We tend to go to the extreme with everything, our careers, our exercise and especially our diet. What we eat on a daily basis is technically our “diet”, but now the term refers more often to the latest health craze which is not nourishing to our body and soul.
It seems like everyone I have talked to recently is wanting to go on a juice cleanse or a detox. I ask them why they think they need to be on a cleanse, and most of the time the answer is my friend just did one so I think I should try it too.
The cleanses and detoxes promise weight loss and feel good effects, but they usually only leave us feeling drained, exhausted and cranky.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am all about cleansing the body to get rid of toxins from our standard and healthy diet, sometimes even our” healthy” diet isn’t the best all of the time.
But detoxing the way we do is very harsh on our body. Whenever you go from zero to hundred with anything in your life, it disrupts the balance in your body.
Especially with women, it is very important to keep our hormones balanced. Whenever we go to extremes with our diet by dieting, detoxing or cleansing it really throws off the hormonal balance in our body. When our hormones are not balanced that is when we gain weight, become cranky and overindulge in chips and ice cream.
So unlike the extreme cleanses and detoxes that you see out there, today I am going to share with you the best ways you can get a jumpstart on your health with real whole foods.
Start With Your Thoughts
I know that I write about this often on my blog, but ladies we must choose to be nicer to ourselves. Our thoughts about our body create our “body reality”. Our thoughts create the way that we feel, the clothes we put on, the food we put into our belly and the way we love and respect ourselves. If we are constantly saying mean and nasty things about our body, our body will not thrive. I encourage you to write down a few things that you love about your body and look at that every single day.
Ideal Weight, Not Weight Loss
After years of abuse with diets or toxic thoughts it can take a while for our body get back back into a steady rhythm, where it realizes and understands that you are now nourishing it instead of depriving it. Treat your body well and it will treat you well. Eating healthy and clean is not about weight loss but about reaching your ideal weight. Once you start eating healthy, moving your body, and being kind to it is when you find your ideal weight. I encourage you to stay here and enjoy your body.
The Root
We often think of food as the enemy, but in reality our food choices are the solution. We are often so busy with our daily lives to even think about the food choices we are making. Think of it this way, if you are craving salty foods all of the time, it might mean you are dehydrated and need to drink more water. If you are craving chocolate all of the time perhaps your hormones are not balanced. Think of food and your food cravings as a way to tune in and understand what your body truly needs.
Your Gut Matters
When was the last time you thought about your gut? Chances are, probably never! But our gut, the part of your digestive track which helps your body break down food is the most important place to start when we want to jumpstart our health.
Consuming high amounts of sugar, carbs, and trans fat all led to and contribute inflammation in our gut. When our gut is inflamed it becomes harder for our body to digest our food, absorb all of the minerals and nutrients from our food and eliminate what we no longer need. Add in a fish oil, probiotic and fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut and kombucha to your diet.
Support Your Metabolism
A healthy jumpstart is all about supporting your metabolism. When you are juicing and detoxing you are throwing your metabolism off. Supporting your metabolism means eating meals; breakfast, lunch and dinner and giving your body time in between meals to digest your food. It means eating healthy fats, greens, healthy carbs, and fermented foods. Stay away from gluten, sweets especially artificial sweets, diary and alcohol to support your hormones and your metabolism.
Be realistic
Once you start eating healthier you will start to notice that your thoughts about your body and diet will also start becoming healthier. I encourage you to be consistent, if you start moving your body every day, keep doing this until you are moving your body every single day and then add on something else like eating more greens. Be kind to you and know that becoming a healthier version of yourself takes time, patience and love.
If you are looking to jumpstart your health with real whole foods I encourage you to check out my Jumpstart Program This program includes a downloadable menu, meal planning tips, recipes, self care guide and a healthy living guide.
Big Hugs & Health,
Katie
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