Swap it. Don't stop it.

This is the title of a health campaign launched recently by the Australian Government. I think it's very clever. For example, instead of stopping something that you like (chocolate) you just swap it with something else (fruit). This doesn't have to be everytime you want to eat chocolate but just sometimes. The idea is that little changes, over time, will add up to be big changes. Little changes + little changes + little changes = big changes = better health = yippee!

Now there is a purpose to my train of thought.

Since the beginning of the year I have been making little changes to my diet by giving up things - artificial sweetener, coke zero, bread etc etc etc. The concept of giving up things has never sat well with me until today when Rob and I were discussing the paleo challenge starting next month at Cross Fit Inner West. I want to give the paleo challenge a go I said - it's only for 30 days and I am slowly heading in that direction anyway. To do it 100% is pretty hard core so I will be aiming for 80% paleo.

The challenge doesn't start until 4th July so I told him I wanted to continue making a few small modifications to my diet over the next few weeks that will make my transition to 80% paleo a little easier. So, I said to Rob this morning: I'm giving up milk in my tea from Monday. I also added, after a moments thought, that I don't like saying I'm "giving up" something as it suggests deprivation. He replied by saying: don't give up milk in your tea. Just swap white tea for black tea. Like, you know, in that ad on the tv.

And the light bulb went on. THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING! Swapping not stopping. I can still have milk in my tea if I want it. I'll just chose to swap it most of the time. I can still have bread if I want it. I just chose to swap it most of the time. Oh, the simplicity. No more feeling deprived by "stopping" foods. I'm just swapping. Simple.