January is one of the most exciting months for the Clean Eating Challenge because it yields the highest number of people looking for change. And, I might add, we had a very determined group of approximately 300 people this January! I'm blessed to get to share in their daily journey as myself and my team coach them through the Do's and Don'ts of exchanging their bad eating habits for good ones. I've read many life changing testimonies so it was hard to narrow it down to just one, but this speaks volumes to the naysayers of this program. In case you didn't know, I used to be a naysayer myself. Please read this testimony from someone who was presumed healthy because she was skinny...
"My detox journey was about
developing healthier habits. Because the Lord blessed me with an amazing
metabolism, everyone has always assumed I must be a healthy eater. But that was
far from the truth. I was a serial junk food eater. My normal routine consisted
of hot chocolate for breakfast, a candy bar out of the vending machine by
10:30, Sonic or Charlie’s for lunch, an afternoon snack of an entire bag of
Cadbury mini eggs (yes, I stock piled these in the spring to have them all year
long) and then dinner out at a nice restaurant (usually appetizer, entrée and
dessert) every night. Mix in at least three (or four) Route 44 sweet teas
somewhere in there. You know it’s bad when the car hop recognizes your car and
usually brings the tea out to you before you even have time to place the order…
My annual checkup in November showed that I had high cholesterol, we were
spending an insane amount of money on food because it was a great rarity that
we cooked at home and I was addicted to sugar. Or at least I thought I was...
Meanwhile, as my
almost one year old was exploring her palate, I was refusing to allow her any
sugar. I had read somewhere that whatever you expose them to their first year
will grow to be the things they crave as they get older. I told my husband that I
didn’t want her to eat like me so she got LOTS of vegetables and absolutely NO
sugar. He would always ask if he could share a cookie or a drink of juice with
her and the answer was always an adamant “no.” One day, he said to me, “You
know, if it’s not good enough for her, maybe it’s not good enough for you
either.”
Not too long after that, a friend, who I had met through a mutual
friend several years ago, contacted me and asked to have lunch. We met at
Chick-fil-a with our kids in tow and briefly talked about the detox program.
She had me signed up a week later. My husband and I went on a cruise the first week
in January so I had to start with the second group. I wasn’t sure how I was
going to be able to go two days without sugar, much less four weeks. But I knew
that I needed to try. Thankfully, while there is an abundance of food options
on a cruise ship, most of the desserts are not actually that high in sugar, so
it was good preparation for what was to come.
We returned on Sunday and
started the detox the next morning. That night as I was menu planning for the
week, my husband said, “If I’m going to have to eat this stuff for dinner too, I may
as well do the whole detox with you.” And he did… sort of… he couldn’t quit the
coffee, or the occasional beer, but he humored me with detox tea and spinach
shakes and I packed him a lunch and healthy snacks every day. And every night
we all sat around the dinner table and ate our home-cooked healthy meal. Even
my daughter tried everything we ate and I’ve yet to find anything this kid won’t eat. That in itself is reason enough for me to continue with a healthy
eating lifestyle.
All my life I have been a
VERY picky eater. It is extremely rare that I will even try a new food. I hate
spicy foods and I’m not crazy about salty things. I’m a very bland eater and
once I find something I like, I don’t really vary much. I had never tried bell
peppers. I purposely omitted onions from every recipe. I enjoyed squash,
zucchini, carrots and sweet potatoes, but beyond those, most vegetables were
just too big of a risk thanks to the fear of the unknown. I had never even
considered trying spinach. But the recipes on the meal plan made me challenge
myself. I committed to making each one exactly as written, with no omissions or
substitutions. And I was truly surprised at how much I enjoyed some of the
foods I have always been scared of. Now I eat spinach every day. Yes, every
day. And I love it. My shakes don’t taste right without it and I question why I
ever ate iceberg lettuce in a salad to begin with. I have easily replaced most
of the candy I was eating every day with raw veggies. And I love how much
better I feel throughout the day.
Another thing I discovered
through this process was that I really missed cooking. I grew up helping in the
kitchen and before life got too busy I used to make dinner every night. Now I
know that there are quick and easy options or things I can start the night
before that can still give me a chance to spend some time in the kitchen. And
even the meals that take a little longer, I have fun with. It’s kind of a
little form of therapy to know you are providing a healthy meal for your
family. And our dinner time at our own table is a completely different
experience than that at a restaurant. It’s now a time that we look forward to and
cherish.
I also learned that most of
my sugar addiction was mental. My body didn’t need it nearly as much as my
brain did. And when my brain decided that I was going all in with this, I
hardly wanted it at all. In fact, last night I came home from a meeting, on the
last day of detox, to find a gallon jug of Red Diamond sweet tea in the fridge
with a note that said “I’m proud of you” on it. Very sweet gesture, but even
sweeter was that there was not a single piece of me that had even the slightest
desire to open it!
And the water! I’ve been around long enough to know how important water is to
the human body, but sweet tea just tasted so much better. But guess what? Tea
is also a diuretic. So while I was taking in a ton of fluid before, I was
actually not giving my body any chance to sustain itself. I was probably in a
constant state of dehydration. Since I’ve started drinking a minimum of a
half-gallon of water every day, I feel better, I have less food cravings, my
skin is clearer and my face is fuller and shows less signs of age. I will
definitely continue giving my body water. I’ve actually grown to crave water. I
carry a 16-oz insulated cup with a straw in it literally everywhere I go and am
constantly filling it up. It’s amazing how something so obvious was so easily
ignored before. And even more amazing is how easy that good habit was to
develop and how quickly I saw positive results from making that simple change.
While I did accidentally
lose five pounds on this journey, that was never a goal of mine. That in itself
was another eye opener for me. I will probably never be big thanks to my
genetics, but I have no desire to be this small either. Just another indicator
of how unhealthy I was. Now I am working to regain that weight as healthy
muscle instead of junk-fueled fat. I have so much more motivation to work out
and do strength training now than I used to. Once you know a 112 pound person
has the ability to lose five pounds in a month just by cutting out sugar, it
makes you realize how weak those remaining 107 pounds are and how much that
hour at the gym everyday really helps me feel stronger, both physically and
mentally.
So
that’s my journey. It’s one of healthier habits and more dedication to my
family through taking care of both them and myself. Even off the detox I
started this day with my detox tea and my spinach protein shake. And I turned
down a cupcake when I got to work this morning. Not because it’s necessary, but because I just didn’t want it. Now I am an
Arbonne Consultant, mostly so I can get the good stuff at a discount, but who
knows where that journey will lead. I’m excited to see what the future holds!"
If something in that testimony spoke to you, please contact me at morrison25@cox.net. I would love to share more with you about this journey to a healthier you ... and a healthier family. Together, we can break old habits and form new ones. This challenge is for anyone, no matter where you live!
Upcoming Oklahoma Meetings:
If you live in the Muskogee area, you are invited to this event on Thursday, Feb 19th, at Hattie's House (a local boutique). Bring a friend and enjoy a Clean dinner along with samples of Arbonne's Nutrition items.
If you live in the Tulsa area, you are invited to this event on Monday, Feb 23rd. Again, bring a friend and enjoy a Clean dinner along with samples of Arbonne's Nutrition items.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies."
+
