DAY 5 of the Breathe First Food Tune-Up: What Do You Do WHEN You Go Astray?

I say “WHEN” because at some point in time, if you’re living life, you WILL eat or drink some type of food that doesn’t serve you or lead you closer to your goals. Maybe it’s during this Food Tune-Up, or maybe it’s after this food tune-up ends. We all eat junk food now and then. And that is OK. Try to be gentle with yourself. If for some reason you happen to slip up and mindlessly give in to a craving and find yourself wearing a guilty look and orange Dorito dust all over your hands…well, just dust off your hands, forgive yourself, and get right back to your healthy eating. We all eat junky food now and then, whether it’s due to a moment of weakness or a well-thought out, conscious decision to indulge. We just have to remember to NOT GIVE UP our overarching goal. All is not lost after eating a few handfuls of Doritos. You don’t have to give up and dive headfirst into a package of Oreos at the next opportunity! You CAN just hop back on the healthy train! All you gotta do is just choose something healthy the next time you have the opportunity to make a choice! No biggie! Remember, if you give up after a little “blip”, you are choosing to go back to your unhealthy eating patterns. Are you willing to go back to unhealthy eating and suffer the consequences–weight gain, feeling sluggy, having inflammation and pain, experiencing poor digestion/elimination, not sleeping well, etc.? Be willing to move on…choose the path that will make your future self happy. Like Thomas Edison once said, “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”

Keep going! You got this!

DAY 4 of the Breathe First Food Tune-Up: It’s Fri-YAY!

Time for the weekend! Wahooooooo!

Weekends can present us with unique obstacles to eating healthy. Sometimes we’re out and about and we don’t have healthy food options available. Sometimes we have celebrations to attend. Sometimes we have visitors or guests…sometimes WE ARE visitors or guests!

The important thing is to anticipate our obstacles as much as possible and then set our intentions on how we’ll handle them.

So let’s set our intentions for the weekend’s events…how are we going to ensure success in our efforts to eat healthy?

• Maybe we pack healthy snacks or lunches for days when we’ll be on the road?
• If we find ourselves in the position where we’re willing to eat out, maybe we check out restaurant menus online before choosing where to go? (Are there healthy options?)
• Maybe we offer to bring a nutritious and delicious side to that party we’re invited to?
• If friends are coming over, maybe we make a fancy Mocktail so we can stick to our goals without feeling left out?
• Maybe we plan some fun activities with friends or family that DON’T involve eating or going out for drinks (movies, games, dancing, hiking, biking, beach time, reading, art, music, tennis, etc.)
• Maybe we make a conscious decision to enjoy ONE small indulgence, guilt-free...knowing that our very next food choice is a healthy one and we're immediately back on track!

Whatever it is you do, I hope it’s amazing! Make choices that make you feel happy and empowered--now AND in the future!

Have a great weekend! And I’ll “see” you Monday!

DAY 3 of the Breathe First Food Tune-Up: Let's Talk About Hunger... "Am I TRULY Hungry?"

So yesterday, I woke up hungry.  This may not seem like a big deal to you, but for me…it was!  

Why?  

Well, as you know, I’ve been indulging over the summer.  So most days when I woke up, I wasn’t hungry.  Like, not at ALL! 

Maybe it’s because I ate too LATE the day before. 

Maybe it’s because I ate too MUCH the day before. 

Maybe it’s because I ate and drank a bunch of hard-to-digest junk food and it was still sitting in my gut like a giant boulder! 

Who knows?!  But what I DO know, is that yesterday (and today) I woke up hungry….and it felt great!

It’s important to tune into how our body feels when we're trying to eat healthy.  Hunger is one of those feelings to tune into and observe with curiosity.  

For example, do you ever eat when you’re NOT hungry? 

Maybe you eat because “it’s time” to eat. (I did a LOT of THAT over the summer...especially when it came to breakfast!).

Maybe you eat when you’re bored, stressed, or attempting to avoid a difficult task. 

Maybe you eat because of something physical, like thirst or fatigue.   

