When I started running, I was asking more of my body than I had before, and as a result I was more profoundly impacted by the nutrition of what I was eating. It wasn’t long before I was eating healthier, getting interested in incorporating superfoods into my diet, and switching our family to a whole foods, plant-based diet.
When you start making healthier changes in your life, by eating, and exercising, it changes the way you FEEL. I started sleeping better. I never felt greasy, heavy, or queasy after I ate anymore. I had more energy for day to day tasks. I lost weight that I thought was permanently affixed to my sides as part of my transition into motherhood.
I felt amazing, I FEEL amazing.
Yesterday, I woke up and ate a healthy breakfast (Ezekiel bread with hummus, CSA tomatoes, and fresh dill) and then went for a 9.5 mile run. For lunch we had tofu salad sandwiches, braised swiss chard, and fresh salad turnips, and then when the kids woke up from their naps we took them for a 3 mile kayak ride.
I never would have had the energy to do all of that a few years ago! Now I can keep up with my kids, and then some. It’s the best feeling in the world.
Feeling the very real impact of these positive, health-driven changes in my life has made me very open and receptive to the importance of making little changes in order to live a healthier, happier life. I’m not just reducing my risk of cancer and type two diabetes later in life, I’m having a great weekend NOW, because I’m active and healthy and have the energy to do these things with my family and truly enjoy them.
Cutting out all animal products was an amazing start towards feeling healthy, but it’s not the only healthy eating strategy I employ when making food choices.
The fewer processed foods I eat, the better I feel.
The less refined carbohydrates and sugar I eat, the better I feel.
The less oil and salt I eat, the better I feel.
The more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains I eat, the better I feel.
There are a few things that I enjoy so much (in moderation) that I’ll probably never eliminate them from my diet – caffeine and alcohol are pretty high on my list of things I enjoy so much that they’re worth indulging in. I have a cup or two of black coffee every morning, and enjoy wine or spirits a few times a week. I look forward to both, and believe that especially with wine, they’ve successfully been part of a well-rounded life for so many centuries that they can find a place in my health/life enjoyment balance.
You can take my chocolate (sorry mom) but leave me my warm cup of coffee to wake up to, and my complex red to relax with.
What changes have you made that have had a real, noticeable impact on the way you feel?