One year "clean" (eating)

 It was April of 2024 that I decided to start eating clean, and MAY is when I started getting really strict and defining what eating clean means for me. 

I did it because I want to be healthy, I want to live a quality life for all the years that I'm alive and I know that God made the body to do amazing things, BUT that we need to feed the body with the appropriate fuel to support his wonderful design. 

Slowly I am replacing all my STUFF too, with natural ingredients, natural fibers, and non-toxic (but it's a slow process, because it cost money to do so). 

How I look is where OTHER people notice the difference, and I'm 100% ok with the changes (but it wasn't my motivation for changing). I put together a collage of before and Now photos. It's hard to really show because I tend to gravitate towards flowy clothes so you can't really see that much difference, but I have gone from a size 12 down to a size 8 currently. 

I can't tell you how much weight I've lost because it's not something I keep track of. 

But I can tell you that I sleep better, I wake up better. My digestion is better, my skin in less dry and red, my vitiligo is reversing, my hormones are balancing, my body is HEALING!!!! and FOOD was the medicine!!!!

I would say I had a wee bit of a sugar addiction before (if you know me, you KNOW this to be true), I had a very unbalanced apatite, and even though I didn't eat a ton of fast food, and never drank alcohol, my "healthyish" diet wasn't doing me any favors. 

So WHAT is CLEAN eating according to Aileen???

It starts with Protein first thing in the morning, for ME that means 3 eggs (usually with some sort of cheese added).  

and my eggs are Free range -and if I can find a good deal, I'll get ORGANIC free range

Organic Fruits and veggies (and right now I'm obsessed with Gala apples, so I eat about 2 a day)

Dairy has to be grass-fed, hormone free and if it's from another country that's even better. I'd love to add RAW milk to my diet but it's imposable to find where I live so I just do organic, grass fed A2 whole milk.

Beef is hormone free, grass fed and Organic. 

Meat in general needs to be hormone free, nitrate free, uncured and organic. 

and the BIGGEST criteria for me, is SEED OILS, I don't consume anything with seed oils in it and that's about 95% of the American diet. 

I also try to limit highly processed sugars or artificial sweeteners. 

I also have a food curfew of 3 hours before bed which usually just means that I don't eat anything after dinner, and I don't feel like I'm missing out or starving myself.

I try to share my journey as much as I can on social media, from my grocery hauls to my cooking adventures. 

I honestly don't feel deprived. 

I don't crave the stuff I used to live for, I don't crave sugar, I don't feel hungry all the time. 

I actually LOVE the challenge of trying something new (cooking wise)

And I Hope that maybe I can inspire some of you, who are reading this to take a step in the same direction. 

You will be amazed at how good it feels to be disciplined in a healthy way, it's empowering to know that you are doing something good even if it's really hard. 

It did get easier as time went by. 

those first few months were very hard, as I learned what I could and couldn't eat, while I weaned myself off of the "diet" I had eaten my whole life. 

I think this next year; I am going to try to add in consistent work outs. I am going to try to get in the habit of 10 mins in the morning and 10 mins in the evening, as well as 1-2 group fitness classes a month. 

I think by continuing my clean eating and clean living and adding positive structured movement, I'll see even more positive changes. 

I have a little Secret to SPILL

 Secret to confess

Nope, I'm not pregnant, so if you were reading this post hoping for that confession, sorry to disappoint you.

Ever since I left Oregon, in Feb 2013, I have visited my family once a year (at least) usually in the summer. 

That's 11 years!!! 

My secret, are you READY???

is...

 that I want to move back to Oregon!!!!!!

I know, I know, I complain about being cold in Florida, and Arizona, and I'm VERY VERY against being cold still 

(& so is my body, and my EDS joints) BUT so so so many of the people I love are there, and I'm tired of being so lonely.

I'm tired of being the far away sister/daughter/aunt/friend.

I long for community, with people who know me.

I want game nights and craft nights with my friends, I want to go to my nieces choir concert, go to karaoke, thrift and yard sale with Natalie and Karina. My once a year visit just isn't cutting it anymore. 

Video calls once a week with Mom and chatting on the phone with Natalie and Karina, and texting Joelle is NOT ENOUGH anymore. My heart and soul are homesick.

But I'm an adult with responsibilities and there are many obstacles that stand if our way. Mostly financial obstacles but also the practical stuff like jobs and housing. 

My husband is actually the one who started the discussion, back in October, when we lost our job suddenly and while we were in the mushy middle of limbo land. I didn't think he would ever want to live in Oregon so I never let my heart even consider the possibility. 

This confession is, in no way, an announcement, or a plan, just a strong, deep desire. 

I LOVE the beach, and I will soak up every moment of sand and ocean while I am here, I'll enjoy my job and do the best I can and maybe get to spend some time with Tim's family that lives a few hours away, while we are still here in Florida 

but my heart is elsewhere.

Maybe a year from now, maybe two, hopefully not too much longer than that.

Join me in prayer, that if it's God's will, he will move away the mountains that stand in the way  !!