No
matter how long you’ve been a part of this lifestyle of clean eating, whether
it be a day, a week, a month or several years, I think you understand how
trying it can be. Some days you’re so busy putting thought into how many
calories, how much sugar (from fruits) and how much protein you’re having that
you can forget to take care of your basic needs, such as sleep, mental rest or
the proper amount of time to work on other obligations (homework, work, social
life, etc.). I’ve had several of these kinds of days in the past month, and I
think something needs to be said about it.
First,
you’re not alone. Whether you’re deeply immersed in the clean eating community
on Instagram or not, there are endless people having bad eating days where they’re
stressed, tired or may actually want to give up. This lifestyle is hard. Being
a part of a family where there is a hot dinner in the kitchen, ready to
consume, at six in the evening every night, and a breakfast at nine AM,
beginning to cook for myself was a huge change. It was a change that took some
serious adjusting and hard work. I think our blender has been used more times,
per day, in the past few months than
it has been used total since my parents got it at their wedding thirty years
ago! Previous to this change, I didn’t have a single clue how to use a blender.
Now? Hell yeah I do!
Second,
when you’re freaking out over how to balance all of this cooking and
health-consciousness, remember to take a deep breath. Your mental health, as I
said earlier, is just as important (if not more important) than your physical
health. Yes, they’re both high up, but mental may just take the cake in this
battle. I like to calm myself down by drinking tea (right now my favorite
flavor is Lavender and Honey by Yogi), lounging in a hot bath, or watching a
movie with a big bowl of fresh fruit to snack on. I find that when I do the
last choice, I feel so relaxed and ready to tackle my work when it’s over. This
applies to exercise as well! If I truly think that exercise is going to set me
back more than it does forward on any given day, I simply don’t do it, no
questions asked. If going for a thirty minute run with the proper extra thirty
cool down minutes following will keep me from working on a particular project
that’s due, I skip the run and remember my obligations. Don’t beat yourself up:
you’ll only set yourself back even more and get more upset.
Last,
remember to remember what’s important. It sounds stupid, but it will help, I
swear. If what you’re eating, how much exercise you’ve done and how much fresh
food is in the fridge is what’s weighing on your mind, and you can’t do
anything about it, think about the other things you love. I always turn to my
family (particularly my grandpa, parents and brothers), you and your family’s
health, the fact that you’re alive, and the fact that you have made it through
another day alive, well and breathing. It sounds melodramatic, but I find that
telling myself these things can make a major difference. Things can easily get
overwhelming if you don’t prioritize.
So, as
jumbled as all of these thoughts may seem, I urge you to take them into
consideration. There is truly so much more than can be said about this
particular issue of stress, but for now, this is all I will leave you with: Remember that you’re not the only one. You
can do this. -Jaimee
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