No Sugar and No Processed Food Update- Over a Year Later!

Hello everyone!

Wow, has the time flown over here!  I hope your area of the woods has been sunny!  So many things have happened this past year and so many things have changed for me (many of them good).

Let’s start with how I am doing on the No Sugar and No Processed Foods lifestyle I was doing so well on, back in 2011….I have still been eating very little to no sugar!  (I will occasionally have chocolate, but it’s so infrequent).

I must confess though, that when it comes to how much professed food I am eating, it is more than what I ate back in 2011.  I am still pretty much eating the way I did in 2011, but I have been eating some Amy’s frozen macaroni and cheese, and also eating some homemade organic white bread (made with honey, not sugar).

I have also changed what rice I am eating- I no longer eat brown rice, but rather have chosen to eat basmati rice, and I love basmati rice! (Lundberg rice is awesome!)  I have also been cutting down the amount of wheat I eat in general.

It is a daily challenge to continually eat no processed food, and it is easier to just take the processed food route.  It is.  However, I do still eat mostly no processed food.  I just am not nearly as strict about it as I once was (for better or for worse).  Since I am no longer being as strict about it, I have gained back 20 lbs, (I had gone down to 120 lbs. while eating no processed food), which leaves me still weighing less than I did in high school.

I have been focusing more on trying to make sure that all food I eat is either certified organic, or locally grown/raised.

I had four goals for my No Sugar and No Processed Food Challenge, back on April 23, 2011.  They were:

1. More Energy

2. Help clear up my acne.

3. Maybe lose a couple pounds (though this was not a major goal of mine)

4. Just feel overall healthy.

So how am I feeling?  Well, I have more energy, my face is essentially clear (except for an occasional pimple), I did gain some weight back (but that is not an issue for me), and, right now, I do feel overall more healthy than I have in years!

So did this challenge help my lack of energy?  Not really (for me anyway).  Cutting out sugar and processed foods for many people will help them with their lack of energy.

What I found for myself though, was that two major things were causing my energy to be constantly depleted- a relationship (that I broke off a year ago), and a job (that I stopped back in September).  It is a reminder that how we feel is not just affected by the foods we eat, or the products we use on our skin.  We are also affected by people that are in our lives, and by our environment.  And for me, since I do have some multiple chemical sensitivity, I found that I needed to let go of these two things to allow my health to become better.

How is my acne?  It’s essentially non-existent!  I found that as long as I have kept cutting out sugar from my diet, that my skin is essentially clear.  I still wash my face daily with local pure honey, and only use lime as an occasional nighttime treatment if I do have a pimple or two, or when I have an acne scar.

How is my weight?  I’ve gained some weight back, but I am still a healthy weight 🙂  I truly believe it is less about how much I weigh, and more about whether or not I am healthy.

How do I feel?  I am feeling pretty healthy right now.  I am eating pretty well (though not as perfect as before).  I am still making sure that the products I use on my body and in my environment are healthy for me to be around.  I am in a healthy relationship with a man that I love.

Please feel free to leave comments and/or questions, and I will get back to you as soon as possible!

I hope you have a wonderfully sunny day!

~Kim

Please note:  Please check with your doctor or a nutrionist/dietician before starting any new diet/lifestyle.

A Mini Grocery Haul: What I Eat While Eating Real Foods aka No Processed Foods

Hello there!  Long time no see!  I’m so sorry that I haven’t been on this blog in forever~ this summer has been SO much busier than I ever expected it to be!  I finally found the time to upload a couple of videos that I actually recorded over a month ago~ I will be posting more hopefully tomorrow.

This video is a mini grocery haul that I was asked to do.  It is a glimpse at what I eat on a regular basis~ including what vitamins/supplements I take, and what type of processed food I eat if I do eat any (except I forgot chocolate~ sometime I’ll have to show you what organic chocolates I eat if I really want chocolate).

Some random info:
~ My stomach feels good, too, on the Smarty Pants Vitamins.  If you have stomach issues, like IBS, like me, vitamins is something that are recommended to be avoided.  However, these are ok since they do not have any artifical colorings, flavorings, etc.  I actually could not take any vitamins since I was 12 (7 years before my IBS started), due to how horrible I would feel on them.  These, and the Vitamin C ones I talk about in this video, are the only two vitamins I can actually take.

~The snap peas and organic carrots in this video at 11:00 are ones my dad grew.  An awesome way to save money, and gas having to go to the store=grow your own veggies!

~Please note: I am affiliated with Compass Teas.  However, any high quality tea is great for your body and your health 🙂

~Somehow I completely missed mentioning peppermint tea: I LOVE it! Peppermint is also great for IBS symptoms/stomach issues (unless you have heartburn issues too).

~For some reason, parts of the video stop working for a second, but it starts to work again.  I’m really sorry about that.  I tried to fix it, but could not

But most importantly, have a sunny day!!
~Kim

Please note: If you wish to try eating real foods, and cut out all the processed foods, please do your research, and ask your doctor or registered dietician for more information.  All the information I talk about here is info I have collected while trying to cure my acne naturally and help myself become a healthy person (not just “healthier”).

Beginner’s Guide to Cutting Out Processed Foods and Refined Sugar

Hello!

