As most of you know, I'm no nutritionist -- I have no degree in anything nutritious, or even scientific, for that matter. All I have is a brain, a heart, and the ability of understanding what my body wants and needs. At age twelve, I cut out meat from my life -- best decision ever. In the past few years, I have gradually had a few bites here and there -- genuinely a few -- and after each time I've felt terrible. It tastes bad, it feels bad, it goes down bad, and (my favorite) it goes out bad. The whole process feels terrible, regardless of meat product -- be it red meat or "lean meats" like chicken or turkey. My decision is ultimate -- no more meat, not even the three or four bites I've had each year since I was about fourteen. By this, I mean no more fish either. Nothing.
I'm not stopping there, though. I'm gradually beginning to cut out dairy from my life as well. The less I eat it, the more of a reaction I get when I DO eat it. I've already cut out milk, replacing it with coconut/almond/whatever alternative I prefer. I'm going to reduce cheese intake, creams, pastries that use creams and butter, etc. The last dairy I'm going to cut out -- my favorite -- is yogurt.
No more eggs. No more refined sugars, no bad oils.
Just a whole foods diet consisting of fruits, veggies, and grains.
By no means am I assuming a better position by doing this. I'm doing this because it's about time I did. I'm doing this because I hate having to think about how terrible I feel after eating whatever I ate the night before. I'm doing this because my body doesn't deserve to feel sluggish, unhappy, and consisting of only partial energy.
I'm doing this because I care for my body, and everything around me is pointing towards this diet. I know many will be thinking I'll be cutting out very beneficial foods from my life -- but I promise, I can handle it. I know I'll be cutting out all of my favorite things in the world (read as: cake, cream, sugar, fantastic delicacies of the dessert genre), but I can handle it. I'd rather have a year where I had a bite out of one of my favorite things (above), than meat.
If I need vitamins, I'll take them. I will exercise every single day, give or take a day or two depending on how I feel, every week. I will find time to do this, even if it is HIIT on the treadmill for ten minutes.
I'm still an advocate of enjoying life as much as you can. Eating foods that make you feel happy and warm and pleasant every now and then, like pies, ice creams, burgers, etc. My own body just doesn't want to deal with it any more, and I respect that. It's a long road towards a whole foods diet, but I'm pretty confident I can do it. I want to thank everyone around me for any support you have offered in the past. Your kind words motivate me to live a healthier life for myself and promote a healthier life for the people around me. I'll never force anyone to copy my diet, but if I've inspired you or given you even a single word of motivation to change something, I'm thrilled. Remember, we're in this together. While people will inspire you and help you on the way, we're becoming healthier as a whole -- and that's what's important. No diet or health plan or regimen can take that feeling away. We all want a healthier, happier population, and the first step in doing that is taking charge of your own body. Never dismiss what doctors, health specialists, or healers have to say. Take it all in and make a conscious decision to better yourself, regardless of what route you choose. You've got this!
I'm not stopping there, though. I'm gradually beginning to cut out dairy from my life as well. The less I eat it, the more of a reaction I get when I DO eat it. I've already cut out milk, replacing it with coconut/almond/whatever alternative I prefer. I'm going to reduce cheese intake, creams, pastries that use creams and butter, etc. The last dairy I'm going to cut out -- my favorite -- is yogurt.
No more eggs. No more refined sugars, no bad oils.
Just a whole foods diet consisting of fruits, veggies, and grains.
By no means am I assuming a better position by doing this. I'm doing this because it's about time I did. I'm doing this because I hate having to think about how terrible I feel after eating whatever I ate the night before. I'm doing this because my body doesn't deserve to feel sluggish, unhappy, and consisting of only partial energy.
I'm doing this because I care for my body, and everything around me is pointing towards this diet. I know many will be thinking I'll be cutting out very beneficial foods from my life -- but I promise, I can handle it. I know I'll be cutting out all of my favorite things in the world (read as: cake, cream, sugar, fantastic delicacies of the dessert genre), but I can handle it. I'd rather have a year where I had a bite out of one of my favorite things (above), than meat.
If I need vitamins, I'll take them. I will exercise every single day, give or take a day or two depending on how I feel, every week. I will find time to do this, even if it is HIIT on the treadmill for ten minutes.
I'm still an advocate of enjoying life as much as you can. Eating foods that make you feel happy and warm and pleasant every now and then, like pies, ice creams, burgers, etc. My own body just doesn't want to deal with it any more, and I respect that. It's a long road towards a whole foods diet, but I'm pretty confident I can do it. I want to thank everyone around me for any support you have offered in the past. Your kind words motivate me to live a healthier life for myself and promote a healthier life for the people around me. I'll never force anyone to copy my diet, but if I've inspired you or given you even a single word of motivation to change something, I'm thrilled. Remember, we're in this together. While people will inspire you and help you on the way, we're becoming healthier as a whole -- and that's what's important. No diet or health plan or regimen can take that feeling away. We all want a healthier, happier population, and the first step in doing that is taking charge of your own body. Never dismiss what doctors, health specialists, or healers have to say. Take it all in and make a conscious decision to better yourself, regardless of what route you choose. You've got this!
