What we put in our bodies is just as important as what we put on them

I'm not talking about clothes, shoes or accessories here, people. I'm talking about our skincare and makeup routine. Ya'll know how important I think it is to make sure we're not putting harsh chemicals on our skin (thank you, LimeLife). But while what we put ON our bodies is very important, tracking what we put IN them is just as, if not more, important. You cannot imagine the amount, and kind, of additives that are in processed foods.

Have you ever taken the time to check all of the labels on the grocery products you purchase during a normal trip (not when you're doing some nutritional meal plan)? I challenge you to go into your pantry and check the labels on a couple of products. What do you see? You'll likely see all kinds of additives such as citric acid, sodium nitrite, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, monosodium glutamate, artificial food coloring, etc. Many of these additives have been linked to cancer, difficulty breathing, heart problems, tumor growth, and many other health concerns. Check out this comprehensive list from MPH Programs List. Their primary conclusion is to avoid all fast foods and soda/sugary drinks, and include more fruits and vegetables (and grains) within your diet. They also recommend eating hormone free meat and milk.

While I am not a big advocate for eating "organic" and "non-GMO" (power to you if you are...whatever makes you happy), through this process I am becoming a big believer in, and advocate for, paying more attention to what we're putting in our bodies. For me, thus far, the biggest "Ah-ha!" moment has come from comparing our normal dinners before Whole30 to during Whole30. Before, the majority of our plate consisted of a grain of some sort...pasta, rice, bread, etc. And while I don't think these foods are terrible for you or that you shouldn't have any of them in your diet, they definitely shouldn't take up the majority of your meal...every meal. Now, that grain has been replaced with veggies. And dessert has been replaced with fruit. Before, the only fruit I would consume would be over lunch if I was feeling "healthy" that day.

And now, *knock on wood*, I'm starting to notice a difference in my digestive health. It's like...DUH, Becca. You took all of these processed, carb-heavy, calorie-heavy, foods out of your diet and replaced them with fresh fruits and vegetables. No wonder you're feeling better!

*Yes, I realize that fruits and veggies have carbs too. But consuming a carb in a processed piece of bread is different than consuming it via an apple.

Eating foods that naturally aide in digestion is SO important. While there are many grains and diary products out there that aide in digestion, Whole30 is a form of an elimination diet, which is why they aren't included within the plan. Many grains contain gluten, which has been linked to digestive concerns in many adults. And dairy products contain lactose, which many adults have some form of allergy/intolerance to. In order to determine if either of these may be causing your issue, Whole30 eliminates them to then be added back in at some point, checking if your body reacts negatively to them.

So, since these natural digestive aides have been eliminated, we have to fill that gap with something else. And fruits and vegetables can serve the same purpose. Many fruits are rich in fiber and contain vitamins and minerals that aide in digestion, such as vitamin C and potassium. Apples, oranges, and bananas are incredible fruits for digestion. "An apple a day keeps the doctor away", right??

Vegetables with the skin left on are incredibly rich in fiber, which is why it is best to consume them whole (aka...WHOLE30). In other words, DON'T peel your potatoes. Leafy green vegetables are also amazing sources of nutrients to aide in digestion. Many of them have a nutrient called sulfoquinovose (per an article from Nature Chemical Biology), which is a natural sugar that feeds healthy bacteria in your stomach.

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I cannot tell you how many Oreos and/or Chips Ahoy cookies I would eat in a week before Whole30. The number would probably disgust you (and myself). I have a TERRIBLE sweet tooth. In order to make ourselves feel even worse, here are the ingredients in an Oreo:

- Unbleached Enriched Flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid)

- Sugar

- Palm and/or Canola Oil

- Dextrose

- Cocoa (processed with alkali)

- High Fructose Corn Syrup

- Leavening (baking soda and/or calcium phosphate)

- Salt

- Soy Lecithin

- Chocolate

- Artificial Flavor

Do ANY of those sound like they would be good for you?! In case you were wondering, enriched flour (the number 1 ingredient) is basically the natural grain STRIPPED of all of its healthy ingredients. It gives you a sugar spike and then a crash with absolutely ZERO nutritional value. Ever wonder why your body feels terrible after you've stuffed it with processed sweets??? That's why!

While I don't want to turn into this crazy label checker, I am 100% going to start paying more attention to what I'm putting in my body. Think about how much better I would feel if I eliminated these terrible foods from my diet even 50% of the time?? Reduced my Oreo intake from 7 days a week to just 3-4? LOL

In all seriousness, though, I don't think it needs to be as extreme as completely eliminating the things we love from our diet, but we do need to consume in moderation. I was NOT consuming in moderation. I'd think, "ah, I worked out today. No harm, no foul" and resume to eating 3+ Oreos every night. My body was telling me, "STOP! No more! I can't take it!" and I wasn't listening.

We are only about a week into this, so who knows how my body will feel a week from now, not to mention 2-3 weeks from now. I am hopeful, though. And right now, my plan is to slowly add foods back in after this is over. Foods meaning grains and dairy...not processed foods. I will do my best to keep those eliminated as much as possible, as per the above example...nothing good can come from eating that many Oreos. I'll probably start by adding in gluten, then cheese and work my way from there.

I'll be keeping you updated as I go. I'll probably do a "halfway" review next week, tracking the phases that my body is going through. As I mentioned previously, I do feel a positive impact already and I'm hopeful that it will continue.

Thank you all for joining me!

A place to be #unapologeticallyme.