So this video I actually recorded and uploaded onto Youtube the same day as my Processed Food Free for 1 Year- Story and Results Video, and thought I had posted it on here as well.  However, apparently I missed posting it here, so here it is! 🙂

In this video I give an explanation of what processed foods are, what foods I eat when trying to eat real foods (and avoid processed foods and refined sugar), what to avoid, and what to look for.  This video did end up much longer than I really had intended it to be, but it gives overall answers to the questions I list above.  Enjoy!

Have a sunny day!

~Kim

Please note: If you are worried about starting this type of diet, or whether it is right for you, please consult your doctor.

Processed Food Free for 1 Year: Story and Results!

Hi everyone!

Back on April 23, 2012 (as I was preparing for the college semester to close within a few weeks), was my 1 Year anniversary of starting the No Processed Foods and Processed (Refined) Sugar Challenge, AKA The Real Food Challenge!

Partly in celebration of this, I recorded a video a few days ago explaining what personally led me to decide that I wanted to stop eating processed foods and refined sugar.  Closer to the end of the video I do also talk about the results I have seen since following this for a year! (I do want to clarify- I lost the 35 lbs. between April 2011 and November 2011.  I have not lost any more weight since then.)  As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to ask! 🙂

Have a sunny day!

~Kim

Please Note: If you are worried about starting this type of diet, or want to know whether it’s right for you, please consult your doctor.

5 Months of No Processed Foods and No Processed Sugar!

I can hardly believe that it’s been 5 months since I started the No Processed Foods and No Processed Sugar Challenge (aka the Real Food Challenge) on April 23, 2011! It’s been a really interesting 5 months.

Here’s some updates on my four goals I wrote about from my first blog post on Day 1 of No Sugar and No Processed Foods Challenge with Sunny Mother Nature . To go to my first blog post, click here.

Update on my Energy Level

Honestly, my energy level has been really low recently. However, this has not been caused by what I’m eating but much more based on other things going on in my life: crazy long commuting times, lack of sleep, flooding scare, etc. So, my energy level probably won’t be going up really quickly anytime soon. I’ll just keep drinking the yerba mate with honey til then 🙂

Update on my Acne

From the middle of July until the middle of August I wasn’t home (No, I wasn’t on vacation) and so I just couldn’t be as strict with what I ate and didn’t eat. So, my acne did start showing up again.

What was awesome though is that once I was back home from the middle of August until now, I’ve been pretty consistent with what I have been eating (other than one day which I basically ate whatever and so I felt physically horrible for a couple days after).

So, my acne has really been improving. What’s interesting is that my acne really is related to what I’m eating. So, whenever I’m eating just real food, my skin begins to clear up.

This is a huge thing for me because I normally would have four pimples starting every week (if not more pimples). And, my acne was mostly cystic acne. The pimples were just so painful. Now, my acne isn’t nearly as painful, and most of the pimples come to a head (instead of maybe just slowly going away).

Except for the occasional pimple, I mostly have only scars on my face anymore. And since I am very fair (aka very pale) the red acne scars are noticable on my skin. However, even they are starting to fade away! So, this no processed foods and no sugar is really working for my skin. It’s just awesome. (I might put up before and after photos of my face~ let me know if you’re interested 🙂 ).

Update on Weight Loss

Photo from November 2010 (below)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo from September 2011 (below)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another one of my minor goals was to possibly lose about 10 pounds (that is the amount of weight that I typically gained during the winter).

I have actually lost 29 lbs since April 23rd, 2011. I went from being around 156 lbs. (This was my weight maybe a week or two into the challenge. I might have lost a couple pounds before this?) down to 127 lbs. in 5 months.

This is incredible. What was so interesting was that I kept thinking when I hit a weight that I would level off there: at 145 lbs, at 140 lbs, at 135 lbs, and even at 130 lbs. And yet, I kept losing weight. I honestly haven’t been 127 lbs. since I was around 12 years old. I was 135 lbs. at 13 years old and in 7th grade. The lowest I was in high school was 145 lbs. so I really thought I wouldn’t go lower than that.

Since I didn’t update during this time on my weight, here’s how it went:

beginning of August- 138 lbs

middle of August- 136 lbs

beginning of September- 130 lbs

on Sept 23- 127 lbs

And there were basically three things that I did: I stopped eating processed foods. I stopped eating sugar. And in June I started doing yoga daily.

I do really want to emphasize that I do not count calories. I believe that if you are eating healthy that you do not need to count them. I just eat until I’m full. I also just find it annoying to count calories. I have enough to look at on the label with ingredients, cholesterol, and saturated fat content. 🙂

Update on Feeling Healthy Goal

I have been feeling healthy (minus the lack of energy). I honestly just consistently feel better when I’m eating real foods and no processed foods or sugar.

I don’t believe I put this into any of my other posts, but I was told by my doctor in August 2010 that I have IBS (aka irritable bowel syndrome). It was probably the the worst summer ever for me because I literally felt so incredibly horrible all the time. There were very few days that I felt even just ok.

Although I was able to get my IBS under control by the end of August 2010, there still would be times from August until May 2011 where I would feel fine and then suddenly I would just feel horrible again. Just the pain itself was really bad, excluding the other symptoms.

