You might say that I have had a rather decadent summer. Occasional morning runs to Starbucks somehow turned into an everyday occurrence, I spent a fair amount of time just lounging by the pool with the kids soaking up the sun, my semi-regular workouts dwindled to near non-existent, my menu planning morphed into “what take-out shall we have tonight?” and I enjoyed more than a few cocktails, bags of potato chips and chocolatey treats.

To be perfectly honest- I  am a mass of contradictions at the best of times. Although I aspire to optimal health and nutrition, I’m more of a “green juice for breakfast and glass of red wine for dinner” kind of girl. Kale chips and meditation at lunch and salty potato chips while watching So You Think You Can Dance that same evening. Louise Hay AND People Magazine on my nightstand. Kick-butt 6am workout closely followed by a few days of sitting on aforementioned butt.

I will admit that I really admire those purists – the “I haven’t had a cup of coffee in 10 years” and “I never eat anything processed” kind of people. No matter the season or holiday, there are some dedicated health enthusiasts who manage to maintain their healthy eating and exercise routine in the face of the toughest temptation and peer pressure. But I’m definitely not one of those people! (if you know me you’ll be familiar with how little twisting of my rubber arm it takes to convince me to have just one more glass of Prosecco or to share a hunk of gooey chocolate cake ; )

This is not to say that I’m going to throw in the towel and chuck the healthy living for a life of reality tv and bonbons (tempting though..). I think the key is becoming more mindful in my approach to diet and lifestyle. Do I really need that latte or french fry? Well yes, frankly, sometimes I do! I’m not going to beat myself up over the odd bump in the road if I continue to focus on health and wellness the majority of the time. My own quirky and flawed approach to life doesn’t necessarily make me weak or less than – it just make me human.

Is there room for improvement? Absolutely! Am I ever going to be one of those “I’ll-never-step-foot-in-a-fast-food-restaurant again” people? Not likely. And I’m beginning to make peace with that. So I will continue merrily along the path of learning and living a natural and healthy life with a fair share of stumbles and more than a few potato chip wrappers left along the way.

*P.S. I am planning to embark  on another 3-week Kathy Freston Cleanse starting Sunday, September 8th. (no alcohol, sugar, gluten, caffeine or animal products for 21 days). Is anyone else in need of a detox after a summer of overindulgence like mine? Drop me a line in the comments and we can share tips and recipes!