Thursday, April 8, 2010

A "Whole" New Outlook On Eating


I am really excited to share my new found love of this grocery store. This along with a decently stocked HEB and Kroger have assisted me in achieving my focus on cooking healthier-dairy free meals that taste great and are budget friendly. Not because I don't enjoy eating Kraft macaroni and cheese, hotdogs, and cheeseburgers..but because my sweet husband needed to rid his aching body of chronic stomach issues. For years I was not feeling sorry for him when he complained of his stomach hurting. I thought he was faking just to get out of bathing the kids! :) A meal that starts off with a dairy digestive, smoke, and a coke just can't be doing anything for the wall of your tummy.. so I would cook my own "healthy" substitute and settle for making the rest of my family what they enjoy..Kraft mac and cheese, hotdogs, and cheeseburgers.
Last Tuesday night, I woke up at 2 a.m. and it was clear Josh did not feel well. In our 12 years together, I know that this is the worst he has ever felt. Shy of going to the ER right then, I was convinced that my approach to getting him to have healthier habits has to start with me. As his wife, I decided right then to take this "bull by the horns" reframe my thoughts, take control of my actions, check the conversation, and focus on the outcome. Delivering healthier-non dairy/limited dairy meals to myself, Josh and children daily. This would be a life transformation.
Of course, once I made the decision to do this, which by the way was at 2 a.m. I began scrolling through my mental grocery list and decided what items I needed to discard immediately. One thing about me, in case you don't already know...I am all or nothing..I need to reframe that approach sometimes..but in this case.. I am all or nothing. I like gradual building and am no stranger to growing pains.. "no pain no gain, right" well..not with this. I am making a choice everyday to rethink what I eat and what I fix my husband and children for our meals.
In return, I have a more energetic husband, calmer and relaxed (not hopped up on a sugar cane) yet still enthusiastic children, and my skin is glowing! :) It's a win win all around!
The really cool thing that I am taking away with me every day with this new found love of healthier eating for the family and not just the independent style that I have been accustomed to... is I choose to pick up the apple instead of the twix. I choose to eat whole grain instead of white. I choose to drink LOTS AND LOTS of water every day.. it makes a difference. Knowing that I can choose to do this now and if I choose I can go and eat Ben and Jerry's 3 times in one Saturday.. :) but it's all about my choice and that is fantastic!!
Well, enough about me, I am off to take a nap. TOMORROW IS FRIDAY AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT AMAZING THINGS ARE GOING TO TRANSPIRE FOR ME!!
xoxoxo

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