Once I started eating no processed foods and no sugar though, I feel great most of the time. The times that I don’t feel good are when I’m not eating as consistently. This is probably the best result I’ve had from this challenge. I love that I can go out and do not have to wonder whether my IBS will make me feel absolutely horrible that day.

I hope that some of my positive results from the No Processed Foods and No Processed Sugar Challenge inspires you to eat healthy too!

Have a sunny day!

~Kim

Day 100 of the No Processed Foods and No Sugar Challenge

Hi everyone!

Sorry I’ve haven’t written in a while.  The truth is I haven’t been near a computer long enough to write since I last wrote.

I wanted to do a little update though on how my No Processed Foods and No Sugar Challenge has been going since Day 75.  When I counted what day it was, I found out I had made it to Day 100!

Honestly though, I have not been as strict about eating no processed foods or sugar during these past two weeks that I have been during the rest of the challenge.  Basically since I found out my friend Seth died two weeks ago, that first week I ate tons of chocolate (and I hadn’t really eaten any chocolate before that during my challenge).  Then, this past week it was my birthday and so I indulged in “Birthday Magic” a little bit too much.  (“Birthday Magic” is this idea, in my family, that during your birthday or Christmas, etc. that you can eat things you may not normally feel you can eat, without the bad side effects.  ex. “Those cookies don’t have cholesterol or sodium~ ‘It’s Christmas Magic.’ ” ).  I ate I think two dishes of pasta alfredo at restaurants, and at three of the dinners out I ended up drinking very sugary drinks. My mom also made a Shoofly Cake for my birthday (my mom is an amazing cook, and I love her desserts, which she rarely makes anymore because they aren’t healthy enough for her to be able to eat them eating them more than a couple times a year~ so I couldn’t resist eating two pieces 😉 ).  Now, although I did splurge on these things during these weeks, I still consistently ate my other normal stuff~ whole wheat pasta, brown rice, fresh vegetables and fruits, organic milk, etc.  So, it was moreso in addition to my normal eating, or only replaced one meal a day.  Yet, even at that I could tell a difference in how I felt and in my body.

I could even tell that I was paying for this through my skin.  I ended up getting 5 pimples, all 5 being painful ones that are the kind that are under the skin, within these two weeks.  Compare this to how my face had for a couple of weeks before that had only gotten one new pimple.  I do know though that these pimples are just my body attempting to get rid of all of the toxins, etc. from my body.  Yet, that is a definite sign from my body that it wants me to go back to how I was eating.  And I’m definitely up for it.  I also know that when I am really consistent with eating real foods that my acne does begin to heal itself and I have very few new pimples that form.  It just makes sense to me that food does contribute to my acne, whether I like it or not.

The other thing I think that is partly what I’m having trouble with these past two weeks is that I am not home right now.  So, this is the first time since this challenge that I did not pretty much have a stable eating plan/habit.  It’s different, and so I have to get used to that and find a way to start eating right, again, but now in a little bit different environment.  It’s not necessarily easy, but I have seen the positive benefits of eating completely real foods, and not eating processed foods or sugar, so I’m willing to get back on track. And I know I can do it! 🙂

I hope your day is sunny!

~Kim

What to Avoid When Trying to Eat Healthy and Eat No Processed Foods or Sugar

Here are the ingredients and foods that I completely avoid since I’ve started eating healthy and have been avoiding processed foods and sugar. Now you can too! 

I’ve also included a couple tips on healthy eating that will help you to start eating healthy too!

This list is long, so just read it over.  If you don’t think you can avoid all of them at this time, it’s ok.  Just avoiding a few of these ingredients and/or foods will help your health. 🙂

Ingredients to Avoid If Avoiding Sugar of any kind:

1. All artificial sweeteners (ex. aspartame, saccharin, dextrose, corn sugar, grape sugar, sucralose)

2. High Fructose Corn Syrup

3. Corn Syrup

4. Sugar

Ingredients to Avoid if Avoiding Trans Fat:

1. Hydrogenated Oils of any kind (ex. hydrogenated soybean oil, hydrogenated canola oil)

2. Partially Hydrogenated Oils of any kind

3. Interesterified Oils of any kind

Any of these oils listed in a food, means that there is some trans fat in that food, even if the label states it has 0g trans fat.  This is because the FDA decided that companies could advertise any of their food products as having 0g of trans fat if it has less than 0.5 g of trans fat in them per serving.  Trans fat is more harmful to your health than saturated fat.

You need to be especially careful of this loophole when the serving size seems especially small.  This can result in you consuming a lot of trans fat when you believe you are consuming none at all.

There are three types of fat: two are naturally occuring and one is manmade.  The two naturally occuring fats are unsaturated fats and saturated fats.  Unsaturated fats are the good kind, and are naturally liquid at room temperature (think olive oil).  Saturated fats are considered the less healthy type of fat (but still better than trans fat) and are naturally solid at room temperature (think butter on the counter).

The third type of fat, and the manmade type, is trans fat.  Trans fats are unsaturated fats that have been modified to be solid at room temperature, not liquid.  This modification is what created margarine, shortening, etc.  However, this alteration is also the reason why they are more harmful than saturated fats.

