This summer I am dedicated to changing my bad diet and switching to healthier, organic options. Being in a small, rural town where there are only three places to buy groceries makes it difficult to have access to the healthier options and when there are healthier options, it burns a hole in your wallet. Changing your diet is not going to happen over night, it takes small steps and slight changes to work towards a better and healthier you! I know this sounds super cliche, but I promise, you'll notice the difference within weeks. So here's what I started doing and the results I started seeing in myself.

One of the big "no-no's" is fast food, reason being is because fast food is so processed that it is stripped of many nutrients that our bodies need to have a healthy metabolism and immune system. I am 100 percent cutting out fast food from my diet with very strict exceptions. For some people that might seem a little far-fetched, but I've been fast food free for the past six months and I'm not going to lie, I do crave for Burger King fries and Taco Bell burritos. But the more you resist from eating it, the less you'll crave it. If you're used to eating fast food on the daily, then I recommend starting off with cutting down your consumption of fast food from daily to three times a week and so on. The result I noticed in myself from cutting out fast food was my face. I used to deal with random zits about every week, black spots, black heads and oily skin. After my diet change, I haven't had a zit in almost three months, my face is free of huge blemishes and my dark spots have cleared away. My face still is not fully clear, but I have seen huge progress so far.

Something I have been working on lately is substitution. For example, I love Doritos, Takis and Hot Cheetos, but those snacks contain artificial dyes, flavors, high fructose and many other harmful ingredients that are bad for your face and body. Instead of consuming those chips, I started to substitute them for veggie chips or baked chips because they contain less harmful ingredients. I also love candy like Twizzlers, Dots, Starburst, etc. As we all know, those candies have high amounts of sugars and even when the package says "no sugar added" there are several names for sugar in the food industry so in that way, we are tricked into thinking that we are not consuming sugar, when in reality, we still are. Instead I have learned to curb that craving with real fruits: raspberries, cherries, grapes, blackberries, blueberries, you name it. I still satisfy my sweet tooth, but in a healthier way. After this change, I noticed my hair and nails grow faster and my body feels lighter.

In addition to these steps, it's vital to drink beverages that help cleanse your body of harmful things. For example, Kombucha, tea with ginger, honey and lemon, water (and a lot of it), organic cranberry juice, homemade fruit infused drinks, etc. The results I've noticed after drinking these cleansers was an increase in pooping, better mood, higher energy and weight loss.

I hope you have found these recommendations helpful because I believe that a healthier life starts with your body! Your body deserves the best, which means healthier eating and daily activity. I am passionate about body positivity and it's a continued journey.

Thanks for reading,

Adyiam "Loves Kombucha" Kimbrough