14 Weeks of “Real Food” Mini-Pledges

 

The second week challenge is to limit beverages to coffee, tea, water, and milk (only naturally sweetened with a little honey or 100% pure maple syrup). One cup of juice will be allowed throughout the week, and wine (preferably red) will be allowed in moderation (an average of one drink per day).

What is it about human nature that makes us always want to do what we are told not to do? 

 

One of my New Year's resolutions this year was to eat healthy, and the first thing I did was throw out most beverages except for water and tea - gone were my daily rendezvous with bubbly lemon-lime sodas, gone were ordering soda and peach flavored teas when we went out to eat.  I had no problems with it, in fact I had gone for months without any sugary drink besides my morning coffee - it was the proverbial 'piece of cake' for this weeks challenge. 

 

So why do humans feel the need to grab that last soda before we are not supposed to have them, when we have gone for months avoiding them with no problems at all.  And why do they never taste as good as we think they should when we do give in to temptation?  I like a bit of lime and mint in a tall frosty glass of water 100 times better, but there I was ordering up something I probably really didn't even want...  Humans are a strange lot, that is for sure.

 

Just out of curiosity - did anyone out there give up diet drinks for the week?  If you did, were you able to get through the week without giving in to temptation and breaking out the diet soda?  I only ask because as a former diet soda junkie - breaking that habit was not as easy as some would think (and I had the 'taste' for a tall glass of iced diet Coke for months after!)  How did you do on the one week challenge, and do you think you would be able to give them up for good (and will you?)  

I will say this - after that first day of the challenge soda didn't cross my mind again.  In fact I made it all the way through without a slip...  Next week's challenge is to take meat out of the lime light and make it the flavoring in meals (not an easy task for this steak lovin' carnivore!)  If nothing else, the whole act of simply thinking about limiting things that might not be good for us and going local is well worth the effort of these mini pledges - well, it is for me anyway!