Other Ingredients to Avoid, to Help Overall Health and to Help Avoid Processed Foods:

1. Artifical Flavoring

2. “Natural Flavoring”

3. Propylene Glycol

4. Caramel Coloring

5. Fake coloring added (ex. Yellow 5, Blue 1)

5. “Enriched” Flours ~ Although some people look at “enriched” foods as a good thing, it really is not.  “Enriched” means that whatever food product it is, has been so processed that the natural vitamins, minerals, and/or fiber that would normally be found in it have been stripped out.  So, companies had to add vitamins, minerals and/or fiber back in to make it more balanced.

6. Added vitamins and minerals (look at “enriched” flours)

7. Soybean oil, Soy Lecithin, anything soy (soy has become the “new” corn- soy and corn are cheap fillers)  Soy is okay in small amounts for people (ex. Someone who has a glass of soymilk once a day because they are vegan/vegetarian).  However, too many people are getting lots of soy in their diet through processed foods and not even realizing it.  Soy mimics hormones in our bodies, and we need to be careful of that.  Soy is in anything from salad dressing, pasta sauces to chocolate.

Foods (That May Have a “Healthy/Healthier” Reputation), and Food Packaging, to Avoid:

1. Margarines– has trans fat/ hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils in them

2. Shortenings (ex. Crisco) -has trans fat/ hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils in them

3. “Wheat” foods that have 0g of fiber~ this means that it’s overly processed because wheat naturally has fiber in it.

4. White bread

5. White rice

6. White pasta

7. Any foods that are “instant,” or have a reduced cooking time: most of the time, they are more processed than the foods they are imitating (ex. instant mashed potatoes vs. homemade mashed potatoes; parboiled instant rice vs. brown rice)

8. Any foods, including meat, that have high percentages of sodium, cholesterol, or saturated fat

~Sodium- the highest percentage on any food should be 10%, but ideally lower

~ Cholesterol- the highest percentage on meat should be 30%, but ideally lower and should be more around 20% or less for any other food

9. Avoid Food Packaged in Plastics #3 and #6 – these are the most harmful types of plastics.  The chemicals in these plastics can leech into the food the plastic packaging is holding, which then makes it unsafe for our health.

10. Limit and/or avoid Plastics #1 and #7.   #1 Plastic is one that the studies are inconclusive about.  Some people suggest it is harmful while others say it is safe.  Plastic #7 is the miscellaneous category for plastics.  Some plastic labelled as #7 is safe, but other #7s are not.  I like to be on the cautious side when it comes to my health.  So, I try to limit these as much as possible.

 Tips for Healthy Eating and Eating No Processed Foods or Sugar:

1. When looking at any wheat or whole grain products, make sure there is at least 2g of fiber.  This normally means the product is less processed.

2. Look for ingredients that you can instantly imagine in their natural state: tomatoes, brown rice, etc.

3. The fresher the food is, and less packaging there is, the better.

4. Go for the rainbow when selecting fruits and vegetables

5. Eat whole wheat and whole grain foods like brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and whole grain bread- instead of white rice, white pasta, white bread, etc.  Wheat and whole grain are complex carbs, not simple carbs like their white counterparts, which make them a better fuel for your body.

6. Eat only 2 palm-sized portions of meat a day.  This is an easy way to visually see what an 1 oz. serving of meat looks like without having to buy a scale, or carry one around with you everywhere.  Also, this is the amount of meat recommended for a person daily.  Following this keeps in check the amount of cholesterol, saturated fat, and sodium you’re consuming in a day.  The rest of your daily protein should come from beans and/or nuts.

8. If cutting out most processed foods from your diet/food intake, make sure you still get enough sodium.  Most Americans get way too much sodium in their diets/daily food intake because of how much processed foods we eat, and how much sodium is in processed foods.  So, most of the time, Americans have trouble with too much sodium.  For us who cut out most processed foods though, we have the problem of getting too little sodium, which our bodies do need to function (and will cause horrible leg cramps if receiving too little).  So, make sure you have enough sodium by salting your meat a little,  eating salted nuts, etc.

9. If you are financially able, go organic.  USDA Certified Organic foods are regulated and are required to not have pesticides, artifical growth hormones, etc. in them or on them, making them an even healthier choice.  However, I am even not able to go completely organic because of finances.  I have a few items (milk, eggs, cheese, and I believe one other item I can’t think of) that I regularly get organic.

However, I believe that eating fresh produce, leaner meats, and overall healthy foods will benefit anybody’s health regardless of whether they eat only organic foods, only conventionally made/grown foods, or a mixture of both.

That’s it!  Thanks for making it through the entire list!  I did not go into the reasons why I avoid each ingredient and food because I felt that it already was a really long blog post.  So, I only included reasoning when I felt that it was especially needed.

If you have any questions on any of these ingredients or foods- like why one of them is on my list– please comment below, and I’ll answer back!

This is not an all-inclusive list.  This is only what I can think of right now. I will be continuously adding things to it when I think of more.  🙂

Did I miss an ingredient or food you think needs to be avoided?  Or, did this list help you start eating better?  Comment below and let me know! 🙂

Have a sunny day, and happy healthy eating and grocery shopping!

~Kim

“Why settle for eating healthier, when you could be eating healthy?” ~Kim Maurer

Why I’ve Continued Eating No Processed Foods and No Processed Sugar, aka Day 75

Hi!

