The day we changed our lives

I remember so vividly the day we changed our lives. I was frustrated with my weight, energy levels and reliance on medication. Jared was looking for more energy and to feel better in himself. I was so fortunate that he was open to visiting the Naturopath with me as we were able to support each other as we cleaned up our diets. Armed with some great herbs, tonics and information including lists of foods to eat and not eat we headed home full of enthusiasm ready to eat clean and feel better. We cleaned out our kitchen that day and gave all of our food away. Honestly I don't think there was anything left. Then came shopping for clean wholefoods - easier said than done at that time in our small beach town. I came home full of excitement with falafels in one hand, bunches of salad greens under my arms, and all the salad goodness I could find. I chopped, fried and prepared our first wholefoods meal with so much excitement as this was going to be the goodness we needed in our lives. In the end it really was goodness but that first wholefoods meal was bland, boring, dry and we were all super hungry. I had no idea about how to dress salads with good quality oils and vinegars, my go to salad dressing at the time was store brought mayonnaise I am not sure what we scraped together to eat after that salad, remembering we had given all our food away!! Not one to stay down for too long I said to my tribe (Jared and Kayla), do not fear, it's only day one this is going to get better. I then researched some wholesome recipes online and came up with a delicious looking Dahl for night two. Great stuff, tasty, easy to prepare, nutritious and very affordable. Yes, day two I have this wholefoods gig sewn up. Come dinner time my very hungry family come to the table excited for dinner two of the wholefoods journey. Unedible!!!! I am actually quite a good cook and have not made that many unedible dishes in my time but this one really stands out for us. It was so bad that Jared still talks about it kind of fondly 8 years later. We had some bad salmon last week and Jared was comparing how bad it was and used the Dahl as a guidepost!!! Failure. Worse than day one. Maybe clean wholefoods is not for me. I have found my way since then. There has been alot of trial and error, tears, frustration but now I can say we eat a balanced wholefoods diet that is tasty, well cooked and nourishing most of the time. 80/20 is key in our home.
I wouldn't recommend my approach. It did work in the end but boy it was a challenge. The day that I remember so vividly has really informed my work I do now with clients. I encourage them instead of throwing away their whole pantry we crowd out the less nutritious foods with goodness. They surely don't go home eating bland dry foods and we listen to their cravings as the body is communicating to us.
May your wholefoods dinner tonight be filled with love, taste and goodness.
Leanne xxx