I Needed More Energy to Make a Haven

I’ve written about several ways I’m working to make my home a haven. But I have not yet posted on one of my most important things I need to make this happen. It’s something I’ve been working on for some time, long before I set out to systematically work on organizing my home. What is this critical key? HEALTH. Energy, stamina, strength, mental focus and vitality.

Not feeling well and having what I call bad days (where I feel more like going back to bed than facing the day) has made it difficult to achieve some of my haven making goals. It has led to endless stress and frustrations. One day I was looking around my house at the clutter, the dozens of projects that needed to be accomplished. I was thinking of the needs of my children and of my professional goals. And I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I would never be able to accomplish all that I dreamed with my current energy level. I would not get beyond bare survival. Because my energy level was in the tank.

My sister was doing the Whole 30 diet, which has zero sweeteners, grains or dairy products. It’s a “jumpstart” program designed to help people get to a sustainable healthy eating plan. I decided to join her and proclaimed it on Instagram for the extra accountability. It took about three weeks on the program, but I started to get more energy. Once my Whole 30 was done, I slid back into some of my previous habits. It was a reminder of how I feel when I eat certain foods. Now I am on a dedicated, structured plan, with some planned exception days (like Thanksgiving and Christmas).

I’m no stranger to healthy eating. I grew up eating organic food, with no sugar or additives. I’ve been on everything from a vegan, raw food diet (only fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds) to a whole food Paleo diet and have done cleanses and juice fasts (long ago). My husband and I grocery shop at Whole Foods and Sprouts and for the most part, and eat whole foods. We don’t drink sodas or eat anything with chemicals, food dyes or preservatives. It all sounds great, but then there are still organic, healthier forms of ice cream, chocolate, cookies and chips, which I tend to eat more than my share.

Having a healthy eating plan has made a huge difference for me to stay on track with foods that fuel my energy. I am able to function much more optimally, and have much more energy. Health is always a journey, and every day isn’t perfect, but I’m continually having more good days than bad. I’m sticking with this because for me, I really need health to make my haven.

Tomorrow I will talk more about the Whole 30 / paleo plan and what a difference it’s made for me and my home. Stay tuned!