If you know me, you know it’s no secret that I like me some Diet Coke. Not Diet Pepsi either, it has to be Diet Coke. I love French fries and steal them from my kids when they’re not looking. And sometimes I would make a cake mix just to eat the batter.
Lately my mindset about food and health and exercise has started changing. It may be a combination of this girl’s amazing journey, my amazing fitness contributor who I LOVE to read, or watching Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead, but I’m changing.
I have had 3 Diet Cokes since being back from France. **Fun Fact: Diet Coke & Pepsi products taste different in France and I hate the taste, so I never drink them when I’m abroad!** But I used to have a Diet Coke every day. EVERY DAY PEOPLE!! Do you know how bad that is for you? I don’t fully know either, but it’s not good, I can tell you that.
I haven’t gone near a McDonald’s, not even to take my kids to play, which is where I usually take them. In fact, I don’t think I’ve eaten any fast food now that I think about it!
You know what the funniest part is? I don’t even want it!
You know what else is funny? The times I did have my Diet Coke, I felt so sick after!
So I’m changing. It’s not about weight or weight loss or some fad diet, it’s a lifestyle change. Can I honestly tell you that I’ll never drink a Diet Coke again? Nope. Will I give up my French fry habit for good? Probably not. But will the majority of my diet be fruits and vegetables, healthy whole grains and lean protein? YES!
And that’s where my change comes in. I want a life of balance. I have always said life is too short to be on a diet. I love food and I love to eat. So why am I going to spend my whole life dieting? Instead, I am going to be healthy. Intake healthier foods, exercise more, be more conscience about how I treat my body. Because I don’t mind getting older, I just want to make it as easy on myself as possible.
I started my life change with a fruit & vegetable fast. For 5 days straight I only ate or drank (blended not juiced) fruits and vegetables. Can you believe it? I can hardly believe that I made it that far. No coffee, which wasn’t too pleasant, I just really like coffee, but I replaced it with hot water with lemon. And yes, it’s not coffee, but it held off the craving for the 5 days and I have since continued to drink it in the morning!
Since doing my cleanse I have been trying to experiment with healthy, yummy meals for the whole family. Here’s what a day might look like for me.
Breakfast
This is my absolute favorite breakfast now and guess what, it’s as easy as pouring cereal into your bowl. I cook quinoa in bigger batches and store the leftover in the fridge. Then you can just dump some into your bowl in the morning. Here’s how I make mine:
- 1/2 quinoa
- 1/4 homemade granola
- 1/4 (or desired amount) homemade applesauce (or buy the natural applesauce)
- berries
I don’t ever measure, I just gave you these measurements so you can have an idea how I do it. But doesn’t that sound yummy? No added sugars or sweeteners or preservatives because I make most of it myself and BAM you have a healthy breakfast! Not to mention, it’s super easy & fast. That’s my kind of breakfast! Would you be interested in my granola recipe? It’s yummy! 
Lunch/Snack
This was on a day where I worked right through lunch (I do hair and makeup for weddings) and by the time I came home it was just a couple hours before dinner. Instead of having chips or unhealthy snack like I usually do, I decided to have a yummy avocado! I absolutely love avocados and when you add some extras like these, it’s just perfect. This vinegar I used this time was strawberry balsamic and it was fabulous!
Dinner
These were oh so good. I love mushrooms. To me, they make any dish just that much better. So when I saw a recipe for portobello mushroom mini pizzas, I knew this would be a hit. It’s just whatever veggies you want chopped & sauteed together, I just did onion, tomatoes & garlic which is all I had. No store bought sauces, those veggies were enough! Then you top it with some parmigiana cheese and man, they’re good!
For the rice you start by sauteing slivered almonds in a little butter in a sauce pan. Add the right amount of water for rice you want. Then cook the rice until it’s about 5 minutes from being done & add the asparagus. It will then finish and steam the asparagus and it’s so yummy!!
So overall I’m not here to say I’ve got it all together & I’m a health nut. In fact, I still like unhealthy food. I do however, want to live an overall healthier life encourage people to try to do the same. Hopefully I can come up with some tips & tricks as I try to get it all figured out as well.
Since living in France I have seen major differences in the way we eat & live and the way the French live and eat and I’ve got to tell you, it’s totally changed my outlook on it all! The French don’t diet. In fact, some of the main things they eat are cheeses and breads and butter! They just do so in moderation, are more active, buy fresher foods, and eat larger lunches and smaller dinner (among other things). So I think I’ll post a little more often about healthy living and some yummy easy ways you can try too!
So tell me, how do you keep your family healthy? I’m always looking for tips!
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