A few days ago I ate a slice of pizza in secret. Yes, I was totally parked on a dark street corner rubbing my hands together, relishing in what I was about to carry out.

And it was a real slice of pizza. Cheesy, gluten-y… you know, the kind with a little pool of grease sitting atop each pepperoni.

I’m not sure what made me do it. I haven’t had pizza in so long. I won’t say where I ate this, but I’ll say that I pass this place all the time and that night, I felt powerfully drawn to it. What the hey? I thought. You only live once!

So the first bite was… heavenly. It was soooo good! But half way through I started to feel a little sick. Still, I forced myself to carry on because it tasted so good… and I deserve to enjoy myself every once in a while darn it!

When I swallowed the last bite, I thought to myself, “Mmmm. That was totally worth it. I can do this from time to time.”

Just as soon as I was feeling OK with the thought of eating one of the unhealthiest foods on the planet a couple times a year, it hit me.

A wave of nausea followed by some bloating. And, about 45 minutes later…dare I say this…. rancid gas. Ok there I said it. Totally embarrassed but moving on.

For a moment, I thought I was going to throw up.

But it was awesome!!

It was awesome because this experience will most likely deter me from pizza for at least another year!

I am not going to lie. I don’t have a ton of intrinsic motivation. I’m not very self-disciplined. My journey to health began because I was sick of feeling sick all the time. (I had stomach problems, headaches, skin problems, etc. etc.)

For the most part, I am very happy with my decision to eat clean, healthy food. But sometimes I wonder if my little health crusade is worth it. It’s no fun to be a social outcast (seriously, all my friends want to do is go out and eat! And I only have like 3 restaurants I am comfortable eating at! ). I have also had a few people say to me that they don’t want to eat healthy because they would rather eat whatever they want and enjoy it. They don’t want to give up their fries, and if they do they would like to enjoy them from time to time without it making them feel sick.

And I get that.

The problem is, it seems like everyone is sick these days. And diet has a lot to do with it. I know people easily associate being overweight with unhealthy eating, but being overweight is only one potential symptom of an unhealthy diet. IBS, migraines, acne, chronic fatigue, diabetes, depression, and infertility to name a few are all associated with unhealthy eating!

Many people are sick due to lack of nutrition and don’t even know it!

Just because something is common, does not mean it is normal. Let me repeat: just because you have had bad skin, or horrible PMS, or headaches for years and years does mean that that is how it’s supposed to be!

Some of us have been sick for so long that we think the way we feel on a daily basis is normal. For example, many people have come to accept that feeling drained all the time is normal. Yes I’m talking to you, you coffee addicts

However, one of the first things I noticed when I started receiving proper nutrition was that my energy levels went up. I’m telling you. After you eat healthy for a month or two you will start to feel really good. And it’s weird, because common ailments you use to just live with will start to disappear.

Like I’ve mentioned before, it took a couple years for me to finally throw in the towel and truly embrace a healthy lifestyle. I still slip up. I’m not perfect, especially when certain foods are put right in front of me at social gatherings. But I am noticing that, the healthier I eat, the more.. uh…. forcefully my body rejects unhealthy food.

In a way it sucks. But in a way it gives me the motivation I need to continue on this journey.

Also, since it used to be a huge struggle for me to stick to my convictions, it gives me motivation to start my daughter off right. I don’t want her to struggle with emotional eating, weight problems, or to be sick all the time. I don’t want her to have to suffer with health problems preventable by healthy eating. I want her to be predisposed to prefer healthy foods.

It’s hard to see it, because humans are marvelous creatures and our bodies can take a lot of crap before they start to break down, but what you eat when you are young will start affecting you in obvious ways as you get older. Actually, unhealthy food is already affecting you, but many people do not realize it until it’s too late.

Just because you do not feel sick as soon as you eat something does not mean that what you are eating is not compromising your health. It is, you just don’t notice it because your body is used to toxins.

What do you think? Do you agree that sugars, unnatural fats, and chemicals so abundantly found in today’s food are slowly destroying your body and brain? Or do you think you can eat whatever you want and get away with it?