In the summer of 2011 I started transitioning to a healthier lifestyle and here are some steps that helped me. Give them a try, you have nothing to lose but a lot to gain.
Step 1: Educate yourself, you spouse and your kids.
Before I jumped into anything, I started researching, reading books, watching YouTube videos, and following people on Instagram and Facebook. I shared everything I learned with my husband, kids and immediate family.
Step 2: Remove and Replace:
Then I started removing processed foods, canned foods, foods high in sugar from the home and replacing with fresh fruits, vegetables and grains. I replaced table salt and cane sugar with sea salt, Himalayan salt and real non gmo sugar. I added spices like oregano, ginger, cumin, etc... to my spices cabinets. I started reading the labels if I couldn't read the ingredients I didn't buy it. We started buying food with less ingredients such as the bread and pasta. I added organic coconut oil, unfiltered olive oil and grape seed oil and took away the canola oil. We added more raw food and decreased our cooked foods. I started with breakfast then added lunch. At this moment, I am raw till 4...where I would eat raw breakfast and lunch and high carb cooked vegan food for dinner. I decreased animal products and little by little took it away completely. The kids and my husband do eat organic antibiotics free chicken and ground beef. They rarely eat sea food. However, due to me being vegan and cooking at night, most of their dinners is vegan.
I replaced processed ham and turkey with nitrate free and organic ham and turkey for the kids and husband. I only buy non gmo cheese and we have our own chickens now so the kids and husband eat our fresh eggs.
The rule of the things we buy : can't read the ingredients, we don't buy. We also buy as much organic as we can. I think about 90% we buy organic and non gmo project verified i.e., chips, popcorn, snacks for the kids, dried fruits, pasta, bread, chocolate, tea, candy, etc....
I also replaced all shampoos, body wash, deodorant, lip balms, toothpaste with all naturally handmade, fair trade, cruelty free, non gmo bath products.
I removed our Teflon pots and pans and replaced with cast iron pots and pans.
We didn't eat out as much or we made to go to a place with more organic and vegan selections.
We started supporting small businesses on Etsy and farmers markets.
Step 3: Lead by example and don't give up.
After few weeks of this, I started feeling way better and then I plateaued. My face broke out more, I got irritated more and then I realized I wasn't eating enough calories. My face and digestion are slowly healing. I stopped putting expectations when I am gonna feel like the other raw vegan people out there. I haven't given up and I continued educating my kids and leading by example. When they see me drink a smoothie or eat a salad they want one too. My little 2 year old daughter way less than my 8 year old son.
I abused my body for years over 25 years, It is not going to heal in 2 days or 2 months, or 2 years .... it is gonna heal whenever it is going to heal but I will not give up.
Step 4: CLEAN
I started cleaning up my life...people who don't belong in my life had to go! Those were the people who are negative, envious and jealous. I started cleaning out my soul , reading more inspirational quotes, praying, going to church more, praying with the kids etc....
I can write and talk forever.... I also started exercising more and going to the gym more.
Leading a healthy lifestyle is not just eating right, it is thinking right, letting go of the past, staying positive and accepting yourself for who you are. We can't change others but if we change ourselves, others will follow.
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