I’ve recently begun to make new life habits, well the good ones, that is. I was never one to workout, but this past week I’ve done it every day. I’ve even gone as far as making it to the gym at 5 a.m. every morning this week; that’s not an easy thing for a person who values her beauty sleep as much as I do.

On top of this, working out constantly makes you question what you’re putting into your body. I’m not going to lie I love a big, fat, greasy bacon cheeseburger with a side of fries. My sweet tooth is probably one of the worst anyone has ever seen, and I may get cravings for weird things like pickles and peanut butter. However, after one inspirational healthy eating lecture, I’ve decided to slowly change my ways.

I won’t lie, I don’t know how long this change will last, and I will still eat some cheeseburgers, but I REFUSE to put things into my body that could potentially kill me down the line like I am now.

Do you know what the number one killer in the United States is? That’s right. Cardiovascular disease. 1 in 3 people dies from cardiovascular disease on average. That’s very very common. What causes a majority of heart diseases? Saturated fats and cholesterol.

I’m not saying saturation and cholesterol are necessarily bad for you, in fact, our bodies produce cholesterol and need saturated fats for some of life’s processes. However, in overwhelming quantities, these things begin to build up in your body creating a thing called atherosclerosis. This is a blockage in your arteries leading to your heart, which causes a lack a blood flow to your heart which in turn slows your heartbeats.

Fun fact: By the age of 10, most kids have already begun to develop atherosclerosis due to poor dieting choices.

Now, caution, I’m not judging parents or kids. I’m simply saying that the American diet isn’t known for being the best. In fact, we’re the country with the highest obesity level in the world. Our westernized culture loves the greasy, fatty, sugary comfort foods that are not exactly the best for us. Sometimes that’s okay.

Did you know though that most meats we consume on the daily (deli meat, chicken, hot dogs, etc.) are categorized as a Type I carcinogen? This means that these products increase our chances are cancer. I don’t know about you, but these foods usually don’t make me feel great and I already have a high risk of hereditary cancer…I don’t want to increase those chances just because I REALLY LIKE HOT DOGS OR WHATEVER.

I’m not trying to persuade you to become a vegetarian or a vegan. In fact, I’ll still be eating meat just because of #BeefIsLife, yet I will be reducing my quantity while switching to a diet that is based on a plant-based diet. We’ll see where this change gets me.

So, ya girl will be participating in #MeatlessMondays and snacking on leaves rather than chocolate. So far I like it, maybe you will too. However, I encourage you to consider the diet you follow. Does it make you feel energized and healthy?

If not, do some research and find some things you’d perhaps like to change. It could be as little as switching from whole milk to almond milk or just cutting back on your sweet tooth. Don’t forget to treat yo self sometimes though. We only live once but that doesn’t mean we have to continue to kill ourselves softly.