The Challenge: Reflections on 10 Days of Clean Eating

The 10-day Michi's Ladder Challenge is complete, and the most remarkable thing for Zach and me is how unremarkable the challenge turned out to be. The past year has been a slow progression toward healthier food choices, so this challenge required only a few tweaks to our diet. For me, that meant things like no cinnamon toast on the weekends, no bites of Life cereal when I fix the kids their breakfast.

Here are a few other observations I've had for the past week and a half.

1. If you want a clean diet, you cannot regularly eat at restaurants.
   My cheat meal(s) during this challenge occurred on my birthday. We went to Ali Baba, a fantastic Middle Eastern restaurant in Dallas. We had pita bread, hummus, lamb kabobs, falafel, tabouli salad, mixed vegetables, and rice. As far as dining out goes, you could definitely do worse on the health side. But even though it was relatively healthy food, I could tell the next morning that it had a lot of salt in it, and I definitely ate too much. And to top it off, we brought home the leftovers. Which meant cheat meal #2 happened the next day, because I don't like to waste food.
   
   Clean eating means being a control freak over the food you put in your body. When you hand that control to a restaurant, they'll abuse it because they want you to really like their food. They're not concerned that you'll be bloated and puffy from all the salt and fat.
   
   However, if you are eating at a restaurant, don't leave your control-freakiness at the door. Ask for what you need! Many restaurants will accommodate you. We ate at Outback a month ago, and we were able to get "lite" salmon and mixed vegetables. That meant is wasn't cooked in butter, and it was still delicious.
   
   
2. This challenge has given my husband a vested interest in food.
   I come from a family that gets excited about food. When there is a special event, a considerable amount of attention is paid to the menu and getting the food just right. But I could never get Zach very excited about food. (He once wanted to fix deli ham sandwiches for Easter dinner. I couldn't stand for it.) I love to cook and would want accolades when I fixed something new, but the response was usually an underwhelming, "Yeah, that was good. Thanks."
   
   Ever since we've started eating healthy, he's invested in what's on the table. He even gives input when I'm making the grocery list! The other night I finally fixed a white bean soup he's wanted to try, and I heard actual excitement in his voice when he heard what was for dinner.
   
   
3. I tried some great new foods that will make it into my regular repertoire.
   Non-fat cottage cheese. Not that cottage cheese is new, but I never made a habit of eating it in the past. But since it's on Michi's Ladder, I bought some -- and liked it! Did you know that 1/2 cup has 15 grams of protein?
   Quinoa. I made this into a pilaf with red and green peppers, and it was great.
   Tony Horton's Vegetarian Burritos. So delicious, so easy to make. 
   Black Bean and Yam Chili. Again: delicious.
   The Green Monster.
   
   
4. It's really difficult for me not to snitch food from my kids' plates while I'm making their meals.
   I love crackers and cheese. I won't lie to you and say I didn't sneak little nibbles of cheese and broken cracker bits during the challenge. I also may have eaten a grilled cheese sandwich crust. OK, two. But just the crust! I can't waste food, remember?
   
   
5. I miss butter. 
   While I don't run around slathering butter on everything I eat, I do use it sparingly on toast and acorn squash. I didn't use any on the challenge, and I miss it.
   
   
6. Also chocolate. A lot of people say their craving for sweets goes away when they start to eat really well. That's not the case for me. The thing I've missed the most on this challenge is the little piece of chocolate that puts a finishing touch on so many of my dinners. But I was able to abstain for all 10 days. 

So the challenge is over, another one of my goals for the year (to complete a food challenge) is complete. What now? Zach and I have decided, for the most part, to keep eating this way on a regular basis. There are some things, like the homemade pizza I like to make on Friday nights, that I will splurge on.

But the energy, mental clarity, and general sense of well-being that eating this way gives me is a good indication that we're on the right track in our diet. Another cool thing? We have all been really healthy this season. (Yes, I know I just jinxed myself by putting that out there. I'll pick up Kleenex and Advil at the store this afternoon.)

How did the challenge go for you? If you didn't make it or didn't think you were up for the challenge, I think you should try it. It takes planning and commitment, but once you get into a groove, it's pretty easy to stay on track. 

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Workout of the Day

P90X Yoga - the first 45 minutes. The highlight of today's workout was that for the first time, I was able to stay in "Crane" for about 45 seconds -- a personal best! I think the push ups on balls are making my wrists stronger.