Have I lost you already? Don't be scared off. Give me a few more paragraphs. :)
First off, I want to apologize because this will be poorly written. I have so many thoughts, running every which direction, that I'm having a very hard time bringing them all together for just a introductory post about real food. I feel like I could write a book on this information, and that's with doing minimal research and study on it. Ever since I was in college and took nutrition classes for nursing prereq's, I've been enamored with it all. Just so intriguing to me. Please bear with my fragile mind as I try to share. :)
And no, this didn't count as a paragraph, so keep reading for a few more.
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| Courtesy of eafromtheheart.blogspot.com |
For the past year, the "Real Food" challenge has sparked awareness in my life, and slowly I've been making changes to our family's diet. It is insane how terrible most of the food on the grocer's shelf is for our bodies, ingredient labels full of 20-40 items, most of them I practice pronouncing for fun. Yet, most people ignorantly still buy and consume these products. Because it's AVAILABLE and CHEAPER. And they haven't been let in on why it's harmful for them. Click here for a list of foods that the United States still produce and sell, even though these same foods are banned in other countries. And click here for a blog that I follow that gives examples and more information on this same matter. Just plain cuh-razy.
I'm not one of those complete "crazy health-o" people. Just yet.
I know I'm still alive, and we ate all types of bad things for us growing up. And the thing is -- we still will eat that sometimes. Obviously, I've cut some major things out of our diet or attempted to. But I'm not to the point yet (nor will I ever be, maybe) where everything that is unhealthy is forbidden to ever eat again. Once in a while, it's ok. Most likely, if you start eating real, you will less likely want to eat the "bad stuff." But if I do feel the craving (***more about this later***), I might just do it. Remember, it's better to cut out some of the processed food, and start adding the whole food, even if it's starting out small, than not do anything at all.
Some cravings that I might just indulge in every so often just for the fun of it. Rulebreaker me. :)
I'm not going to neglect myself from possibly drinking an ice cold Pepsi (loaded with high fructose corn syrup) on a summer day and indulge in a bologna sandwich (separated, processed "meat.) with garden fresh tomatoes and mayonnaise (artery-cloggin' saturated fat) slathered on there.
Or refrain from buying some nachos and a quart of processed "nothing close to real" cheese to dip them in while at a ball game.
Or not allow my kids to eat a funnel cake (refined grains) deep fried in heavens only knows what type of oil loaded with whipped cream and sprinkles (full of artificial dyes) while at Disney.
Or not give in to a good ol' hotdog during a cookout...and we're not talking the organic grass fed, all beef, no nitrate junk hotdogs. We're talking mechanically separated, greasy, bun of hot diggity dog. THAT kind.
Sometimes, you should just be allowed to do that if you want to. Key word is sometimes.
I mentioned that I'm still alive - and have survived what junk I've put into my body.
Just a few questions....
Who knows what will be discovered later on as I get older though? Could this unhealthy eating cause havoc in the years to come? Most definitely. Could I be enjoying better quality of life with a changed diet? Most definitely. Could I feel more energetic instead of surviving in a state of constant fatigue by improving the things which I feed myself? Most definitely.
We're at the beginning of this journey to better living.
These are some of the bebay steps that I have been attempting to do for the sake of myself and my family.
I mentioned that I'm still alive - and have survived what junk I've put into my body.
Just a few questions....
Who knows what will be discovered later on as I get older though? Could this unhealthy eating cause havoc in the years to come? Most definitely. Could I be enjoying better quality of life with a changed diet? Most definitely. Could I feel more energetic instead of surviving in a state of constant fatigue by improving the things which I feed myself? Most definitely.
We're at the beginning of this journey to better living.
These are some of the bebay steps that I have been attempting to do for the sake of myself and my family.
1. Little to None Processed Food - I've been trying to make my own stuff for many things.. Might not be AS healthy as what it could be - but it's LOTS better KNOWING what's in the product, whether it has refined grains (health-o's cringing) in it or not. I will say that living by a school cafeteria makes this one hard. We do eat up there to save money sometimes. With that being said, we are eating lots more processed food than we probably should be. The school can't help that - they have their budget. And it's our choice to eat up there when we do. I do try and go on the more "healthier" nights. Do I get any credit for that?? :)
2. Little to None High Fructose Corn Syrup - You'd be surprised to find out what all has High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) in it. Things you wouldn't even think of. Some of the more obvious ones are soda, juices, breads, kid's snack foods, yogurts, cereals, salad dressings and on and on. Start reading the labels and steer clear of that stuff. See below for a bit of info on HFCS. Or you can read more about it here: High Fructose Corn Syrup 101
3. Little to None Coloring Agents/Artificial Dyes - As one of the links above says, Americans eat with their eyes. So manufacturers of food add "color" --chemical agents-- that will be appealing. The main ones that I try and avoid, especially for the kiddos, are blue 1, blue 2, yellow 5 and yellow 6 and red dye 40. Not only is allowing chemical agents (the same ones that are put in lice shampoo that KILLS lice) into your body unhealthy, there might be a possible link to hyperactivity with these artificial dyes. Let me say - I have two cutesytutesy boys. God made boys active and hyper. That's NORMAL. They also have enough God-given energy, that I don't want to fuel them with more that comes from ucky chemically created dyes. I'd rather be safe and less worn out than sorry. ;)
4. Less Refined Grains (white flours and sugars) - I still haven't done much with this category. I still cook/bake with some white flour and sugar. Even though I've been using Truvia, it isn't the best, because it's still processed. The best sweeteners are the natural ones - pure honey and maple syrup...things of that nature. Things that have been left alone and not tampered with. But hey - I'm learning about this stuff, and it will take some time. We're making a bit of progress here.
To each his own. If you're already improving your diet, then hoo-rah for you. If you haven't started yet, it's obviously your decision on how far you want to take this. Your body will thank you for whatever help you choose to give it. Little or lots. ANY improvement is better than nothing. :)
I highly encourage you to read some of these provided links. Get more informed so you can make better decisions about what you put into your body. It affects more than what you think. (More of that to come later.)
ALL OF THIS TO SAY -
I will still have recipes on here that might not be the healthiest. I will also be sharing some healthier ones that I've been testing and have passed with good reviews. Now, if I could only figure out my tabs on the blog, I would have them organized for you. Until then, they'll be all mixed together.
Best wishes to you and yours for healthier eating!!
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