The past couple of weeks have gone by so quickly for me. I’m sorry I haven’t been blogging! I can hardly believe it’s July 6th already.

So, if I was still counting, (which I haven’t been, but I figured some of you would be curious to know how long I’ve been going without processed foods and sugar 🙂 ) today would be Day 75!

Honestly, it feels like I’ve been eating real foods and no processed foods or sugar for much, much longer than 2 1/2 months.

So, why am I still eating no processed foods and no processed sugars?

I just overall feel healthy now. That was one of my goals when I initially decided to eat this way. And this one change has led to two other changes in my life. After I started this challenge, I began to exercise, started yoga again, and even began to heal my two pulled hamstrings that had “made” me stop doing yoga two years ago (I thought that doing yoga was making them worse. So, I thought I would let them rest. Instead, my hamstrings got so bad on this plan that I would majorly pull them when I leaned over to wash my hands, or when I bent over to pick something off of the floor. They were that bad). The yoga and the walking have been making my hamstrings stronger. The other major change that I started was that I began to really look at how much plastic was in my life and how I could limit it to protect my health and the Earth’s health.

This challenge has even connected me more with my body. I am realizing when I am hungry and when I’m just rummaging around the kitchen because I’m bored, tired, anxious~ place any word you like there. And so, I go do yoga, or just get a glass of water. Anything to get out of the kitchen.

I also have clearer skin. Is it completely clear yet? No, but I know that there are still a lot of toxins in my body that my body is attempting to get out. And, I also know that my skin will never be 100% clear. But, it still is a lot clearer than before I started this challenge, and I’ve even stopped using any acne skincare products.

I am even down to 141 lbs. compared to 156 lbs. when I started this challenge, and this wasn’t even a goal of mine. However, it is a natural response the body has when it is being fed better.

Yet, the one thing that continually brings me back from a craving of chocolate, pizza, a cookie, etc. is that I am feeding my body and my mind right.

It is easy to say, “Oh, but that cookie, junk food, extra-huge portion of steak, or any kind of processed food and sugar tastes so good. I deserve it.”, or “I want it.”

But, do any of us truly deserve or want health problems? Being overweight? Obese? Heart Disease? Diabetes? etc.

No, we don’t! We don’t deserve that. No one does.

So, eat healthy! Eating actual food like fruits, vegetables, whole grains (brown rice, wheat pasta, etc.), milk, nuts, fish, chicken, and those in the right portions, help to nourish you and your body.

Healthy eating:

~ maintains a healthy body weight

~ helps lose weight if overweight

~ helps energize (and eliminates feeling sluggish and tired caused by unhealthy foods)

~ helps lower cholesterol

~ helps lower high blood pressure

~ lowers your risk of Heart Disease

~ lowers your risk for Diabetes, etc.

The list truly goes on and on!

While food-like substances and foods that are high in saturated fat, trans fat (look for hydrogenated oils and partially hydrogenated oils in the ingredients EVEN if the package says “0 g. trans fat”), cholesterol, sodium, high fructose corn syrup, artifical sweetners, and sugar like ice cream, canned soups, crackers, bread, macaroni and cheese, jello, white pasta, white bread, white rice, cookies, chips, etc. only make you feel sluggish, tired, and can make you gain weight. And no one really wants that.

My goal here is to expose you to how much food is processed, and not actual food, around us! How much processed “food” we believe is food because the ads, companies, and our friends are telling us it is food!

Yet, is it food?

With so many processed foods “enriched” and “nutriously rich” are they really enriched naturally? Or, did companies have to add so many vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc. to those “foods” because they were so processed that they barely even resembled food? They are really empty calories that companies sometimes attempt to make “seem” better.

Do you really want to eat foods that are instant? That don’t spoil? That are meant to have long shelf lives?

When it comes to processed foods:

Long shelf lives in the store= Long shelf lives in our bodies

I don’t. I don’t want to eat foods that have ingredients I can’t pronounce, or that have ingredients that I can’t buy or picture that ingredient in its natural form.

And that is why I am continuing to eat this way. I am willing to eat healthy because I know it will be good for me now and later on down the road.

And, it tastes good! 🙂

“Anyone can say they will make a change, one day. Are you willing to be different and start making that change today?” ~Kim Maurer

Have a sunny day!

~Kim

Day 57 of the No Processed Foods and No Processed Sugar AKA the Real Food Challenge

Hello everyone!

So I wanted to give an update on how my food challenge was going and tell you that I have been seeing improvements.

My acne does significantly clear up when I follow this food intake plan religiously.  Yet, when I stray my acne just flares up and it takes it awhile for it to clear up again.  Right now, my skin is once again in its clearing up stage. 

I was so good and did not eat anything bad at a get together/party my boyfriend’s friend was having.  However, the next day (this last Monday) my boyfriend and I ended up eating out and I ordered a vegetable stir fry, kind of hoping (but not really believing) it would be a healthy stir fry.  It wasn’t.   It had a very salty sauce, white rice, and very salty vegetables.  It was a major letdown. 

And my skin has been paying for it.  It’s so interesting that now that I really focus on not eating anything bad or harmful (aka processed, or any type of sugar~ refined, artificial sweetners, etc.), I can see how sugar and processed foods really affect my skin.  But, it has been clearing up, so that’s good.

