A new dawn, a new day

A new life...and I'm feelin' good.

That's pretty much how it feels every time we lose a pound, run a previously unattainable distance, or reach any goal in fitness. It feels like a new dawn has arrived, birds singing and everything.

I hope to feel this way soon for reaching my latest goals, but for now, I am enjoying the spirit of change. I am changing my lifestyle and my diet back to what it was when I was at my healthiest. After all, as a dancer my body is my INSTRUMENT and it has to come first and foremost in my life. I must treat it well.

Not just dancers, though. Everyone should put their bodies first. You only get one body and any amount of damage or mistreatment can be devastating to long term health and even make life inside that body a little shorter.

I try not to think about the damage that I've done with my body with ASPARTAME. For at least a year, I drank pretty much nothing but diet coke everyday, at least 2 liters per day while I was at work. It was tasty and satisfying at the time, but I hate to think about the fact that I caused myself migraines, digestive problems and possibly cancer in the future all to save a few calories on something I shouldn't be drinking anyway (sodas).

There is NOTHING in soda that we should be putting into our bodies. It is full of liquid chemicals and artificial ingredients and tons of sugar/syrups. Nothing else. No nutrients, no vitamins. Just sugar and chemicals. PLEASE stop drinking this!
Diet soda is even worse, by the way, because in addition to chemicals and syrups, it contains artificial sweeteners that are made with alcohols, dangerous acids and even arsenic! I know it's hard; it is hard for me to give it up. But PLEASE stop drinking sodas, especially diet sodas!

And for me, right now, that's just the tip of the iceberg. I've given up sodas, but I've also given up other foods that are doing nothing for me but adding some jiggle factor. I don't like jiggle factor...at all.

Foods that will be eliminated from my diet whenever I can help it:
-Sodas/Diet sodas
-Anything that contains artificial sweeteners
-White flour breads and pastas**
-Processed foods
-Anything with more than 7g of sugar per human sized serving (the amount I will eat, not the serving size listed on the box)

**White flour breads and pastas have been my bane these past two months. I have been eating way too many pizza crusts, cheeseless personal pizzas and calzones, pastas, white breads and plain garlic knots, and as a result I have ZERO energy and extra pounds.
I don't like that at all

So I'm redoing my diet right. I'm stripping the walls and repainting my diet with a fresh healthy new rubric that will give me more energy and keep my muscles from flabbing out.

I'm going to Whole Foods and Native Sun today. Upon return (after ballet) I will write a list of great foods that are full of nutrients and will keep us full of fiber and flavor at every meal. Do you know of any good foods/brands? Share please!!