Balance.

Today marks day 7 of my ten day Shred and I have literally never felt better. The Shred10 is a ten day program used to remove toxins from your body. Some people use it as a little kickstart for weight loss, but my goal is to just do a little detoxing from environmental toxins, processed food, and refined sugar…I’ve got a huge sweet tooth, especially at night! The easiest part for me was adding more water to my day. The hardest part has been not eating after 6pm. When Brea goes to bed, that’s when I enjoy some sort of guilty pleasure TV show and chocolate! Since eliminating dairy is part of the Shred, chocolate has been a no-go. But the chocolate Complete+ shakes have really been a huge help in that department! I’ve been waking up much easier than usual, and my craving for chocolate is there but it’s definitely not what it used to be. I also never thought about whether I was getting enough water every day. If I was thirsty, I drank some but I definitely didn’t get the 64oz a day that everyone should.

I just made a whole cookie sheet of roasted vegetables (broccoli, yellow and red peppers, zucchini, carrots, and onions), threw some in a bowl and had that as a snack. And I’m full! It feels so GOOD to be full of food that’s going to help my body function at it’s best. It just makes me feel good about myself. The best part is knowing that I’m setting a great example for my daughter. She already copies what I do, and this is something that will forever shape the way she sees food. You don’t have to “watch” what you eat when you’re putting whole foods and whole grains into your body that are going to benefit you. I can’t emphasize enough how this is the best I’ve ever felt. I’m confident in the way I look, I’m confident in the things I’m doing with my life, and I’m confident in the example I’m setting. Another big contributor to feeling so great right now is I’m taking the time to get in a real, sweat-inducing workout. Whether it’s a 2 mile power walk with Brea, or doing an at-home workout with some weights and isometrics, or a workout at the gym, it makes me feel happy!

I felt like we were pretty healthy people before, but now I’m taking us once step further. I’m taking the time to cook healthy meals for my family. Snacking means something different for us now, it means putting small amounts of whole foods in our body to recharge between meals. And I’m getting enough water and exercise. On top of that, I’m balancing my time wisely between working at home and one-on-one time with Brea. I always make sure to put the phone and laptop away, and do whatever she wants to do in the morning before her nap. I’ve never felt more fulfilled in my life! A happy mommy makes for a happy baby, and I’m so excited that I’ve found this amazing balance in life. Time for my run!