V is for Vida Sana

Will and I have what I like to call PMS digestive tracks (the correct, scientific terms are Crohns and UC). Our systems get cranky, yell at us for no good reason, and we're left wondering what the hell just happened. The thing with both diseases is nobody really knows a sure-fire way to control them. We've just been told to take our pills on time (check) and watch our diets (ummmmm....).

I'll let you all in on a little secret. Will and I have gotten away with eating crap food for entirely way too long. Star Crunches, Spicy Doritos, Sour Patch Kids: We practically own stock in these goodies. But, a couple of months ago, when I realized we've both been in the hospital way too much for adults in their mid-twenties, I figured it's time for a change.

But change is hard. So I started small. Here are itty, bitty, healthy changes we've made that lower the sodium and fat intake and up the nutrients in our diets, keeping the PMS at bay:

1. The less ingredients that we can't pronounce, the better: This means buying more fresh produce and protein and less chemically-filled, preservative-packed products. It's hard, but we try. 
2. Whole wheat everything: our pizza dough, bread, crackers ... all whole wheat. Why? White flour is bleached flour, and bleaching takes out a TON of nutrients our bodies love. Just be sure to read the back of the package your buying. Some products claim to be whole wheat, but they really are a 50/50 mix of whole wheat and white flour.
3. Yogurt instead of mayo: I'm a sauce gal. I love a good chipotle sauce on my sandwiches and a kick ass remoulade on my burger. But both of these sauces contain a ton of mayo ... a.k.a. fat. A good substitute is plain Greek yogurt. It has a great tang and makes a great mixing sauce for very few calories. 
4. Organic Milk: It's a little pricey, but we buy it because it's richer than non-organic milk. 1% organic milk tastes creamier than 2% non-organic, and 2% organic mine as well be non-organic whole milk. What the reason behind this? I honestly don't know. But it probably has something to do with the diet differences between cows. Just try it.
5. Skip the cheese: I thought I wasn't gonna be able to do this one. I LOVE cheese ... ALMOST as much as I love chips. But once I just stopped eating it on my sandwiches, I forgot about it. Plain and simple. 
6. No fast food: I mean zero (although, I don't count sandwich shops). I've actually gotten to the point now, where I can't eat fried items without making myself sick. My body reacts negatively to it. 
7. Water instead of soda: I've never really liked soda, so this hasn't been difficult for me. But Will ... well, he's still working on this one. If you absolutely need a flavored beverage, try adding Crystal Light or something like that to water or drink juice. But get rid of the carbonated beverages with the high sugar counts.
8. Pick one or the other, and don't feel bad about it: We all have weaknesses, and mine comes in the form of a martini glass. So when I decided to get healthy, I made a pact with myself. I get to indulge in one thing I love per day (chips, a vodka and cranberry juice, a Lulu's treat), but I only get one. So if I have a beer, I skip the ice cream. If I eat a cookie, I skip the Irish coffee. But I enjoy e-ver-y bite (or sip) of whatever I decide to indulge in. 
9. Eat out less often: You have no idea how much oil and salt goes into your food at really good restaurants. Trust me, I used to be a line cook that used about 1/8 of a bottle of oil to grill a chicken breast because of time restraints. If you cook for yourself, you can control the amount of ingredients that go into your meals. 
10. Herbs are your friends: Cumin, rosemary, paprika, ancho chile powder, mustard, basil, cilantro, parsley ... they are here to help and contain zero calories. Use them, abundantly, to add flavor and leave out fat.