My Nutritional Mental Overhaul

This week has been a challenge for me as I am at the start of a nutritional overhaul.  Well, technically, its called a cleanse.  What it feels like is torture.  As I sit here eating my hot brown rice for breakfast and dreaming about the days of cappuccino and buttered toast, I heavily sigh.  Yet, just like pushing myself up the sidewalks five times this morning, I hunker down and go for it.  I may not like it but I do it.  It is just something that I need to do.  Besides, it is just for 21 days.  I can do that!  That's easy.  That's just three weeks.


My coach said something this morning that I usually abide by.  He said, "You are what you project."  I fully agree with this statement.  Aside from the occasional moments of pure negativity that are warranted from time-to-time, it seems a positive attitude is the most fruitful.  It doesn't mean that you are selling out to "the man" by being a bit can-do.  It means that you are putting yourself on the right foot as you start off on your day.  To project positivity will generally set you up to receive it, plentifully.  Granted, even the most joyous people have their challenging day.  They keep on going.  They swallow the blow, recuperate and maintain.  Because they practice a positive and proactive attitude then it is much easier for them to shake off the drama.


With this in mind, I have psyched myself into my nutritional plan.  I have been preparing myself for this plan for months.  Like a mental workout, my psyching-up would include telling myself that this would be something new and exciting.  I looked forward to the possibility of new flavors and textures that maybe I might actually like now - now that I am forty.  I was up to the challenge.


This flavor thing is something that has always haunted me.  My Dad would say that it confuses him because he feels he raised me differently.  I don't like things like olives or olive oil dressing or soy milk or flax seed.  I really am not that in to avocado (Guacamole lovers unite!  That means more for you!).  I grew up in the Midwest - on a farm in South Dakota to be exact.  And the culinary flavors of that region are just pretty simple, really.  Some would call them bland.  Meat and potatoes and maybe a simple vegetable (canned corn, steamed carrots or green beans) were the contents of a daily meal for my family.  I wasn't really exposed to many diversions from this daily plan through out my entire childhood.  This has made things quite difficult for me as an adult.  It all comes back to the basic mental processes.  A person like me really has to wrap their mind around the possibility of different tastes, textures and consistencies.


Slowly my tastes have expanded.  I eat cheeseburgers now.  This wasn't always the case.  It used to just be plain hamburgers for me.  I mean dry old burger on a dry old bun and with some ketchup.  That's it.  Now I will have cheese and maybe some grilled onions on there.  And that has been a growth experience.  When I was on my honeymoon this summer, I was a total rebel and had a teriyaki burger (well, more than one but that's beside the point).  It was a challenge for me to consider that there would be pineapple in there next to my burger and that it would be hot, not cold.  But I loved it!

Through the years I have ventured to add things to my palette such as sour cream and mayonnaise.  I eat artichokes, bell peppers and garlic willingly.  But, like I said, this was not easy to accomplish.  I have to tell myself to be open to the possibilities.  So when I received my new nutrition plan and it had all these new flavors on it, I was very excited!  I went through the grocery store with my husband carefully reading every single label as I plopped the new spices (like turmeric and ground mustard) and flavors (like navy beans and olives) into our cart.  I came home, gleefully organized everything and set my mind to a new day to begin the following morning.  Yet, when I was standing there making my hot brown rice with ground flax seed, all the apprehension filled me once again.

I have had to consistently remind myself of my health goals.  I remind myself, again, that this will not be but for three weeks.  As I choke down some olive tapenade with my delicious carrots, these things run through my mind.  You can still keep your avocados, folks.


Yet, just as there are things that my tongue fights me on there are also things that are pretty darn good options.  The fact that I get to eat either salmon or tilapia every day is happiness for me.  I already love salmon and found out just yesterday that tilapia is pretty good too.  Well, I like it anyway.  Maybe this is where my bland palate is benefiting me.  I had never had rosemary sweet potatoes before and I think I am now a fan.


Well, I am only two days into this thing and my scale told me this morning that I had lost two pounds in this short time.  So, I'm guessing this is benefiting me quick like.  I suppose that makes it all worth it!  I know that I am complaining a lot about this but it upsets me because I really really really want to like every last item on the menu but it is just not happening.  I will attempt to be more positive.  I know that I will not give up.  I will not cheat.  I may not finish the tapenade but I definitely tried it and won't replace it with something bad for me.  I will wait it out.


Another thing I hear my coach say often, "Be more."  This is a simple and powerful statement.  In taking on the four day per week workouts and now adding the nutritional cleanse, I am doing everything within my power to be more.  I'll keep you updated on the process and my progress.  As I always say, "I do not pacify.  I aim to inspire and seek inspiration in return."  I certainly am getting my dose of this right now!