This little post will be an introduction to a series of BIG GOAL posts to follow.  

Get on board with me!

As I mentioned yesterday, we just returned from a Disney World vacation.  A few months ago, we decided to start a Whole30 as soon as we returned to get back on track (though we didn’t go far off track even on vacation – yay!).  After reading Dallas and Melissa Hartwig’s It Starts With Food (check out my review here - have you read it yet? OMG!!!), I was even MORE excited about starting a new food challenge, and even changing a few more details of my food lifestyle for good.

This will be my third Whole30.  My first one was almost one year ago, and was my introduction to Paleo.  The second one was six months later, in February of this year.  And now it’s time for a third, and I am so excited!  To be honest, I feel more healthy right now than I have ever felt, but I always experience even more amazing results when I keep my diet squeaky clean for an extended period of time.

This time, we’re going through the end of July.  We started yesterday, so it will basically be a Whole43.  And in addition to clean eating, I’m taking on several other challenges to enhance the benefits of being focused this month+.  Read my summaries below, and let me know if you’re interested in committing to this with me!

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Big Goal #1 – Clean Eating

I really believe that “it starts with food.”  Any goal that you have – clearer skin, weight loss, more energy, better sleep – can be accomplished by adjusting your diet and raising your food standards.  I’ll be writing more about this concept as I go through the month.  A lot of my thoughts about food have changed recently, just since reading the aforementioned book, so I’ll be sure to keep you informed!

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Big Goal #2 – Being Well Fed

Have you checked out Melissa Joulwan’s cookbook, Well Fed?  Find my review here.  This cookbook is excellent and beautiful!  It is packed with amazing recipes, and I recently learned that all of the recipes (except for one at the end that is very desserty) are Whole30-approved AND recommended by Dallas and Melissa (creators of the Whole30 and authors of It Starts With Food).  These folks don’t make a lot of recipe recommendations, which tells me that their standards are HIGH!

So, in an effort to broaden my Paleo food horizons and experiment with some new styles of cooking, I’ve decided to make each and every recipe from Well Fed during the next 41 days (kinda “Julie and Julia” style, ya know?).  We’ve had several already, including the Carmerlized Coconut Chips (pictured above, recipe here: www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/2011/06/13/carmelized-coconut-chips/), and they have all been delicious!

I share more about this goal, the pictures from the recipes we’ve made in the last few days, this week’s menu, and more in this post.

UPDATED: I completed this goal!  Check out the picture post here.

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Big Goal #3 – Natural Skin Care

I am a HUGE fan of Liz Wolfe at CaveGirlEats.  Her opinion that not putting chemicals on your outsides is just as important as not putting chemicals on your insides resonates with me, and I’m ready to give it a go!  This is a little scary for me, because I’m big on anti-aging skin care.  In fact, in a previous life I was a Mary Kay Sales Director… I even earned a free car and had over 40 women on my team.  I love Mary Kay products to this day, and I have seen great results from the products.  However, I am not too proud to admit that they might not be the best ingredients to put on my skin so regularly.

So what will my new skin care routine look like?  Check out this post.

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Big Goal #4 – Natural Hair Care

Again, my inspiration for non-chemical hair care comes from Liz Wolfe at CaveGirlEats.  I’m a bit of a hair freak, and I’m currently growing out my short haircut, so it’s already in an awkward stage.  I’ve heard that getting your hair adjusted to it’s natural pH balance can be a painful (and ugly) process, so I can’t say that I’m looking forward to this one!

More on this topic HERE.

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Big Goal #5 – Better Sleep

I love sleeping, and I usually get enough sleep.  However, this does not always mean that I go to bed early.  I LOVE staying up late, and I can usually sleep in a little later if I need to, so the temptation to keep late, unnatural hours is one that I often embrace.  During the next 41 days, we’ll be turning off all electronics at 9 PM (sundown), and then relaxing toward sleepy-town for the next hour.  The goal is to be sleeping by 10:30 each night.

More on this goal HERE.

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Big Goal #6 – Meaningful Workouts

I get BEST results from my workouts when I’m eating clean.  So I’m really excited to see what I’ll look like at the end of July!  My philosophy on working out is to LIFT HEAVY THINGS, but to not overwork my body.  Over-working leads to bodily stress, that that’s the last thing any of us need!

More on this goal and my workouts HERE.

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Big Goal #7 – Supplements

I take a few supplements on a regular basis, and I’ll tell you more about those on Wednesday.  However, during this challenge, I’ll be adding a few additional items (in food form, not in pill/powder form) to my diet.

Read more here!

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Big Goal #8 – Stress Less!

This was part of my New Year’s Resolutions for 2012, and I haven’t kept it at the forefront of my mind.  In addition, several very stressful life events have occurred this year, so a little stress was unavoidable.  In fact, some of that stress (when combined with over-consuming nuts and eggs) caused me some pretty serious digestion woes, which lead to a gut-healing protocol that made it all better.

So how am I going to reduce stress in my life?  Check it out here!

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Sounds like a lot, huh?  Well, it’s not as much as it seems.  Stay tuned over the next week as I share more about how I’ll keep things SIMPLE throughout this process.  You know me… I’m all about Easy Paleo.

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