When we get the urge to snack (or even grab seconds!) it’s important to ask ourselves, “Am I truly hungry?”  Because if we’re noshing for another reason (boredom, stress, procrastination, thirst, fatigue…) we’re not really scratching the right itch and we’ll keep on eating in an effort to fill a void that can’t be filled with food. 

THOSE voids need to be filled by the right things–boredom can be fixed by finding something to do, stress can be tackled by facing a problem, procrastination can be eliminated by getting “it” done, thirst can be satiated by drinking a glass of water, fatigue can be fixed by taking a rest….get the idea?  

When we’re curious about our hunger signals it can help us figure out what we REALLY need to feel satisfied–whether it be food, or something totally different!

  

Another reason to tune into hunger signals is so that we eat the right amount.  We should never ignore hunger until we feel like we’re STARVING.  Ravenous territory is NOT a good territory to hang out in!  Because once we DO get our hands on some food, it can get ugly!  LOL!

So, over the next few days.  Notice your hunger.  Eat when you’re hungry.   Be observant of your feelings and give your body (or mind) what it needs to be content!

Good luck!  Feel free to share your experiences below!

DAY 2 of the Breathe First Food Tune-Up: I Can See the Future!

OK, not reeeeeally, BUT….

There are some things that happen when folks start eating healthy foods for the first time or when folks go back to healthy eating after some time away.  

Sometimes it’s really easy. (Yay!)

Sometimes…not so much. 

Why?

If you are a daily “user” of caffeine, sugar, and even carbs and you quit those things cold turkey, you might actually have detox symptoms, cuz friends, food addictions are REAL.  If you’re someone who has a few cups of coffee on the daily, or has a sweet little candy bar everyday or you eat heavy carbs (rice, pasta, bread, etc.) at every meal and you just suddenly give all those things up you might find yourself dealing with wicked headaches, fuzzy thinking, fatigue, energy slumps, irritability, or severe cravings. You might experience actual WITHDRAWAL!  (No lie!)  

So…..a little advice from me, the “Clairvoyant One”....

If you happen to feel crappy the first few days, see if you can ride it out.  Eat healthy foods. Drink lots of water.  Get good rest.  Do something to manage your stress levels and irritability (meditate, spend time in nature, exercise, etc.).  

Because if you’re willing to ride it out, you’ll break your addiction.  These foods will no longer have power over you.  You’ll have less fatigue, clearer thinking, fewer energy slumps, better sleep, more stable moods and LESS junk food cravings!  Yup!  It will happen!
  Sometimes it takes a few days to get through the withdrawal symptoms, sometimes it takes a week.  But if you can, ride it out.  Your future self will thank you for it!

DAY 1: The Great Breathe First Food Tune-Up!

Well, it’s finally here!  

Day ONE of the Great Breathe First Food Tune-Up!  Wahoo!  

The junk is out of the house, my hubby and friends are on board, I’ve gone grocery shopping using my Food List, I’ve done some food prep, and I’ve planned out meals for the next 3 days.  

Are you ready too?  Let’s do this thing!

PS

As we go along, feel free to vent, celebrate, ask questions, and make comments below!  I’d love to hear how your journey is going!

The Timing is Perfect!

Sometimes I put things off because I feel like I might not be ready, or the timing isn’t quite right.

But...
I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to wait…

See you on Tuesday!

A Little Note About Labor Day...

Labor Day Weekend is HERE!  I’m not totally sure what I’m doing, but I do know TWO things.  

ONE…I’m going to enjoy my weekend! 

I know I’ve been talking a lot about eating healthy and getting back on track, but I’m also a firm believer in balance.  You can’t eat and drink stuff that’s good for you every single day of your life!  It would be soooo freakin' stressful!   We need to have days here and there where we just “let go”.  This is totally cool!

TWO…If I end up HOSTING a gathering, I’ll be sure to send folks home with leftovers so I can start fresh on Tuesday!  Please do the same if you’re hosting and starting your Food Tune-Up along with me!  Don’t have junk food around staring you in the face on Day 1…no need to test your willpower right off the bat!  Get rid of temptations that are under your control!

OK?  Enough said!

Have a fun weekend!  Enjoy and let go!

I’ll see you guys on Tuesday for the official start of the Great Breathe First Food Tune-Up!