Foodmatters day 2

Well, that darned documentary sparked something in me.  I can't deny that my body has been feeling out of whack for a while.  Food doesn't agree with me the way it used to, and I don't have that "well" feeling anymore.  I have been complaining about it for months!
After hearing what that (darned) documentary had to say, it really confirmed what I have known all along.  We rely far too much on packaged foods.
Yesterday for breakfast, I had a banana and apple blended with flaxseed and almond milk, to an oatmeal consistency.  It was good (like babyfood) and kept me satisfied for hours.  For lunch, I made a large salad with avocado, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, celery, mixed greens and covered it with an olive oil/apple cider vinagrette.  (ACV is supposed to help with your Ph levels and I have been taking it for my reflux.  It is good for a multitude of things!)

Dinner was great with a steamed artichoke (not sure how one could eat that raw), and then had some (don't laugh), Hamburger Helper (Stroganoff) per the kids request.  As I stated, baby steps is important.  I was great most of the day, and then reality set in at night.

But I have to say, all in all, I had improved energy throughout the day, and did not feel that 3pm "dip" like I normally do.  Lately I have really been fighting my energy levels, so this was a nice surprise (well, okay, not really a surprise).

During my day of research, I discovered other terms: Clean Eating, Vegan, Raw, Vegetarian, as well as others. (some you have heard before, I'm sure).
So, here's the low down on what I know so far from lightest to most gungho.....
Vegetarian:  A person who eats no meat, fish, or poultry

Ovo-lacto vegetarian: A person who eats no meat, fish, or poultry but who does eat eggs and dairy products.

Veganism is a type of vegetarian diet that excludes meat, eggs, dairy products and all other animal-derived ingredients.

Here is what the vegetarian food pyramid looks like:

Raw Food:We call food raw if it is:

• Uncooked - never heated above 42 C/118 F degrees.
• Unprocessed - as fresh (or wild) as possible
• Organic - no irradiation, preservatives, pesticides or GMO.

Eating Clean is  eating:

• Lean proteins (chicken or turkey breast, fish, egg whites … )
• Fresh fruits that aren’t high in sugar (berries, grapefruit, bananas, apples, pears … )
• Whole carbs (brown rice, regular [not quick oats] oatmeal, steel cut oats, sweet potatoes … )
• Vegetables (green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms … )

Drink clean:

• Clean water (just plain water, although I do use a reverse osmosis treatment unit)
• Black tea (nothing added)
• Herbal tea

This by far sounds the easiest to me, because it adheres to the Weight Watchers plan I followed to lose my weight (52lbs for those who don't know).  This eating plan just makes sense.  (and no, the Hamburger helper didn't have Turkey....it was beef.  But...when in Rome....:D, right?)

So, how did I fall from grace with my eating?  Good question; life, stress....baking!
Losing weight is easy compared to maintaining it.  It's easy to fall from the principles that brought you your success.  But the most important thing is to never give up, and to apply what you can, every day.
We don't have to be perfect.  I don't even know why we have that word in our dictionary.  There IS no perfect!  It's all perception.  Now, BEST...is a good word.  We should ask ourselves; "Did you do YOUR BEST today?"  We will answer yes far more than if we use the "P" word. 

I did do my best yesterday, and I feel good about it.  I debated not having the Hamburger Helper, but I know that it will be a while before I ever see it again, so I went for it.  I was confident in my days efforts to take the hit on this one dish.  Today, is a new day where I will continue my efforts.  Because I do feel better and it is worth it to let my body have the energy it needs to keep me awake and working on my busy schedule.  I already went out and stocked my house with fruits and veggies so I can grab them as I need.  They are ready to go!

There is so much informatioin out there, it's easy to get overwhelmed!  So take this information with a grain of salt.  Don't get confused by all the information, simply do what feels right to you!  And just give it your best!!!