My Journey Into a Natural Food Diet: 365 Days of Clean Eating

Daily 1500 Calorie Food Plans | Low Sodium | No Sugar

Two years ago, I switched entirely to all-natural foods. While my menu included a few minimally processed staple items, the vast majority of what I ate was completely natural. Looking back at that initial transition, here is what that experience taught me about the reality of clean eating:
  • It takes commitment: It is undeniably a tough daily routine to maintain consistently.
  • It is budget-friendly: It does not cost more money. In fact, it likely saves money because it drastically cuts down on dining out.
  • It pays massive health dividends: The physical changes happen quickly and are completely unmistakable.

The Direct Health Payoffs

When I committed to eating naturally, the health benefits transformed my daily life:
  • I lost weight steadily.
  • My blood pressure dropped into a healthy range.
  • My joint pain drastically reduced.
  • I felt an undeniable, consistent boost in my daily energy levels.
I worked hard to keep my calories around 1500 per day and I tried to exercise, mostly by riding my bike, several times per week.
 
But, I fell off the wagon. I am in a rut right now. I do not want anything healthy to eat at all. I just want junk. As a result, I am gaining the weight back. I do not have the energy I had. My joints hurt again.
 
A cast iron skillet filled with chicken and vegetable fried rice next to a large bowl of fresh garden salad on a rustic wooden table.
Caving to Chinese food isn’t a failure—it’s just a reason to modify your pace, upgrade your leftovers with fresh greens, and keep moving forward.
So, as a consolation prize, we had Chinese food last night. It is a great option if you want to die early. There is nothing healthy about it at all. It tastes good when you eat it, but I always wake up hungrier the day after I eat Chinese food. And now, we have leftover Chinese in the fridge to eat. It costs too much money to throw away.
 
I decided I will eat it. But the least I can do is modify my diet for the rest of the day. I can eat healthy foods around it and with it to keep my calories under my 1,500-calorie mark so I can lose this extra weight. The race continues. You do not give up. You simply modify your pace for the day, arrange your healthy whole foods around the hurdles, and keep moving forward to achieve your goal.
 
To see exactly what this looks like in practice, check out my very first daily entry on my natural food journey, where I show you how I engineered my meals around a hurdle of Chinese takeaway. Read the August 8 Food Blueprint.
 
If you would like to know more about my natural food journey, read my personal journey.