I also was not sure whether my skin was not having a reaction from the Tarte Smooth Operator Tinted Moisturizer that I’ve been using for a little less than a month.  So, I’ve stopped using it for a week now.  It does seem like I have less of the tiny bumps on my face, but I am going to give it another week to see if I really think it was partly the Tarte that was causing my breakouts.

I have also lost 12 lbs. in the almost two months that I’ve been cutting out processed foods and sugar.  I’m now at 144 lbs., compared to 156 lbs. two months ago.

Other than that one day that I ate out, I have been sticking to my no processed foods and no sugar plan very well.

My calve muscles also have not been cramping up badly at all recently.  I think I’ve found my balance of how much sodium I need in a day to make sure that the cramps do not happen.

I even feel like I’ve started to have a little bit more energy.  I am a little less stressed than what I have been recently, so I think because of the lower levels of stress I am finally able to see that my energy is higher because of what I’m eating, and what I’m not eating.  Or, maybe I just needed to be eating no processed foods or sugar for two months to finally start seeing my energy level rising.  Or, it could be a combination of the two.  Either way though, I am enjoying the little bit more energy that I am feeling.  I am hoping that as I continue to eat real foods that I will continue to see my energy level increase.

Overall, I have consciously made this a lifestyle change.  I no longer want to put anything that’s processed in my body, and I believe that is the main reason why I have overall really succeeded in keeping with this, despite having my weak moments. 

I believe that any of you can take this challenge to stop eating processed foods and sugar, and start eating real food (whole grains, raw fruits, raw vegetables, the correct portions of meat,etc.) too!  You just have to believe in yourself that you can do it, and truly want to change your food intake.  And the result will be changing your health for the better. 

“It is one thing to say you will make a change, one day.  It is an entirely different thing to start making that change today.” ~Kim Maurer

If you want to see my progress up to this point during this challenge, and for tips on how you can take this challenge too, please go to my No Processed Foods and No Sugar Challenge Category Page here: https://sunnymothernature.wordpress.com/category/no-sugar-and-no-processed-foods-challenge/

So, this challenge is almost over, but I am not giving up this change.  This is permanent for me, and I’m now in the stage of maintaining it.  I will continue to do updates on this even after the two months are up.

Are you ready to make this change?  Or do you have any questions, or comments?  Tell me in a comment below!

Have a sunny day! 🙂

~Kim

Day 40 of the No Processed Foods and No Sugar Challenge AKA the Real Food Challenge

Hi!  I hope your almost-summer days are wonderful!

I’m sorry it’s been a week since I last posted anything!  I’ve been so busy that I haven’t been on a computer this entire week except two times to work on homework.

I wanted to update you though on how my little challenge is going, and it’s still going fairly nicely! 

However, since Day 27, I have gone to two outdoor parties, and a little luncheon.  I did not eat as well as I have been on this challenge at any of these three get-togethers.  At two of them I ended up having sugar (at the luncheon I had tomato soup cake, which I never had before and figured I’d probably never have another chance.  It tastes exactly like a spice cake.  It is really good 😉 ) and at the one I ended up eating mashed potatoes (a major comfort food of mine) which I know had tons of butter in it. 

So, my face has not been fairing as well as it has been since I stopped using the Bare Minerals Foundation.  I have a couple extra pimples on my face, but I am not too worried about it.  I know that it is my body’s natural way of getting rid of toxins in my body, if the toxins are not being released through my digestive system.  I will be happy when the extra pimples go away though. 😉

Other than these three times (and a lapse where I ate chocolate fudge ice cream 😉 ) I have been sticking to my no processed foods and no processed sugars food intake really well.

I have not been having trouble with my calve muscles cramping up recently, but the past couple of days they have been especially tight, so I have been trying to drink extra amounts of water (it got really hot here really quick, so I am wondering if I am just a little dehydrated).

I have been still losing weight though.  I have lost two more pounds since Day 27.  So, I am now at 148 lbs., down from Day 1 when I was around 156 lbs. 🙂

My energy level still is about the same.  However, I have not really been getting a consistent amount of sleep, so that could be part of the reason.  I am also wondering if my energy level will stay where it is unless I begin to exercise more.  So, that may be another lifestyle challenge coming up. 🙂

Check out my No Processed Foods and No Sugar Challenge Category Page to see all of my entries during this challenge, and to see tips on how to lessen your processed food and/or sugar intake here: https://sunnymothernature.wordpress.com/category/no-sugar-and-no-processed-foods-challenge/

Come back soon to see more updates on my progress and leave a comment below if you have any questions, comments, or if you too are cutting out processed foods and/or sugar! 🙂

Have a sunny day!

~Kim

Day 27 of the No Processed Foods and No Processed Sugar Challenge aka the Real Food Challenge

Hi everyone!

Wow, so I started this challenge on April 23~ its almost been one month already!

I wanted to do another update on how this No Processed Foods/No Sugar/ Real Food Challenge has been going for me!

I probably have less negatives to mention this time around than any other time!  The only problem that I have been having since my last update (Day 19) was that I have been having trouble with leg cramps again.  However, I have, so far, not had any other full blown leg cramps, but I have felt that left calve muscle cramping up for the past couple of days.  This was especially true between Sunday and yesterday (Wednesday).  Tuesday driving home from my last final was the worst it felt.  It was so bad that I thought I would get a horrible leg cramp while driving.  Luckily, I didn’t.  Today my leg has been feeling a lot better though. 

