After ski season, Michael and I had the wonderful opportunity to go back to Dallas for about six weeks. The whole trip was wonderful, but as usual, left its mark on our midsections- my favorite place to gain weight. Once we got back to the mountains, we decided to make a little change to our eating habits in an effort to both loose a little and be more aware of what we're putting in our bodies.
(Insert my personal dietetic consultant, one Ms. Rebekah Cairns). As many of you know, Bekah and I lived together while the boys were deployed. She is a great personal trainer and motivator, as well as the most knowledgeable person I know when it comes to what is/isn't good for your body. For a while, Bekah has been "carb cycling," which was my initial inspiration for our new diet plan. However, after reading up on it and realizing that no, I don't feel the need to have only 5% body fat or get in shape for a bodybuilding competition, I gave Bekah a call and she recommended "The Eat Clean" diet.
The basic premise behind "Eating Clean" is to eat five to six meals/day with a balance of protein and complex carbs at every meal and to rid your body of processed foods, white flour, and most of all refined sugars- basically the idea that "if your grandmother couldn't eat it, you shouldn't either".
So, I read up, decided to follow the seven day "detox" plan, and Michael and I commenced eating clean last Monday.
Now, I had some trepidation about beginning such a diet- Would I be craving things all the time? Would I be able to cook enough chicken to sustain myself? Would I turn orange from eating a whole sweet potato every DAY?!? But alas, it has been seven days and I have had no such worries. One of the biggest things I've noticed is an increase in energy. I love afternoon naps but in the past week, even though I started working, I haven't had any desire to take one.
This week, we begin the regular maintenance phase, which allows you to stop eating quite so many sweet potatoes, and add some dairy, more fruits, and a variety of grains. Last night I picked up the Eat Clean Diet Cookbook, which has tons of great recipes (and pictures) of clean meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and special occasions.
We by no means desire to become total health nuts, or to stop eating the foods we love (ie oatmeal cookies), but being more aware of what's going into our bodies and how it affects us is always a good thing.
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