"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;" - 1 Corinthians 6:19
God has given us these bodies and I believe that taking care of our bodies, glorifies God.
Recently I've developed some health problems. Since I've been at bible college for the past two semesters, there are a number of reasons this could be happening.
Reason #1 - The large quantity of pop-tarts consumed daily during my first semester. Not to mention the fried foods, yogurt covered raisins and wheat thins (NOTE: these do NOT make you thin).
Reason #2 - The gallons of ice cream devoured during my second semester. As well as all the pizza, In 'n Out, and Mexican food. (What can I say? School food was inedible at times)
Reason #3 - Late nights and early mornings. This is inevitable when at college. Aside from homework, I sacrificed sleep to spend time with my fiance (because being in all the same classes doesn't count as hanging out). And when breakfast ends at 7:45am, you have to be up at 6. Not because it takes that long to get ready okay sometimes but because you're sharing a room with FIVE girls.
Reason #4 - Stress. Again, unavoidable when at college. Especially if you procrastinate like me. I guess I just take on the outlook of good things come to those who wait. And I did pass with all A's so I think there is some validity to that.
Anyhow, whatever the reason is, I now have some health issues. Because I don't feel like spending my paycheck on a visit to a doctor who will most likely prescribe some antibiotic or other drug that is only going to destroy my insides, I've decided to tackle the problem with a complete diet change.
Now I'm used to healthy eating. I grew up with a health nut for a mother so I've experienced it all from pie crusts formed out of nuts to lasagna noodles made out of zucchini. However, I'm not quite the nut my mom is. She's like an almond, which is the king of all nuts. I'm more like a cashew or something. Not quite as good for you but still with some health benefits. Actually cashews are a great natural stress reliever believe it or not. But believe it, 'cause it's true.
So I've developed my own style of eating. If you're looking for some amazing recipes with lots of vegetables, look elsewhere because I hate vegetables and I eat only what is necessary. My diet change revolves around simplicity. Especially since I work full time.
Before I explain any further, I'd like to say that on this diet I have definitely been noticing improvements in my health. I've also lost a lot of weight (NOTE: I did NOT go on this diet to lose weight. I do not have problems with my weight or suffer from insecurities about it. However one of the side effects of bad eating is weight gain and bloating. Thankfully one of the side effects of a healthy diet is weight loss). I try to stay away from scales but when I left for school and while at school I believe I was around 135 lbs. Since being home from school, I've dropped down to 117 lbs. (NOTE: this is also with very little exercise. I walk a lot and sometimes bike to work and work involves picking up a 14 month old as well as taking her for walks. But I visit the gym about once a year and I don't enjoy going for 30 minute runs)
My skin has also cleared up so much that for the first time since 8th grade, I've been comfortable enough to go out with no make up on.
So let's start out with what I cut out of my diet. I cut out all refined carbs, ALL sugar, even fruits (that's required for my specific health problems so if you're already healthy, fruit is fine and good for you. Just try to eat *low sugar fruits), and all dairy (except for plain yogurt).
Basically all I eat right now is the following:
(okay so I just typed out a whole bunch of stuff and then accidentally deleted it. so frustrating So here goes Round 2)
Spinach, celery, almond butter, walnuts, almonds, organic eggs, chicken, and beef, plain yogurt, salsa, guacamole, and onions.
This may sound like a rather boring meal plan, but I, the woman with an unforgivable sweet tooth and an infatuation with refined carbs, actually rather enjoy it. Sure there's times when I crave a burger or a burrito from Chipotle and yeah, there's times when I want to punch my friends for eating my favorite cookie in front of me or I want to grab the ice cream sandwich out of the hands of the little boy standing next to me. It happens. But my self control actually it's just that if I cheat, I won't get better always wins out in the end. And unless those morsels of sugary goodness are right in front of my eyes, I don't crave them at all. AT ALL. And I've only been on this diet for the past two or three weeks. I haven't been counting.
And don't feel like you have to stick to just what I eat. Throw in more vegetables (I only eat spinach and celery 'cause like I said earlier, I detest them. And apparently I can't have carrots on this diet. Too much sugar). Throw in some fruits.
*And by low sugar fruits, I'm referring to berries. Berries are GREAT for you. Antioxidants to the MAX.
But please, please don't drink fruit juices. Those are just loaded with sugar, even though it may be natural, it's a lot of sugar and you're not getting the fiber and other good things from the actual fruit.
Eat whatever your heart desires. This is just my meal plan and this is how I get results.
In my next blog post, I'll talk more about how I make these foods fun to eat. And I'll post some great recipes.
Cheers!
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