Eat Clean 2014 Challenge

Happy New Year!

I am so excited to finally share this challenge with you! I have been developing this for the past few weeks, and I am really eager to see how you like it. I think you'll find it challenging, but not unrealistic - it's actually very simple. Each month, I want you to abstain from one - only one - certain type of food. Is that easy, or what?

For example: 

January is the month of no processed grains. Basically, that means no white bread, white pasta, chips, cookies, crackers, etc...

Personally, I have decided not to have any processed grains - whether they are wheat or white. So you see, you can adjust this challenge to meet your personal levels and fitness goals. I know that I feel really good when I cut back on processed grains and reduce my intake of carbohydrates. So for this month, I am focusing on nourishing my body with lots of fruits and veggies.

Now this challenge is not meant to overwhelm you or make you feel deprived. The goal is simply to reduce less beneficial foods, and to increase our intake of good healthy food. If an occasion were to arrive - such as a wedding, anniversary, birthday - I am not suggesting that you restrain from the foods that are off limits for that month. You must make the decision that is best for you.

Remember, our focus is not to feel deprived and unhappy; but rather, to be a happier, healthier person.  I want you to make wise choices, and to truly respect your body. Nourish your body with healthy, wholesome foods. I know that every once in a while, you will indulge - I will indulge. Sometimes, a bit of indulgence is what keeps us sane. It is actually good to treat yourself every once in a while. Let's keep in mind that moderation is key to success. Don't overwhelm yourself with limitations and restrictions, but aim for a balanced healthy lifestyle.

In this challenge, you can make the decision whether to carry things over into the next month, or to stop after the deadline. It's really up to you whether or not to include certain foods back into your diet the next month, or to continue abstaining from it.

I believe there will be many things that you will add back in, and many that you will choose to cut out completely. I know that for myself, it isn't realistic to say that I won't eat dairy or meat for an entire year. I think it would be a beneficial challenge to go without those foods for a month, but I know that for myself, a year would not be realistic. However, for things like high fructose corn syrup, processed snacks, sodas, and juices; I know that I could probably abstain from those completely. I'm sure that there will be a few days in the year where you ( and I) will indulge a bit. Obviously, if it is Thanksgiving or Christmas, I will definitely be having meat, dairy, sweets... you get the picture.

Just a quick note - if you are a vegan or vegetarian, perhaps some of these months do not apply to you. If so, you can always repeat certain months, adjust it to meet your personal diet, or simply focus on eating clean for that month.

Well, that's all folks! :)

I wish you all a very blessed and prosperous new year. May our beautiful and gracious Lord fulfill the desires of your heart, and bless you in every possible way. I pray that God  would bless you with great success in your health and fitness journey, and that you would be filled with the joy, love, and peace of our great Lord.

Thank you so much for reading. It means so much to me, that you take the time to read these posts and comment, and share your thoughts with me. You guys are awesome! :)

Please remember to comment below and let me know if you are accepting this challenge. I am here for you, so please let me know if there is anything I can do. I want to be your personal encourager and supporter, so please do not hesitate to ask me any questions. :)

Also, I would be absolutely thrilled if you would subscribe to the blog and follow us on Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook. Thank you! :)

I am so eager to hear your thoughts on this challenge, so please comment and let me know what you think. Thanks!

Lots of Love,

Mariah

Eating Clean & Detoxing

Sometimes, it only takes one little thing to set you off on the right path. It is also true, that sometimes it only takes one thing to set you off on the wrong path. Sadly, for me, I got off track for a while. After Thanksgiving, I got into the habit of eating a few too many carbs, a tad too much sugar, and a bit bigger portions. (I am sure you can guess the result of this unhealthy combination.)

Needless to say, I haven't been feeling my best lately. Besides not feeling as slim and fit as I would like, I have also suffered a sore throat and mild cold for the past few days. The sore throat was my wake-up call. It is time to start detoxifying my body and getting back in shape. Sure, I have been faithful in my workouts, but as we all know... diet is crucial.

To jumpstart my healthy eating and re-commitment to fitness, I am doing a 2 day cleanse. I have been looking at quite a few cleanses on Pinterest to get an idea of what I wanted to do. Today was Day 1 of my cleanse, and I have based it off of the "Look Better Naked," Two-Day Cleanse. I am not being as extreme with this first day, I have only had fruits & vegetables, but I have not stuck to the original cleanse completely.

Anyway, I thought I would share with you some cleanses that I had found. I think that these are safe, healthy cleanses to try if you want to jumpstart your weight-loss, healthy eating habits, or to simply detox after the holidays. I am currently working on creating my own cleanse that I am hoping to share with you within the next two weeks. I am not a registered dietitian or nutritionist, and have no qualifications for telling anyone what they should be consuming.

However, I have studied many cleanses and diets, and the cleanse I am designing is based off of a variety of cleanses/detoxes I have tried or seen. I will let you know more about the cleanse when I actually post it. It will basically be a plan to eat as clean as possible for the upcoming new year. I am trying to completely eliminate processed foods, and refined carbs. (I'll explain more later.)

Anyway, here are a few cleanses that I found through Pinterest. I hope that these are helpful to you! 

This first cleanse I have not tried, but I thought it looked like a nice basic meal plan that would help you slim down after a week of slight indulgence.

This cleanse is going to be largely what I am basing my Eat Clean 2014 Cleanse on. I love the idea of really cutting out all of those unnecessary processed foods that we tend to consume without much thought. I would really like to cut-back on my dairy intake for the month of January. In fact, my New Year Goals will be coming soon in another post, so stay tuned. :)

This is the cleanse that I am tentatively doing right now. Today is a bit more lax, but tomorrow I plan on following it almost completely. I can't do the shake exactly, but I'll make a modified version with the ingredients I have. The second snack is another no-no. I don't have any asparagus. :( I'm just making do with what I've got on hand, but I am already feeling so much better.

Okay, this one is very intense. I understand that this might seem a bit extreme to some people, but I believe that it is a great option for someone who truly wants to cleanse their body. Actually, it's not that much different from the "Look Better Naked" cleanse.

I know from experience, that after binging on the holidays, I need something like this to get me back on track and relieve me of that gross, bloated feeling. If you are able to have self-control during the holidays, chances are you probably won't need this. However, this is for those of us who tend to overdo it a bit. ;)

Please understand that I am by no means advocating binging. In fact, I highly recommend that you do not binge - ever. Eat clean 80% of the time, and have your indulgences every once in a while as a special treat.

Please let me know if you have any recommendations for the cleanse I am creating, and let me know if you are interested in seeing some meal plans. Also, I would love to hear of any diets/cleanses you have tried. Were they successful, or unsuccessful?
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the cleanses/detoxes I've shared here. Thanks!

Have a fabulous weekend and may God bless you always!

Love & Grace,

Mariah