Today, I passed up fudge brownies, chocolate cake, iced cookies, and more–all provided to the faculty by our wonderful booster club parents. The best thing about my self-denial? It was easy! Didn’t feel like a denial so much as taking good care of myself. The cravings I used to have for sweets have almost disappeared.
I think getting off wheat is part of the change, but also the giving up soda. I NEVER would have thought I could go eight days without Diet Coke, but I have. Instead, I’m enjoying my lemon water and a delightful new discovery, courtesy my son: kombucha. My favorite is Buddha’s Brew cranberry. I mix the fizzy, fermented beverage with a little orange juice (as in the juice from fresh-squeezed oranges) and water in a big insulated cup, and that’s my treat for much of the day. Yes, there are natural sugars in juice, but I’m not avoiding all sugars–just refined sugar. Small steps!
In addition to the live cultures in the kombucha, I’m taking a probiotic each morning and night. After some research, I settled on the Bio-Kult brand. The nutritionist we talked to said health begins in the gut. You’ve got to be able to efficiently process what you eat, and fermented drinks/food and probiotics are good for that.
I’m now feeling more energized as I start my day, less hungry as I go through the morning, and more in control as I make my decisions as to what to eat.
Next up: adding in regular exercise. I stopped going to the gym while recovering from a hysterectomy, and I’ve never REALLY made it back. Gotta find that determination, because summer is coming, and I want to feel great in my tank top and shorts again!
foodandfitnessjourney 