Did you just eat that?!

Disclaimer:
This post is a reflective post (meaning I'm having one of those oh-that-makes-sense moments), and it is long. It is a bit detailed & contains the word poop, so if you can't handle the heat... get out of the kitchen. I mean, if you have a weak stomach.... don't read this posting.

Sometimes I shudder when I see what other people are willing to eat. Funny thing is that I used be one of those people. I would happily go to McDonalds, Sonic, Wendy's, or any other fast food chain for that matter if given the chance. Sure I still have my food weaknesses (sour cream, cream cheese.. etc), but since I have made the effort to be more aware of what I eat....  it just makes my stomach turn when I see fast food places. Who knows WHERE those ingredients originated from & WHY they get it so cheap... BLECH!

Have you ever really thought about the process?! It kinds grosses me out. I mean, all foods rot of course & I know your body produces enzymes to break down the food to digest it... but think about how long it takes. In Healthy adults (according to: Mayo Clinic) it takes 24-72 hrs from eat to poop. In a different website (at: You Were Wondering....) it states it takes 75-80 hrs for food to be completely expelled from your body!! Now, I know for sure that I was not a "healthy adult". My BM's were 2-3 days apart & it took A LOT of effort just to use the bathroom... (Yep! Sorry if that was too much information, but there really is a point to this... I promise). Now just think of that... the entire time you're still continuing to eat, there are toxins from the food just sitting in your body WAITING to be expelled. No wonder why diseases are at an all time high! WHAT you eat makes a HUGE difference.

Another thing, I used to go crazy couponing (way before that stinkin "Extreme Couponing" show ruined it for all of us moderate couponers). I would get the frozen dinners for free, hot dogs, pasta... you name it! Last year was busy, and for that season of my life it worked. Now, I'm using my couponing skill towards household products only because all of the processed food I was eating just made me feel worse. I wanted to constantly take naps after lunch, I felt sluggish, and I felt just unmotivated to do anything. Granted I live in WA (where it rains 11 months out of the yr), but I don't feel like that's a good enough excuse. I don't drink coffee at all, but I can still wake up & "start my day". Praying for God to open my eyes as to why I was so blah all the time was the first step. He showed me that I selfishly indulged in foods that were not good for me. I mean, seriously... he gave us food out of the ground! For goodness sakes, why - oh why - did we taint our taste buds with spices & grease?!  I'm also not a huge sweets person (except when that time comes around) so I don't stock soda, candy, or ice cream at our house. In fact, my kids would be lucky to see any sweets pass through our house unless it was a special occasion. I did, however, have more processed food than fresh food. By the way, I don't know what it is about being a mom, but I would eat at all kinds of odd hours! Never the same time everyday. My kids would eat on a schedule, but somehow that didn't apply to me. I'm now sticking to a more structured eating habit with less processed food & more fresh food. Genius.. I know...

Note: If you've already figured this out... good for you. I on the other hand was still trying to figure out how to juggle: dishes, laundry, cleaning, raising 2 children, serving my husband, and still "taking care of myself" (which included showers, barely shaving, no hairstyling, no make up, with an out-the-door-kinda-look). Not to mention how to figure out what to feed everyone. Honestly, I think my kids ate better than I did. I would take time to fix them healthy stuff, but then I'd put processed ick into my body. How's that for ironic!

You'll be happy to know that now I drink water like I appreciate it :) I actually eat breakfast (see previous post .... Minus the sugary cereal... We are out of the cinnamon toast crunch. Back to cheerios!),  I have turkey sandwiches for lunch (with broccoli, orange or yellow peppers, and a honey crisp apple), then some chicken dish for dinner (with various sides). I now have 3 regular BM's PER DAY, better sleep, more energy, and more drive for what I do! Took me long enough to figure this out - ya think?! Oh yah.. I think 5 years is long enough to feel - blah. How long is it going to take you?