Drum roll please.....

It has been exactly 1 week since I started down the path to a healthier me.  Since I started my 3 day cleanse last Monday, I have lost 16 lbs!!  I feel awesome!  The cleanse was hard, coming off the cleanse was hard...but the last couple of days have been great.  I have had no soda in 8 days, and no chocolate in 8 days for that matter.  Both huge victories for me!  I am still struggling to get enough water.  I just don't seem to drink unless I feel thirsty and the next thing I know, the day is over and I've only had like 32 oz of water all day when I really want to be drinking closer to 100 oz a day.

We have explored a couple of new things...mainly raw milk cheese and cultured kefir.  Both things that were recommended by Jordan Rubin (the originator of Beyond Organic) in his book I read.  We were pleased with both!  Raw milk cheddar has such a different flavor than pasteurized cheddar.  It's very mild at first and then has a huge flavor kick.  So good!  We can't wait to try some other kinds of cheese.  The kefir probiotic smoothie we bought tastes just like a yogurt smoothie.  But it's filled with all the good probiotics we all need.

We don't have a Whole Foods near us, unfortunately, but decided to visit the one in Tampa when we were down there on Saturday.  Wild caught salmon, grass-fed bison....YUM!  We even tried a blueberry pie (since we were having dinner guests Saturday night) made with unbleached, unbromated wheat flour and organic cane sugar juice instead of refined white sugar.  So good!  I think you could even taste the blueberries better than if we had bought a regular pie from our regular grocery store.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm finding eating the raw, more natural foods not filled with preservatives and additives actually tastes so much better!  And to be able to eat wild caught fish and grass fed bison instead of meats with added color, hormones and antibiotics was a treat.  More expensive yes, but in the grand scheme so worth it!

So I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and try something new!  If you have a Whole Foods or Sprouts or other natural grocer near you, ask for a sample of a raw milk cheese.  Or treat yourself to some grass fed bison or beef.  I promise you it will be worth it!