I jumped off the "diet train" in 2007, and never looked back

In Spring 2007 I drank my last diet soda. It’s now October 2018.

At the time, I had a few concerns regarding said diet soda:

Aspartame and artificial sweeteners – I was hearing bad things about these chemicals (e.g. metabolic issues) and wanted them OUT of my life.
I drank these from mostly aluminum cans, which I understood was another ‘no-no’ with potential to increase Alzheimer’s risk, etc. (Perhaps some were lined with BPA plastic, even better!)
Phosphoric acid, leeching calcium from my bones

I wasn’t yet aware of the graver concerns around the coloring (common ingredient in sodas), which has been flagged as a potential carcinogen. And I hadn’t yet seen the online videos of sodas being used as effective (i.e. corrosive!) household cleansers.

Before that fateful day and for most of my life, I considered myself “healthy”. I certainly was health-conscious for as long as I can remember — ironically that’s how I wound up drinking the diet sodas in the first place! All the years of fat-free this and fake food that, diet powders, bars and shakes.. manufactured, microwave meals. Name any diet or fad – Atkins, South Beach, cabbage soup, lemonade diet, blood sugar diet, blood type diet, detox diet, etc, etc – I cycled through them all.

And despite all the “healthy” dedication – I always felt ‘off’, like I was operating at a lower level than what I expected or wanted. I was fatigued most every day, frequently foggy-headed and ‘out of it’. Just plain ‘bleh’. There were times my weight would balloon-up and I couldn’t get it down, even with Half Ironman training of 12-16 hours per week (that’s a whole other story!)

Enter my introduction to holistic nutrition and functional medicine in 2007. I soon switched to eating mostly real, whole foods and cut all calorie-counting. I intentionally went organic. Most of the prior packaged foods I purchased from the natural grocery store were *not* organic and likely contained GMO soy and corn. I realized the meats I had previously eaten likely came from animals confined in feedlots – animals that were fed GMO corn and/or soy. I swapped these for cleaner, more humane, organic and pastured sources.

And I noticed a difference.

I felt more satisfied with my meals, and more clear-headed throughout the day. My weight normalized for the first time in decades – no more yo-yo effect.

And these noticeable differences came through changing only my diet. I later learned ways to exercise more efficiently and to not wear down my body. And I started paying attention to everything I put on my body as well (soaps, lotions, makeup, etc).

Now, on the other side of 11+ years, I can truly appreciate the difference I’ve experienced in embodying the Healthy Anywhere mantra (even on the road!): Eat Clean + Breathe Deep + Move Often = Never Settle.

And I am delighted to be able to share and help others experience healthy transformations in their own lives.

Do you have an interesting story or goal of ‘healthy’ transformation? What differences have you noticed? Or what difference do you want to make? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

Healthy Anywhere helps executive travelers enjoy delicious, organic foods, and stay healthy, anywhere in the U.S. Our services include: travel nutrition and meal planning, food delivery, fitness support, and accountability. If you or someone you know would appreciate this level of support, get in touch to work with us.

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Eat Clean + Breathe Deep + Move Often = Never Settle™

I jumped off the “diet train” in 2007, and never looked back

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