A Bridal Eat-Clean Tale...

In the spirit of continuing our guest blogs, we have Danielle Hampton sharing her bridal story. I would like to call her diet-shake Danielle, since she found herself stuck in that rut during university, but just in time for her wedding she became Eat-Clean Danielle. One of her keys to success is: "I always play the "whole tape" through in my mind when I am considering derailing my efforts through a poor food choice or not working out. I think about how I will feel after eating that unhealthy thing or skipping exercise, and that's usually enough to keep me on track". She is now so committed to health that she maintains a daily Blog and Twitter feed.

Thanks for sharing your beautiful story, Danielle.

I still remember that moment like it was yesterday – it was mid-afternoon on that hot summer day, and I had a quick moment to myself. Outside of the bathroom door I could hear my bridesmaids talking, their voices rising and falling with excitement. I looked down at the dress I had so carefully chosen a year earlier, it’s intricate lace and beadwork sparkling under the one hanging light. I looked in the mirror at myself; my makeup was done, my hair twisted up and away from my face, a white flower over my left ear. I was about to get married. And I had never, ever felt more beautiful.

Growing up I was never overweight- I was extremely athletic and spent all of my time playing sports or dancing, most often participating in two-a-days, as well as endless games and tournaments. As I entered college though, my activity level changed drastically, so I made up for it with unhealthy habits; over-exercising, obsessively counting calories, and relying on things like weight-loss shakes and the occasional diet pill to keep it all under control. The concept of clean-eating was foreign to me. Instead diet foods, “low-fat,” and “sugar-free” items made up the bulk of my choices.


Interestingly enough I had grown up in a home where my mother grew her own food and always had healthy meals for us- but when in Rome, I guess, so while away at school I fell easily into a different type of eating. 


Time went by quickly, and before I knew it I had graduated college and was dating the man I would eventually marry. I was on the path to being healthier, but still felt lethargic and far away from the best self I knew I could be.


Enter the Eat-Clean Diet and Tosca Reno.


Soon after becoming engaged I knew I wanted to make a positive change. My sister recommended The Eat-Clean Diet book to me and from the first page I was hooked. Tosca was telling me everything I already knew... but sharing it in such a way that I couldn’t help but be inspired. Whole foods, no junk, exercise. Simple. It was exactly the push I needed.


For the next year I threw myself into this lifestyle. I cooked more than I didn’t, I supplemented my workouts with whole foods and healthy choices. I’d never felt better, and hard work was written all over my glowing skin and in-shape body.


So on my wedding day when I stood in that bathroom, the excitement of knowing that in just a few minutes I’d be walking down the aisle, I felt proud of the way I looked, but even more so, proud of the way I felt... and that moment was beyond priceless.


Now I’m a stay-at-home Mom to my 1-year old son Henry, and I continue to eat clean and stay committed to health. From sustaining my son’s life through pregnancy and then through nursing, making good choices is not just about me now, it’s about him too. My husband and I cook every night together, experimenting with recipes (some of our favorites come from the Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook), and eating clean isn’t just something we do to get in shape, it’s truly become our lifestyle.