My Own Personal Food Revolution

I have several vices including: chocolate, cigarettes and wine. Turns out my bad habits aren't just killing me slowly, they're making me sick on a daily basis. See, I've been having some stomach issues for a few years now. When I mentioned them to a coworker, she recommended that I visit her naturopath. So I made an appointment and met with her doctor in October 2009.

Since then, I've discovered that my stomach problems are directly related to the amount of junk food I eat and alcohol I drink. And I know as well as anyone, smoking cigarettes is just a bad idea. It's stinky and unhealthy.

At the insistence of the naturopath, I've made small steps toward eating better over the last few months. I now eat breakfast everyday. When I eat processed meals, I try to buy organic, whole grain options. I almost never eat products made with white flour. But it's not enough. So I've decided to go cold turkey and give up all three vices for the next two weeks, until my mom comes to visit.

This won't be easy. As Mark Twain said: “I deal with temptation by yielding to it." But I'm tired of being sick and the only way I'm going to feel better is if I find a way to say no to temptation. So here goes:

Day 1 - Honestly, it was a bit of a rocky start. I managed to avoid alcohol and cigarettes, but gave in to the temptation of the chocolates in the pantry, the ice cream in the freezer and the pizza in the fridge at the house where I'm dogsitting for the weekend.

Day 2 - It's a new day. I had a lovely breakfast of raspberries, asparagus, mushrooms, whole grain toast, two eggs and Swiss cheese. I've also fueled my motivation with a marathon of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. However, as I write this, I'm reminded that I have a bottle of wine and a chocolate bar at home that I'm a bit afraid of. I can only hope I'm strong enough to resist them, until I can find a way to get them out of the house.

Image provided by: G & A Scholiers