So after we figured that out, we decided to start with our eating habits. They weren't horrible, mind you, but our produce intake was pretty pathetic and we had pizza more often than I'd care to admit... I started doing some research and wanted to figure out what would be the best and healthiest way for us to eat. I was already leaning towards a more organic based diet after watching food documentaries such as Food, Inc. and Food Matters, but organic junk food is still junk food. I was interested in eating less processed food because it just made sense to me that that would be a healthier way to eat.
I came across the idea of "clean eating" after stumbling through a few blogs and really embraced the idea. I went out and purchased a book all about this new-to-me way of eating and we did a major grocery overhaul and changed our ways pretty much overnight. We were loving this new diet of fresh produce and good-for-you dairy and meat, and my husband even lost something like 8 pounds the first week (what is it with men and easy weight loss??) But a couple weeks into our new eating plan, work called him away for several days and without him there, I lost a lot of motivation to cook such lovely meals just for myself, and he didn't stick to the plan at all while he was away. We tried to get back on track after his trip ended but after a few more attempts we just kind of followed that eating style very loosely.
I continued to read blogs about health and nutrition, and started coming across more and more articles about "real food" which was slightly different than our "clean eating" plan. But it really struck a chord with me. I started to realize how even lots of the foods I was eating as part of the clean eating plan were still pretty processed. We had been eating lots of "low fat" dairy for instance, thinking it was so good for us, all while not knowing that skim milk has things other than just milk in it, and low-fat anything just isn't good for you. The more I thought about it, the more I realized - if God wanted your milk to be low-fat he would have changed it's fat content! Why are we messing with the perfect gifts that God has given us?
Since doing all this research, I've started buying more items as close to nature as I can. We only buy organic whole milk now (although I wish we could get raw milk here in NJ!) and I'm working on finding better sources for grass-fed meats (that's a whole different post). Thankfully our local Costco carries some organic grass-fed meats, but I'd like to find a local farmer to buy from in the near future. We are getting ready to join a local CSA for our produce (which will save us soooo much money on our grocery bill!) and I try to make as many things from scratch as possible (including some of our cheese!) which helps us to avoid preservatives and artificial ingredients. It's a slow process, but I've learned that's the best way to sustain positive change around here. And as long as we're seeing positive changes, we'll stay motivated.
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
