New Year

I had something completely different planned for today but got inspired by the New Year. The beginning of a new year marks the time for many to make changes in their lives. This may be to lose a few pounds, stop smoking, or even resolutions like saving money. I hate resolutions and have never been able to keep them. I guess that is why I always seem to make changes on the spur of the moment.

As you know, my husband and I moved to Germany about two and a half years ago. At that time I was hefty (to say the least) and knew I needed to lose a few pounds. I tried dieting and exercise and no matter what, I could not lose a pound. In fact, I was gaining around a pound a week. It was out of control. Between the weight and the hurting I knew things had to change but I didn't think I was strong enough. 

First were the cigarettes. I could not breathe and was suffering from bronchitis every few months. I just quit them cold turkey. It was easier than I thought it would be. I was done with them. I kept a pack around so as not to feel deprived. After quitting smoking, however, I was gaining momentum on the weight gain. 

I decided my next step was the aspartame. I have shared my journey on the withdrawals. It was bad but I made it through. It took about three months in all to be totally free of the withdrawals of aspartame. I did switch my aspartame to organic sugar and stevia at the time.  The sugar and the no smoking was still pushing my weight upwards. However, my body was starting to feel better.

I then went off gluten, wheat, and sugar. It was well worth the hard work and suffering. I do not think I can preach enough about the dangers of refined sugars, flours, artificial sweeteners, and processed foods. Without this junk in your life, you change and for the better. I actually got stronger the more crap I quit. It seemed to fuel my drive when I would feel better each step I took. When I quit the sugar, the combination of feeling better and losing weight really excited me. 

For the New Year, I weighed. I have a terrible fear of the scales. It takes a long pep talk to get me on the scales. In the past two years, the scales kept climbing and it was terrifying and traumatizing. When I got up on that scale today, I nearly jumped for joy...down 26 pounds since I quit sugars in October.

Now I am not exercising at this moment. We walk our dog after dinner each evening and that is the extent of my exercise. I do plan on starting up. I used to jog and I miss it however, I tried it before quitting sugars and I could not handle the pain. I am much better now and think I can pick it up slowly. I would love to do a couch to 5k training. I am giving my body time to adjust and heal from the changes I have made. 

It is little things you notice when you quit toxins. Like my skin. It is soft and clearer looking. I used to think it looked grayish and sallow but now it is more of a pink color. The oil on my face, chest and back are now under control. I used to chronically itch because of gluten but that has stopped. I could not even stand the smell of coconut. I thought maybe I was allergic to it but it must have been a sensitivity and now I have no problems with it in fact I use it all the time. I use coconut oil to clean my face, brush my teeth, on my legs and under my arms. It is so versatile and I love it.

I try to keep chemicals and toxins down to a minimal. You can start slowly and phase out small chemicals and toxins at first. I will tell you this from my experience, when changing hygiene products out for natural products, it is best to start with detoxing sugar from your body. Sugar will make you stink and will make it harder for detoxing. I started with my deodorant a couple of years ago and it was a smelly process. It took me over a month to get the “body odor” smell under control. I realized later it was the sugars and other chemicals that I eat that made me smell so badly.

I know the subject of toxins, chemicals, GMOs, refined sugars, and added sugars can seem overwhelming but it really is simple…if the ingredients have words that you cannot understand then it is no good for you. You should not be using boxed or canned foods as often. I know our cupboard barely has canned food in it because I make everything from scratch.

I do not count points or diet. I make lifestyle changes. I think differently about foods and therefore my attitude towards clean eating is healthier. I even have my husband cook with me so he too can look differently at what he eats. I do not force anything upon him and he still has his moments. Recently he brought home a pint of ice cream. Normally I would have my own or just eat half of his but I did not even think about it. I just added up the grams of sugar he was consuming and put it up on the refrigerator. I do not crave sweets like I used to anymore. If I want something sweet, I eat some of the homemade granola bars. I know what is in them because I make them every week and they are so tasty.

If you are ready to change your lifestyle and put your body on the natural track, then stick around. I also have a Facebook page and Twitter account where I post tips. You can look on my Google account and get recipes. Shoot me an email or comment and let me know what you think.

 Next post will be about pot bellies… not the pig.