DAY 1 - Processed Foods

The 24 Things Clearing Challenge
encourages you to make room in your home, heart, and mind to create an inspired future

Sometimes, in my attempt to find balance in life, I over-stretch. Today I join many others in a 24-day clearing challenge: letting go of one thing each day. And what do I start with? Processed foods. Usually the stress of cleaning out closets and parting ways with things I don't really need would lead me directly into the comforting arms of a bag of Cheetos.

But knowing full well that this bag gives me no actual satisfaction and instead leaves me with kind-of-gross-neon-orange-colored finger tips, I will be strong. I will resist.

Instead, on this first day of 24 Things, I will also join over 2,000 others in October Unprocessed 2011. Two challenges in one month? Yup - that's how I roll.

This morning, my daughter and I started things off with the basics: bread and water. The bread was from a local bakery down the block and - I know I shouldn't be surprised by this - that bread is always more satisfying than the kind from the supermarket. The simplest breads are made with only 4 ingredients: flour, water, yeast, and salt. (No, I don't know this from experience, just from the internet. But perhaps this month will inspire me to finally learn how to bake bread... something I've always wanted to do.) By comparison, I take a look at the supermarket bread label and wonder why there are often 15 or more ingredients there - most of which I cannot pronounce.

The results of this day's letting go: a more health-conscious choice for me and my family; a way to support local stores like our bakery; a feeling of trying to live a better life.