy as they say for my body. This cleanse is so natural and honest and healthy. I am so glad you shared this because it looks SO PERFECT for me. What a great find!! Thanks again :)

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  33. Get it, girl! Can't wait to hear how this works. I'm such a good eater all month until three days before and the first three days of my period. I don't even fight it. I'll eat everything. I really like your 80/20 theory, btw! Never heard that before. It's funny because as soon as my PMS makes me stop eating clean I feel like shit almost immediately. It's amazing how much of an effect food has on us. I want to try this cleanse! I've done the lemonade cleanse a few times for 10 days or more and it's quite a commitment. This sounds fun! I'll wait for the results from you first though.... :)

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  34. This post seriously made me hungry.. I've always heard to eat your colors to be healthy and man, that's exactly what you're doing! New follower here.. love your blog! Stopping by from runninglikeamother.com :)

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  35. I've been eyeing this cleanse too. I think I might take the plunge and try it!

    New follower from the Mingle!

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  36. let me say we are a fruit-lovin' house. Makes me happy. We call it God's candy :)

    new follower :)

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  37. I love this whole post. My husband and I are trying our best to eat healthy and it's not as hard as I thought it would be. I realize now that I had so many misconceptions about what it would mean to eat healthier foods. I thought it would cost us a lot more in groceries and whatnot, and found that it wasn't the case at all

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  38. Oh man, you are so incredible for doing this! I definitely go back and forth between healthy eating and eating crappy stuff. I stopped eating sweets completely (for Lent) and it has been really hard. But I think that is a good first step for me. I'm slowly cutting back on things that are just flat out terrible. Except for burgers.... That's going to take a miracle!!

    Amy


    Fashion and Beauty Finds

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  39. Yummy! I love fruits and recently I've change my eating habits so now I eat a lot more healthier. I buy fruits and vegetables more even though I hated vegetables.

    -Vogue&Heels
    vogueandheels.com

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  40. Emotional/stress eating is my biggest problem. I am tempted to try this cleanse; it seems simple.

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  41. I am currently on day 4 of this cleanse! I have already seen a huge difference in the way my body looks. I wasn't trying to lose weight either but I have already lost about 6lbs. The only downside to the cleanse is it drains your energy quite a bit for the first few days! I am an avid runner so energy is crucial. I've had to cut back on the distance of my runs as well as intensity. I have also noticed a slight diminish of my weight training. However, if you're looking to get rid of cravings and eat healthy this is the cleanse to do!

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