Five years of clean eating...

When I mention that I eat clean people often ask "What does that mean?"  For me, it means that, for the most part, I avoid processed foods, things with added chemicals, preservatives, sugars and when I can GMOs as well.  Oh, they say.  But when I tell them how great it's been for me they get a little more interested.

Five years ago I was regularly visited by heartburn, acid reflux and headaches.  We are talking daily here.  In addition I had chronic sinus infections that never seemed to clear up.  They'd get better with rounds of antibiotics, but they would never really go away.  It was a constant battle and I was sick of being sick. 

A friend at work suggested that I see a nutrition counselor rather than continually taking antibiotics, antacids and pain relievers...hmmm.  What could that hurt?  So off I went. 

To say I was skeptical would be a massive understatement.  But I was kind of desperate. I'd had it with all that crud and wanted to be done with it.  I learned a ton on my first visit.  She talked about all the negatives and unknowns about all the extra stuff that has crept into our food supply in the last decade or so and how that affects our bodies and our overall health.  She also talked about keeping your metabolism going by eating every three hours or so...really?  For a meal skipper like me this seemed weird. 

She also talked about weight loss, said it would be a natural side effect of this type of dietary change.  Yeah, right.  I've struggled with my weight my entire life, tried and failed at every imaginable diet over the years.  I was more than 100 pounds overweight on that first visit. Told her I wasn't there to lose weight, I was there to stop being sick.  Okay then, let's deal with that and see what happens she said.  Okey-dokey I said. I came away with a menu plan for the first week and a little hope in my heart. 

The biggest struggle that first week was organization.  Let me just declare that I'm not a morning person, so getting up early to have breakfast, prepare a lunch and two snacks nearly overwhelmed me.  But I felt better right away.  Wow!  So I kept going, I learned more every week I visited her and got better organized about getting the breakfasts, lunches and snacks together.  The better I felt the more motivated I got.  It was so freeing not to feel crummy all the time.  A revelation really.  Could it be my food that was making me sick? Apparently so.

Turns out I had to eat some crow regarding my negativity about weight loss too.  In spite of doing nothing different other than choosing different foods and eating something every three hours the weight started coming off.  In a major way.  Without exercising, just getting the crap out of my diet.  Wow!

So here I am five years later.  No acid reflux, no heartburn, no headaches, no sinus infections.  Ever.  Plus I lost over 80 pounds and it's stayed off.  Again, wow!

People still don't get it when I share this though.  It can't be that easy, I don't want to eat weird, I still want to eat out, etc.  Well, clean eating doesn't mean denying yourself the things that you love once in a while.  Do I still get chai tea lattes?  Yes I do.  In-N-Out cheeseburgers?  Yep.  Cocoa Cola Double Fudge cake?  For sure.  Dark Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Jo Jos?  Indeed.  Do I have them every day?  Nope.  But I do indulge once in a while and feel absolutely no guilt about it.  Am I tempted to go back to my old way of eating?  Not in the least.  Why would I want to go back to being sick all the time? 

I owe a big debt of gratitude to Kindra Benavidez for recommending Kristine and to Kristine Kosturos for showing me the clean eating "ropes".  Thanks ladies!! 

Back to the blog...

Okay, so a took a little break from blogging.  Well, actually a big break. 

The night of my last post a friend of ours was shot in the line of duty while responding to a domestic dispute call.  He survived, but his partner died.  I'm so thankful he survived and thankful for the community that surrounded his friends and family during his recovery.  He was back on the job in a matter of weeks and is doing quite well.  He's an amazing man of faith and knows he's here for a purpose.  Such an inspiration.

I found it a little strange looking back that the subject of my last blog was his beautiful niece...so I guess if I paused at Aly I should restart with Nick!  Only seems right. 

That shooting upset my world in ways I couldn't have imagined, hence the beginning of the break...as for the big gap??  Well life kind of got crazy in many ways.  

I'll try to be a little more up-to-date from now on...much has changed since December of 2009 as you can well imagine.  I'll probably get you up to speed and then try to keep up!  I'm retired now, right?  Oh yeah, that's one of the changes! LOL

Beautiful Aly

Our friend's daughter Aly is the sweetest, and these new pictures that her grandma shared show that quite well!! The photographer really captured the little one we all know and love!!

To see all of the great photos go to the photographer's blog:

http://smontgomeryphoto.blogspot.com/2009/12/watch-out-world-here-comes-aly.html

Welcome baby Ben!

Our friends Jonny and Marina and their little daughter Amy have a new addition in the house, brother Ben! What a beautiful, blessed family!

Our first snow...

After a super summer and a very mild fall (except for these last two weeks which have been COLD and clear!) we have our very first snow. Let the panic begin!! Puget Sounders don't care much for snow and would prefer it stayed up in the Cascades and leave us lowlanders alone. Here's hoping the weather folks are right and warmer temps and rain are on the way Tuesday!

Tumwater Santa!

Every year the fire department here decorates one of their antique trucks and goes around the neighborhoods collecting for the food bank. Pretty snazzy truck, great music playing to, but unfortunately I didn't catch that on video, so we just have the snap:

Nick's Indiana Jones Birthday!

Nick is now 6, hard to imagine! Here are the pictures from his party:

Here is the cute Texas cake Mema made for his birthday, Indy in peril!



Greg, being the good dad, preparing to go outside for the pinata, it was VERY, VERY cold out, and he and Darane' and all the kids braved it! Grandma on the other hand stayed in where it was warm.



I love the expression on Nick's face in this picture as everyone sings Happy Birthday to him. What a sweetheart!



And then on to the presents.



We are so thankful the kids have kept his December birthday separate from the Christmas celebration. The won't even decorate the house until his birthday is over. Love it!