Clean Food Reflections

As July begins and summer heats up, I want to take a moment to check in on Eating Clean.
We've been in this conversation for a month now, and I invite you to note for yourself what has changed, if anything, in your experience. For myself, I have made just a few changes but they've had good results. In the four weeks since I began attending to keeping a clean diet, I've lost a pound a week while increasing my energy and sleeping better. I'll take it!
I will admit, it hasn't been without its challenges. Living in a household with two men who eat potatoes, bread, and desserts has its pitfalls, like the time I stuck my head in the potato chip bag and ate right through to the other end! No, just kidding. (It just seemed like it.) Binges that sneak up on us can turn into serious damage-not just weight, but the food hangover and lack of energy we experience as a result. It's a good thing to be able to forgive and move on, getting right back on track. After all, a dish of ice cream once in a while does not mean we've completely blown it so we might as well have another!
I reflect with gratitude on the strategies shared by friends, as they've saved me from meltdown more than once. Here are some good ones from Gary, Lori, Shelly, and Julia:
1. At the end of a meal, drink half a glass of V8 juice. Chances are you will feel full longer.
2. Berries are nearly free food. Now that summer's here, they're plentiful! Keep 'em handy.
3. Eat a salad with every meal consistently, as if it were medicine you have to take.
4. Have a serving every day of yogurt.
5. Sneak extra veggies into food-like finely chopped kale into spaghetti sauce, for instance.
6. Eat whole fruit instead of drinking fruit juice. Juice doesn't provide all the goodies.
7. Toast with almond butter and sliced apricots or plums on top is a powerful sweet/salty snack.
8. A handful of nuts a day.
I'm grateful also for my long-suffering husband, Dan, who loves his potatoes and fried foods and grains. Although he doesn't have the same dietary needs that I do, we're both learning how to navigate our way to a healthier way of cooking and eating.
So, as we start the high season of fresh fruits and vegetables, what do you look forward to the most? My friend Sue Martin mentioned sweet basil, mozzarella cheese, and juicy tomatoes for starters. Since she's an accomplished artist, I can just imagine all the juicy compositions coming out of her kitchen this season!
I'd love to hear all about yours.