Have you ever wandered what cleaning eating is? In October I joined Yoga Awakening Africa’s seven day challenge and here is my review on how it went.
The change of seasons is the perfect time to give your body a boost in a healthier direction. I heard about the 7 Day Clean Eating Challenge through my best friend who had done it a couple of times. She sent me the link and without overthinking it I said yes!
To be honest, I did give it some thought. I said yes because I was curious to find out what clean eating meant. I said yes because I was encouraged by how Nina wrote about the challenge. Hers was not about conforming to her idea of clean eating. Instead, I would be in control of tailoring the challenge to my needs. Lastly I said yes because I was in a rut – food, work, lifestyle. I was ready to be jolted awake.
What Yoga Awakening Africa offered
Through the challenge, Nina created a community of likeminded ladies and guided us through the seven days. She helped us decide on our own goal for the week and how we wanted to achieve it. There were three group Zoom calls – one at the start, the middle and the end – to dive into specific aspects we felt needed more attention and share advice. Then there was the Hub, which was an online resource that we could go through at our own pace. There was something new every day and it helped me learn about clean eating over the course of the week. The information was presented in bite-sized chunks and the content varied – a yoga session, a video or an article.
What my challenge looked like
I decided to do intermittent fasting – 16/8. In simple terms, intermittent fasting is designed to give your body a break from food. The longer the break, the more time it has to process and expel unnecessary stuff in your system. I saw it as a decluttering exercise for my body.
This meant I finished dinner by 8pm and did not eat anything until after 12noon the following day. I still drank coffee in the morning, but substituted milk with coconut oil and no sugar. Lunch was my main meal and I made a conscious effort to eat lighter meals in the evenings. I did not make radically different meals to what I normally cooked nor stop using butter (as an example). I drank 2 litres of water per day and did not snack between meals.
What I found difficult and how I dealt with it
Making lunch my main meal was the biggest challenge. I love food and dinner was the highlight of my day. Now I had to eat less in the evenings and be done by 8pm. Night time felt very long. I dealt with it by simply sticking through it. It’s not often that by doing nothing we are doing something.
Planning meals for the week ahead stumped me. I panicked and didn’t have a clue what to plan for lunch for the next seven days. I started making a list of meals I ate day-by-day and by the end of the week I managed to plan two or three days in advance.
Although the information on the Hub was presented in bit sized chunks; as a newbie I felt overwhelmed. I decided to not worry about it and focus on the information that resonated with me.
Just because I decided to take on the challenge did not mean everyone else fell in line with it. Tom wanted to have pasta instead of soup for dinner and the neighbours wanted to have us over at 9pm for a night cap. I made an easy pasta and let the neighbours know I was clean eating and opted for tea instead.
And then there’s the fact that life happened and dealing with the resulting guilt. We went for a 12km hike in the mountains and I didn’t drink enough water. We had unexpected visitors and drank one too many bottles of wine together. I took inspiration from Frozen and just let that guilty feeling go!
What I learnt about clean eating
- It’s easier with a buddy. Not only did Karen invite me to join the challenge, she was also my accountability buddy. It wasn’t her “first time at the rodeo” and she gave me great advice. On the first day she said “choose a ridiculously small step”. This set the tone for the week and I made better food choices, one small decision at a time.
- Getting through the first day is the hardest part. Once I managed to do that, the results started revealing themselves. On the second morning I felt a little lighter. By the end of the day I was still thirsty after 2 litres of water.
- Clean eating requires discipline, organisation and practice. It can be overwhelming so my advice is to pick one thing to focus on. For example, let’s take sufficient hydration as a daily goal. First I decided how it will impact my usual two cups of coffee – no coffee or coffee with coconut oil? How did I make sure I drank 2 litres of water every day? I got a jug and a flask out, filled them up every morning and put them in an easy to reach place – my desk. Eventually I will get into the habit of filling them the night before. Choosing one thing at a time to master is enough.
Five things I found most valuable in Nina’s challenge
- Small and simple steps, one at a time. Making the smallest positive change, over time leads to big positive change. After seven days I felt lighter and looked forward to building on what I learnt. Now I use planning healthy and interesting meals as a way to get me out of my rut.
- Clean eating means different things to different people. It is a journey which is best started with proper guidance. Having someone to help you figure out what you want to achieve is the most important first step. It helped me set stretching yet realistic daily targets.
- Accountability leads to success. Being able to see, meet and chat to some of the ladies in the Zoom meetings made the challenge real and motivated me to stick to it. There was no judgement; only great nuggets of advice and we were rooting for each other.
- Meal planning pays off. It gave me structure. It helped me be disciplined and make better food choices. It saved me time and money because I wasn’t strolling around the aisles figuring out what I needed.
- Food choices based on my menstrual cycle is a thing. I was introduced to the concept of balancing my hormones naturally through diet and intermittent fasting to alleviate menstrual cycle symptoms. I am in my early 40s and it is something I want to explore further in the future.
The four habits I want to master
The next challenge is in February 2023. Here are four basic things I want to practice, drill and rehearse between now and then:
- Drink at least 2 litres of water per day
- Undertake 16/8 intermittent fasting four times a month
- Grow and eat more leafy green vegetables, and
- Find one thing to declutter per week – this could mean going through a drawer, deep cleaning the fridge or the medicine cabinet.
Advice to anyone interested in joining the next challenge
Do it! Especially if you work remotely and would like to meet new people. If you live far away from a friend, why not invite her to join you? The challenge is also an opportunity for those who want a more holistic approach to clean eating – there’s something for everyone in Nina’s challenge.
I hope to see you there.
Still not convinced?
We talk about what my 16/8 intermittent fasting looked like and Nina shares insights she’s gathered from leading three challenges so far. Least of all you’ll see how down to earth and lovely she is!
Namaste
Carolin!
