It was a new morning, a new day, a new beginning for me. My mind was made up. I would make the changes necessary to live a healthier life. This no longer was about losing twenty pounds quick. It was about changing the way I see myself and others. I would no longer be intimidated by other people’s weight loss. Commercials were not going to cause a burning desire to purchase the latest weight loss gadget. I had a vision, a road map, a guide, and a newfound desire to live a healthy life, one day at a time, one meal at a time, one prayer at a time.

First things first…I needed to make a list of items that I would need to have readily available in my pantry for the journey ahead. This meant that I would have to reorganize my shelves. I couldn’t throw away all the things that my husband still enjoyed indulging in. Things such as; cakes, cookies, chips, and much more. This simply meant that I would have to create and maintain my own section of healthy foods in the pantry. My desire is for him to be inspired by my new way of eating and make much-needed changes in his diet as well. Foods such as; fruits both dried and fresh, vegetables, granola, whole grains, Greek yogurt, water, protein bars, protein powder, fresh chicken, fish, turkey, and ingredients to make healthy salad dressings, and much more would have a place in our kitchen. This wasn’t going to be an easy task, but I was committed. My mind was made up!

All the foods that I had loved to share with my family were still at my fingertips, but I also had a well stocked pantry.  I was right, it wasn’t an easy task at all. I discovered that healthy eating was very expensive. I no longer prepared one meal, but often prepared two meals as my husband was not quite ready to join me in healthy eating.

Below are a few of the items that I stocked my pantry with, and are a must for clean eating. I’ve learned a lot along the way, and learn more every day, but this is how the journey started.

Fresh organic vegetables, fresh organic fruits, grains, dry beans, stevia, lean chicken, salmon, lean turkey, nuts, seeds, extra virgin olive oil, chia seeds, coconut oil, almond milk, whole grain cereals, raw honey, protein bars, Greek yogurt, fresh eggs…and a desire to research recipes and ideas.

After the initial grocery escapade. I begin to think of ways to decrease my growing grocery bill. Two things sprang to mind. I loved to use coupons, so I would search for coupons that were usable, and would lower my final grocery cost. I also realized that I could decrease my grocery bill tremendously simply by growing the vegetables that I loved, and required to make this massive change. We could do this! After all, we had the land and we already grew some vegetables. Yes, I was feeling more confident. We could do this! It would take a lot of planning, work, time, dedication, and sweat, but I was determined!

Slowly our garden grew each year, as did my herb garden. We have recently added chickens to our small farm, which supplies us with plenty of fresh farm eggs. My husband and son also contribute to the cause by providing our families with venison and most recently elk. You can’t get much more organic than venison and elk meat!

I am still learning about clean eating as it is a day by day process. I also love to learn from others. This is truly a journey that has changed my life in many different ways. A journey that I have never regretted!