Kaden shopping at Whole Foods

I was sitting having some almond milk & homemade cookies with my sister this afternoon when I realized that I was drinking unsweetened almond milk. Beyond that, I realized it tasted good! Which reminded me of the truth about making healthy changes: you get used to it.

A month or two ago I started buying unsweetened almond milk even though I hated it. I was used to the taste of my Almond Breeze Original & the unsweetened option was just gross to me. But I decided that in a few years Kaden will be using it & I want him to just start out with the healthiest stuff because then it will be normal for him. So I started buying Almond Breeze Original Unsweetened & cut out the 7 grams of sugar each time I have it. At first it sucked. I had to gag down my cereal in the mornings & didn’t even bother having a glass when eating a baked treat. But as the days turned into weeks and into months, my taste buds have adjusted, which is exactly what I wanted them to do.

As a child I remember my mom buying whole wheat bread every once in a while, and I even more clearly remember the fit my brother & I would throw when she did. “Mom, that’s disgusting! We are NOT going to eat that!” Because at the time, our taste buds were used to the less-than-wholesome goodness of your average white bread. As I got older & learned more about the effects of white bread on your health, I began to switch to only whole grain products, & am happy to say that I thoroughly enjoy them now.

And America, we’ve got to make changes to the way we eat. I was urgently reminded of this fact this morning when I read that 20 years ago, there wasn’t a single state with an obesity level over 15%. Now EVERY state is above that. All 50. Most are WAY above that. And it’s not gonna get any better until we start making changes.

The bottom line is, you will get used to anything when you make the switch. What seems like impossible now can become completely normal & even enjoyable. Give up the Coke or Dew & drink water. Switch from coffee to green tea. Eat a handful of almonds instead of potato chips. Just do it & before you know it you’ll be living a healthier life by habit not by effort.

You can do it. You really can.

Today.