Eating Clean

I've heard of people going on a "Clean Diet" and "Eating Clean" but I never understood what that was. In fact, I think anything with a DIET in the title is silly because the way you eat should be your lifestyle, not just a few months of changing your ways only to go back and ruin any progress you have made. Even so much as people passing up drinking Soda made no sense to me. When at restaurants I only ever got water to save $5 or to save room for food...but at home or at parties I never understood why people wanted bottled water over a can of soda....UNTIL NOW! Now I completely understand and will be joining them with a bottle of water for myself!

Up until I had my first child I could pretty much eat anything I wanted and it wouldn't bother me. I never gained unwanted weight, I never gained inches, really food and drinks never bothered me. After my first child my body changed a little and I could see a difference in how my clothes fit me. I blamed most of it on having a child but I was still within 10 pounds of my high school weight.

After having my second child, things CHANGED! But many things changed in our family. Let's start from when I was pregnant with Aubry (my second child).

While pregnant with Aubry I came across some wonderful Essential Oils from a company called doTERRA. Wonderful, wonderful products. I was using them while I was pregnant to help me sleep and to help fight off Colds and just to protect our little family. I loved them.  

 A combination of these oils actually kicked my cold! I fell in love.

Shortly after having Aubry I started using them more and more. I have used some oils to help with tummy problems, Colds, runny noses, headaches, depression and PPD, as well as weight loss. In fact, our family, my husband included, has not used any over-the-counter medication in months! 

Now let's talk about this weight loss. No, I have not lost 60 pounds in 30 days or any of those crazy numbers that other companies tell you they can do. I have simply been drinking water with Grapefruit oil (appetite suppressant) and Lemon oil (good for cleaning out our body). I lost 5 pounds in the first 10 days and then it has been a little slower after that. But! The weight isn't the only thing that has changed. Because I have decided to look into what medications I put in my body, I have also thought a lot more about what foods I put in my body.

Nik has been Soda-free for over a month now and I am right behind him. The thought of putting weird stuff in my body with wasted calories just doesn't make sense any more and it is not appealing anymore either. Plus, the carbonation hurts both of our stomachs. Along with cutting soda I have some friends that are on this same journey of Eating Clean and their posts on Facebook and Instagram have really inspired me! I now shop differently. Majority of my groceries are fruits and veggies. I now read the label of anything that is packaged and I try to steer clear of words I don't know and can't pronounce. I had no idea that "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" was so so so bad for you! It doesn't melt that easily because of the chemicals and nasty preservatives that are in it. No wonder the fat isn't shedding off my hips....because it is fill with that "butter." Same with Peanut Butter. WHO KNEW?!?! I didn't. Nik was the one that pointed that out. So, we have switched some products in our house. We still drink milk and eat cheese and eat yogurts (greek, though) but for now that is fine with us. I'm I'll do more research and change those habits....but it's a slow process I will talk about next. I'm going to try Almond Milk again and maybe even make my own at home...but again, slowly!!!

This wasn't an over-night change...it has been a slow change over the last 6 weeks because I didn't want to overwhelm myself and then quit. I wanted to keep putting healthy and clean things in my body...things my body knows how to digest properly.

So far we eat lots of Avocados, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Bell Peppers, Squash, Carrots, Broccoli, Sprouts, Pecans, Peaches, Blueberries, Nectarines, Strawberries, Spinach, Celery, Eggs, Chicken, Salmon, Tuna, and other clean (meaning no preservatives) foods. I'm not a fanatic and definitely not a pro...so do some research for yourself and do what you feel is best for your body.

Yes, when we go out on dates (once a week, if that!) I will eat at a restaurant and not beat myself up about it but I try to pick good things off the menu. This is all new to me and my little family but we love it! We shop at Sprouts because their selection of fruits and veggies just amazes me and I'm not bombarded with Oreos and Rice Krispies on the end aisles. haha. It is hard to pass those treats up at times.

I want to thank my friends Stevy F., Leanna W., and Ang G. for their inspiring posts. Eating this way is easy and so delicious! If you have any questions about oils or how I eat clean, please ask! I would love to help anyone out.

Again, I am still learning and changing a lot of what we do in our family.

I do not claim to know everything and I do not intend to hurt feelings about how others eat...

This is just how I see food and how I want to live.

I have lived the complete opposite of this before and I like where I am today a lot more.