Between various people I’ve talked to, we all came to the conclusion that my left calve muscle will tense up more when I’m stressed.  So, that could have been partly why I have been having so much trouble.  (Finals in college do not equal to low levels of stress 😉 ).

Basically leg cramps in calves can happen because of lack of sodium, potassium, or water.  So, whenever I have problems I try to get all three, which does help.  I do believe it gets aggravated with stress too.  Just something to keep in mind.

All the positives I have been having are much nicer though!

1. My acne has started to clear up again!  Right before Day 19, I had stopped using the Bareminerals Foundation in Fair again because I had started to break out so badly on my face and my neck (where I was using it).  And I wash my face twice a day (I do not sleep in makeup), so I knew it was not because I was not washing it. 

Once I stopped using the Bareminerals again, my face almost immediately started clearing up again!  And this was during my finals week, so there was no lack of stress.  I do like to mention when I have lots of stress just because some people will say to me that my acne might have gotten better or worse because of my stress levels, which is true. 

However, when I find that my acne is actually getting better when my stress levels are getting worse, that then is definitely saying something about this challenge and the positive effects that it is having on my body. 

So, anyone who is having trouble with acne definitely should consider trying to cut out processed foods and/or processed sugars from their food intake. 

I will keep you informed on how my skin is doing!

2. I have lost some weight.  I actually started following this because I was curious whether I was losing weight eating this way, and I found that I have.  At first, I do not believe I was, but I went from at the beginning weighing around 156 lbs. (I might have weighed a little more than that, I’m not sure, but I do know that I at least weighed that before I started this challenge.) to 150 lbs. now.  So, that’s at least 6 lbs. I’ve lost in almost a month without changes in exercise, or anything other than my food intake. 

(I do want to mention that I have never lost weight when I’m stressed.  When I am stressed I either stay the same weight, or I actually gain weight.)

My energy level is about the same though.  I do feel this is more from how much stress I was under from my finals and hopefully, it will begin to go up again once I have rested.

Here’s one tip on how to resist processed foods and processed sugars that has really helped me~

Read the ingredients on labels!  Every time I feel the urge to eat something processed, I read its ingredients and it immediately makes me not want to eat it! 🙂

Whenever I see high fructose corn syrup, propylene glycol, Red 40, Blue 1, hydrogenated oil, interesterified oil, etc. and many other words that I will probably never be able to pronounce on my food ingredient labels, it makes me not want to eat them because I don’t want them in my body. 

Hopefully that will help you resist too!

And I do want to let you know that I did give myself three days before my Day 1 of this challenge to allow my body a little time to adjust.  Basically I switched over to the stuff that I was going to eat during the challenge, but I was still eating yogurt during this time because I wanted to eat it up before I officially started the challenge.  So, I was still getting a little bit of sugar before I cut it out completely.

And, I did not really eat a whole lot of sugar to begin with before my challenge, so I did not personally have some of the major withdrawal symptoms that some people do have while cutting out sugar. 

If cutting out processed foods, or processed sugars is too much for you to do, or if they are so immersed in your daily food intake that you don’t know how your body would react if you cut them out completely, take small steps. 

Cut one thing out from your food intake.  For example, you could cut out high fructose corn syrup, or all hydrogenated oils and interesterified oils (Interesterified oils I just found out about yesterday.  Oils that are interesterified are what companies are now using instead of hydrogenated oils because hydrogenated oils have been labelled as bad for one’s health.  However, interesterified oils are just as bad). 

Cutting out these ingredients may seem like something a little bit too small, but you may be surprised to find how often these ingredients are in food products. 

And be proud of yourself that you are taking a tiny step for your health!  I personally do not believe that any step towards better health is too small, as long as you keep taking more and more small steps. 🙂

Have a sunny day!

~Kim

Day 12 of the Real Food aka No Sugar and No Processed Food Challenge

Hi!

So, I wanted to give an update on how things are going with my Real Food aka No Sugar and No Processed Foods Challenge.

It’s going really well so far!  I have been doing this challenge for almost two weeks now, and I have been sticking to it pretty well.  However, while I was petsitting this weekend, I did end up eating breaded chicken nuggets (as well as my normal vegetables, fruits, organic milk, etc.) every day.  Yet, that is my only real slip up so far.  And I did eat them consciously because I wanted to make sure that I did have enough meat and salt in my diet.

The other thing that happened was that on Saturday when I woke up, I had a horrible muscle cramp in my left leg.  It lasted for a couple of minutes.  Even a couple of hours after the initial pain, I could not walk with my left foot flat on the ground.  My muscle was just that tight.  I definitely feel it was because I must have not taken in enough sodium.  So, basically the first thing I did when I could move was get to the kitchen and eat things with sodium, or added sodium to foods.  By the middle of the day I could walk with my left foot flat on the ground again, and by the evening it was feeling much better.  The next day it was completely gone.

So, just make sure that you are still getting enough sodium.  Otherwise, you will end up having some leg cramps and those aren’t fun!

