We are nearing the end of another week in this year’s series “Make a Fresh Start.” How is it going? I hope you are feeling fresher and newer as each day unfolds.
Yesterday I talked about considering one healthy food, drink, or ingredient that you might add to increase wellness. Today we are discussing the flip side and considering what is one item we may wish to remove from our diet?
What we put into our mouths is definitely a habit. Our taste buds become accustomed to what we eat and drink, and we may even find ourselves anticipating a certain item at a specific time of day. Nevertheless, we may be aware of something we are ingesting that we know we would be better off without.
There are a variety of options that can fit into this category, and I’m not here to castigate any specific candidate. This challenge is not, “What shouldn’t I be eating?” Rather, I am encouraging you to ask yourself, “What would I personally like to eliminate?” It is a positive change, made BY you and FOR you.
It is possible that completely removing an item from your diet feels too drastic, and perhaps is unnecessary. In this case, you may opt to limit how much or how often you choose to indulge. For example, you might say, “I will only eat this on Sundays,” or “I will only eat one.”
Again, this isn’t about feeling guilty. This challenge should empower you to make a change you can (and will) feel good about.
What comes to mind that you might wish to limit or eliminate from your diet?
A great challenge and never thought about it from this perspective. Now, you have me rethinking some of my food options daily here. So, appreciate the advice.
Have a great weekend, Janine. Thanks for all the supportive comments:)
This is such a good question. I have read about eliminating sugar, salt, bread, alcohol for years. Last year as we approached Lent, I decided to remove alcohol. I was never a big drinker but did like my glass of wine with dinner. I thought I would do this for the duration of Lent. When Easter arrived, I thought about having that glass of wine with dinner and opted not to. I have successfully removed alcohol from my regular diet. I do on occasion (Christmas dinner, New Year’s Eve, a birthday celebration) indulge in a glass of wine but that makes it a real treat and not a regular occurrence. I don’t know what I’ll remove next. Thanks for posing this question.
I’ve been doing the “dry January” and wondering how I will feel at the end of the month. I’m sort of like you, don’t drink much, but wine with dinner. However, I think I might kind of like keeping it a bit more special. Might help me sleep better as well!
oh, interesting! I think making big changes can be so hard, but eliminating one thing isn’t. I’m struggling right now because I get milk blisters and they can be from so many things – poor latch, bad positioning, dehydration, stress, saturated fat, etc. So yes, cutting down on saturated fat is a good thing, and good for breastfeeding, but some of these issues have so many things that could be causing them that I’m almost bitter about it. Like I’ll try anything but I’m afraid it won’t change a thing.
That said, milk blisters are treatable and cutting down on saturated fat is a good idea!
I’m so sorry you are having milk blisters – ouch! I know that feeling of being willing to do whatever might help. Often, we make changes in our diet and don’t see any results. I think this one is mostly about being mindful about something we may be taking in – even something small – and choosing to no longer consume it (or reduce it). Hang in there!
I definitely need to cut back on sweets. The Christmas holiday provide so much tasty but not necessarily healthy options. I have been eating a lot of cookies and also candy that I rarely eat most of the year. Since it comes in a large dose all at once, it’s easy to indulge without thinking much about it. I am going to make a real effort to space out what’s left of this bounty, and maybe even eliminate some things for a period. I generally believe in moderation in everything food-like,
so it’s time to get back to my “better judgement”!
I agree that it is hard to resist those delicious holiday sweets! I indulged as well, but it is all gone now, so back to the normal routine.