clean-up series

i have been getting emails from friends lately. all of them go about the same:

"please help me do what you do" 

"how can my family start living like yours"

"does it cost you a trillion dollars to go to the grocery store"

"why in the heck do you eat so weird"

"how can i get my kids to eat stuff like this"

and the list goes on! i love these kinds of emails though! i really really do. i also get responses like this:

"beet cake for your daughters first birthday is so dumb, she's only one once, let the kid eat real cake"

"i cannot stand clean eaters, the fda tests all your food. everything is safe, its pointless to eat how you are eating"

"i think that people who eat organic food judge me. but really i judge them, the way they live is pointless, expensive, and simply a trendy thing they do to seem cool"

and the list also goes on. 

i have never really felt the need to defend my clean eating. anyone that knows me well has seen the difference it has made in my life. but, i seriously do get asked all the time.... why? and also how?

people who come over to my house often say, it is so cool that you eat like this, i wish we could do it. some say, we could never be like this, it would be impossible for us.

i don't want people to say i wish, or someday, or never. because it is an attainable goal!

please keep some things in mind. its taken me about six months to change my kitchen, and lifestyle around. so yes, it may seem overwhelming at first, but, its all about finding one thing you're passionate about, starting there, and slowly building on that one change. 

1. i eat/live clean for my health. i used to get sick all the time, my skin had lost its vibrance, my eyes were cloudy, my hair was thin, i felt weak after exercise. i had a huge loss of energy, and i had a clouded mind. 

after cleaning things up all these things drastically changed. i have way more energy, i feel strong and my mind once again is sharp. i really never focus on my weight, but pounds just sorta slipped off after i made the changes i have made. 

2. i eat clean for the integrity of my food

i don't support GMOS i just really really don't. there are lots of benefits of genetically modified foods. this i know. my body, however, simply doesn't process is well. i have made a personal decision to avoid them as much as possible. 

3. i eat clean because my food simply tastes better. 

much better. you may not notice a difference at first, but whenever i eat things now i realize how much better whole, all natural, untainted food tastes, and how much better it makes me feel. i stay fuller longer. i lose my desire to snack snack snack all day long. 

i really could go on and on and on about why it has been great for my family. but seriously, you will have to do the research on these topics on your own. you can then decide what is best for your family. if you decide to make the switch, this summer clean up series is for you. i am doing it for those individuals who want to slowly convert their families without breaking the bank. 

i just want people to understand that if i see your kid chomping down on a fruit snack loaded with food dye, artificial flavors, and preservatives, i won't secretly be scorning you. i also want you to know that clean living isn't about being perfect or over the top. its finding what works best for you or finding one thing to change, and starting there. there are no judgements here! i am not a clean eating nazi. in fact olive had a bowl of lucky charms just yesterday. lol so don't think you have to be some extremist to eat clean, just do your best, if you even want to do it at all!

i will be doing a spring cleaning series that will help you all get started and answer some questions you all have been asking me. feel free to comment, FB, or email me with any topics you would like to see. 

hope this goes good and can get some people started that have been wanting to make some changes!

.lauren.