Sandi Kaplan, MS, RD, Associate Director, Clinical Development & Support:

It has been a full ten days since my last meal delivery and I am missing coming home to a full cooler of delicious, ready-made food. I am thinking longingly about those whole grain muffins and have not yet prioritized making them myself. So here’s the scoop on my mixed post challenge week.

The Highlights:

• I am still not eating any desserts or sugary snacks and I really am not craving them at all. A friend brought a dessert over last night for the family and it did not even cross my mind to taste some.
• My energy is still good and I have even had energy for some evening workouts after a full day of work and kids.
• The whole family is eating more vegetables – my hubby has been steaming broccoli (which we all love) and we have been enjoying large salads as well.
• We are eating plenty of fruit and our legume intake is high too. Our new favorite is adding edamame to our salads - yum!
• I have really cut down on my habit of eating rice crackers, baked chips, and corn chips. It’s so easy to grab those for a quick snack and they really are not nutrient dense at all.

The Challenges:

• I was working from home yesterday and was focused on getting work done for some tight deadlines. I had not prepared my lunch and instead of stopping and preparing a balanced meal, I snacked on chunks of cheese and whole grain crackers at my desk all afternoon. I definitely felt the difference in my energy levels last night and again this morning. This was an important reminder of why preparing my meals is so vital.
• It continues to be a challenge to prioritize daily meal prep. Tomorrow night is the start of Jewish New Year and I have been much more focused on preparing holiday meals for a house full of people than packing my own lunch.

As my recent examples illustrate, it is so easy to let self care slide and I am very committed to taking good care of myself during the upcoming holidays.

I have been reflecting on my whole foods challenge and I think the most valuable piece has been the visceral reminder of how much our food intake can affect how we feel. We intellectually know that to be true but we sometimes need to feel the evidence in our own bodies.

So, after a sorta-kinda-whole foods week, I am ready to tackle this next week with even more gusto. My holiday menu includes lots of whole foods and I am heading to the store tonight to stock up on fruit and extra veggies for snacks. And I may just pick up some ingredients for those whole grain muffins…nothing like a yummy whole foods start to the day!

You may want to give the whole foods challenge a try. It doesn’t have to be for three weeks. Just experiment with eating only whole foods for a few days and see how you feel. I’d love to hear about your experience – it will keep me focused on my personal whole food journey.

Here’s to healthy eating!