When my mom started having high blood pressure, not only did she cut back on sodium, but I did as well.  So, it is just so weird adding sodium to foods now.  I’m getting used to it though 🙂

The other thing that I noticed that I do feel might have happened because of the no sugar and no processed foods challenge was that for maybe the first week, or week and a half, I was getting very pissed off very frequently.  Sometimes, there was a reason, and other times, I’m not really sure if there were reasons.

I had read that some people who cut out processed sugars did have major emotional mood swings.  Not all did, but some did.  Luckily, I’ve (so far) just had the angry ones, which I’m perfectly fine with.  I’d rather have those than start crying about something.  I think I am over this now though, which makes me feel better. 🙂

Those are the two things that I’ve noticed that have been negative.

Yet, I have noticed things that are positive as well!  My skin, for one, has started to really clear up!  I do think this is also partly that I did take out some products from my routine that I thought were breaking my skin out.  However, I do feel that this has definitely helped my skin as well!  And no, my level of stress has still not changed~I now have less than two weeks left in this semester in college.  This equals lots of stress until the end of the semester.  🙂

Also, I do feel like my energy level has slowly been increasing, which is awesome!  I still do not feel that it’s where I want it to be, but it is getting there.

I did check my weight a couple of days ago (I don’t quite remember when) just because I was curious to see if I had lost any weight.  I don’t think I did though.  Like I said though, this is not my major concern.  I did want to let you know though, just in case this was one of the reasons you were thinking about doing this challenge.  However, it is only less than two weeks in.

Also, for the past year, I have been having trouble with my stomach (IBS).  I did get it in control in August 2010.  However, every now and then I will have trouble again.  So far, I have not been having trouble while doing this challenge!  That makes me very happy! 🙂

I will continue to keep updating on the positives, the negatives, and my progress with this challenge!  Stay tuned 🙂

Have a sunny day!

~Kim

Day 2 of Real Food Lifestyle Challenge with Sunny Mother Nature

Happy Easter everyone!

I hope today was a wonderful day for you all, filled with sweets (and I don’t just mean candy 🙂 )!

So, I wasn’t sure how I would fare deciding to have Day 2 of my Real Food Lifestyle Challenge falling on Easter.  By the way, I did change the name of my latest challenge to Real Food Lifestyle Challenge, from No Sugar and No Processed Foods Challenge, because it just sounds more positive and it makes it then sound like I am gaining something, not merely subtracting things (I feel that I will gain from this challenge.  I don’t want to look at the name of my challenge and wonder if I’m only “losing” something). 

And, I have to say, I did have some Easter candy, and a couple French Breakfast muffins my mom made.  My sister and brother-in-law gave me some candy (my favorites too~Starburst and Skittles) for Easter!  So sweet of them! 

They didn’t know I was doing this challenge~and I honestly just don’t have candy, unless someone else buys it for me, so I can’t say that I feel bad for eating some Starburst, Skittles, and muffins (my mom is an AMAZING cook and she doesn’t make these muffins too often).

I did splurge this afternoon, but when dinner came I went back on track. 

 And if you happen to decide to change your eating habits in any way, that is the best way to look at it.  Just accept that you splurged and the next time you eat that day (don’t wait for tomorrow to get back on track!) go back and continue following your new eating habit. 

As the saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”  Just being able to go back to your food plan is a huge step in an awesome direction! 

Stay positive and I’m sure we can both make positive, healthy changes to whatever we set our minds to!  

Have a sunny day!

~Kim

Sunny Mother Nature Says Healthier is NOT the Same as Healthy

Sunny Mother Nature says that healthier is not the same as healthy!

I always find it amusing when people tell me that the margarine, or butter they use is so much healthier than the butter that they used to use.  Or that the chocolate they’re eating is healthier because it ONLY has 5g of saturated fat compared to 9g in the chocolate they normally buy.

Yes, buying “healthier” products is better for all of us than buying what we may normally buy.  I do often times buy that “healthier” margarine and the “healthier” chocolate myself.  Yet, is that 5g of chocolate really that much better than the 9g?  Especially if we eat more than what we would’ve eaten if it was the 9g?  I’m not saying continue buying the 9g chocolate, or the really high cholesterol, high saturated fat, high sodium butter, chips, frozen food, etc. at all. 

No.  My question and worry is that people will assume that by eating and buying these “healthier” items, they will believe they are eating “healthy”.  When, in actuality they may be far from eating healthy.  We may still be getting high amounts of bad cholesterol, saturated fat, and sodium by eating these “healthier” products. 

And the food ads are no help here.  Even various chips have on their packaging that they have 25% less fat than the original chips!  Yet, when you look at the back, they are still not that healthy of a chip.

So, what to do?  Well, I do not believe in depriving oneself of anything.  Instead, moderation is key. 

Look at food labels for the amounts and percentages of cholesterol, fats, and sodium, especially, in a product.  You will be surprised how high some of these percentages really are.  (This does take time, but it’s worth it.)

Just buy less processed and packaged foods.  Many packaged foods aren’t really that good for us anyway. 

Buy more actual fruits and vegetables-not fruit juices, or fruit snacks. 

And please, eat healthy, not “healthier”.  Mother Nature will be sunnier just thinking about it.  After all, if we’re all eating healthy, that means less packaging waste and less energy consumption for Mother Nature to deal with.