I used to be addicted to soda pop. As early as junior high, I saved my babysitting money to buy Diet Orange Sunkist. Fast-forward, this habit continued well into adulthood. At my former job, I ran into meetings double fisted with two Diet Dr. Peppers. I thought I needed the caffeine to replenish my energy and the sweet taste to satisfy my cravings. However, once I dived into researching all the detriments of a diet filled with chemicals in packaged foods and drinks, I quit soda immediately. I still missed the taste, though, so looked for alternatives. I tried to rationalize why buying fun, fizzy and hip drinks were right for me. Though when it came down to it, spring water provided the highest number of benefits including detoxification, hydration and skin beautification without any of the toxic “natural flavors.” So, to make it taste good, I started infusing different fruits and vegetables with my water. I love it so much that I recommended it as a substitute for sugary drinks when I appeared on The Dr. Oz Show.
Infused Water: Recipes & Tools
Wellness Work Series: Clean Eating at Work
I remember pulling overnighters in high school, wired with energy after drinking an entire two-liter bottle of Diet Mountain Dew. Study sessions both in high school and college entailed a cornucopia of sweets from gummy cola bottles to bags of sugary Dubble Bubble gum. Once I joined the workforce, these studying conditions transitioned into bad workplace habits. I walked into conference rooms double-fisted with my Diet Dr. Peppers. I often lost track of time due to a ferocious back-to-back meeting schedule. Naturally, I then ran to the vending machine to grab two bags of the least fattening carb-y snack. I assumed the mid-day anxiousness was from stress, not my overly caffeinated state and lack of nutrients. But what was a busy girl to do? I didn’t really think my “sorta bad habits” were harming me. Plus, I had conference calls to make, presentations to create and deadlines that I couldn’t shake. This pattern went on for many years. Now, I’ve tweaked my habits. The intensity of owning my own business, managing my cancer and balancing life rivals the stress (albeit differently, but still stress) from my corporate days, so I share my thoughts on how to eat clean at work.
Confessions of a Diet Dr. Pepper Addict: My First Clean Eating Changes
Prior to launching Pretty Wellness, I rarely revealed to friends and family how much I really knew about health and wellness. Perhaps I didn’t want to sound too preachy. Or maybe I was afraid of sounding hypocritical, given my former Diet Dr. Pepper addiction (it was once my biggest vice). Regardless, years of nutrition electives in college and part-time jobs as an ACE certified aerobics instructor have given me hands-on access to the latest nutritional information. (Not to mention the countless evenings chugging light beer and reading girly fitness magazines.) While I knew that eating whole foods would contribute to a more healthy and active body, a part of me still felt invincible and wasn’t necessarily practicing what I knew. It took my second round of breast cancer to re-educate myself on fueling my body.
Easy Recipe: Endive Avocado Salad
I love going out to eat. Ever since I was a kid, I would spend a part of my allowance on dining out at the local hot spot. In the mid-1980’s, it was Taco Bell and Dairy Queen. When I made some big bucks from babysitting, Davanni’s Pizza was our hot spot. Years later and now that I eat clean, I’ve found ways to enjoy restaurant meals while not compromising my clean-eating ways. Sometimes they even have an item on the menu that is vegan and delicious. My favorite summer salad is an endive avocado salad from our neighborhood bistro, Quattro Pazzi. I order it every time and recently re-created it in my home. It’s simple to make and delicious as a side salad or meal.
Easy Recipe: Healthy Creamsicle Turmeric Smoothies
When I first started on my clean eating journey, I scrutinized medical journals and books looking for disease prevention ideas. While many of my doctors don’t believe in a superfood to cure cancer, per se, it was hard to ignore all the literature on the health benefits of using turmeric with black pepper. Used medicinally for thousands of years, turmeric has been widely known for its anti-inflammatory properties. The root of it, curcumin, has been a potent healing agent in ancient Chinese and Indian practices. Even today, integrated practitioners tout the possibilities of lessening the side effects of arthritis, joint pain, stomach pain and several chronic diseases with turmeric. So, I thought I’d try it.
Eating Clean: How to Grocery Shop
I love to shop anywhere: small boutiques, big malls, online specialty sites and grocery stores. Over the past few years, with a focus on healthy living, I’ve found that I approach shopping differently. I plan (a little) more, occasionally pay (a little) more and focus (a little) more. The results…I now actually LOVE wholesome food and eating clean. Who would have thought that this former Diet Dr. Pepper, Hostess Snowballs and gummy cola bottle addict would snack on carrots and crave avocados?