31 Days of Natural Nutrition: Day 5 ~ What NOT to do (aka why there was no Day 4)

You might notice I was absent from my blog yesterday. Wanna know why? 'Cause I'm a BIG, FAT hypocrite, that's why. I don't think I ate one thing yesterday that wasn't processed in some way nor am I sure I even ate anything in its raw or pure form. Epic fail! 

I have since dusted myself off from that wagon fall and learned a lesson. I am what I eat. When I eat like crap, I feel like crap. Between a son with a stomach virus and myself with the cold that won't end, it's a veritable germfest in our house right now. Thus, yesterday, all caution was thrown to the wind and we ate whatever soothed our bellies and palates. 

The funny thing is that the so-called "comfort food" I ate didn't bring me any comfort. I ended up being disappointed in myself for sacrificing and going to bed with a distended tummy chock full of carbs and high-fructose corn syrup. My prenatal vitamin and extra vitamin C tablet were the only redeeming things to pass through my esophagus yesterday besides water.

I heard a quote the other day that first stung me, then resonated deeply: "What we eat in private shows in public." I may not think those 5 or 10 M&Ms I'm tossing back between lunch and dinner are affecting me, but they are. Especially if I toss 5 or 10 back five times a day. 

I'm learning slowly (like at a snail's pace, y'all) that my health/weight/well-being are a combination of when, what, and how much I choose to eat. Living with PCOS (which I discussed in this post), I cannot simply follow a reduced-calorie, "less in, more out" type of diet and expect to garner great results. Sure, calorie reduction and increased exercise will help, but it's not enough. A lot of what's going on with my body is in the way it's responding to what I choose to eat. 

So you'd think I'd be even more sensitive and follow "the rules" better, right? Nah. I don't like being told I can't do something, so this interferes with the core of trying to eat better. I have to realize that there are things I can't eat (well, maybe I can, but I truly shouldn't) if I want to be the healthiest version of me possible. 

It all comes down to this: do I want to be healthy or do I want the momentary pleasure of ________ (insert your choice of comfort food, sugary treat, or calorie-laden drink)? I want to be healthy. That is my utmost desire. The momentary pleasure of unhealthy food (and that's truly all it amounts to) is just not worth it. Now to train my irrational mind to remember this ideal when it's past lunch and I'm scrambling to find something to stuff in my mouth is quite a different story. 

I'm fresh out of ideas on how to beat my addiction to processed, unhealthy foods. There are many times in a day where I vehemently want to tear through my pantry and fridge, removing any semblance of processing, refining, filling and head to the nearest dump with the stuff. The me that hates to waste is what holds the tiger back. I figure we'll just finish it out and then not buy it again. Maybe I need to just let it go, release my wrath on the kitchen, and not look back. It certainly can't hurt us. 

What ways are you successful at eliminating or limiting processed foods in your diet? How do you overcome the urge to consume "comfort" food? What natural foods give you that comfort you long for? 

31 Days of Natural Nutrition: Day 3 ~ Why Organic?

Forgive me if these first few posts seem "introductory" to some of you more seasoned nutritionistas, but I figure it will best serve me to flesh out the whys of what I'm doing in an effort to make it stick and remind me of my goals.


Today, I want to tackle why we've chosen to go organic. First, I want to post what's called the "Dirty Dozen" and the "Clean 15." These are lists of the 12 foods to always (or whenever possible) buy organic and the 15 cleanest (least chemically treated) foods. I find these lists help me discern how to make the safest choice when I need to buy conventionally grown produce. The lists are courtesy of the Environmental Working Group.


The Dirty Dozen


1. Apples
2. Celery
3. Strawberries
4. Peaches
5. Spinach
6. Nectarines ~ imported
7. Grapes ~ imported
8. Sweet bell peppers
9. Potatoes
10. Blueberries ~ domestic
11. Lettuce
12. Kale/collard greens


The Clean 15


1. Onions
2. Sweet corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe ~ domestic
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushrooms


Am I posting this info as a scare tactic? Yes, and no. I do want to "scare" people away from buying chemical- and pesticide-laden produce for their families, especially their children. More importantly though, I want to inform people of the situation at hand so they can in turn make informed decisions on what type of produce they buy. I'm not exaggerating in saying that the overuse of pesticides in our society makes me fighting mad. I mean, sure it might've been OK decades ago when we didn't know better, but now we do. We're knowingly poisoning our people little by little. OK, coming down off the soapbox now. 


I know a huge concern for families in whether or not to buy organic produce is the affordability factor. Budgetary constraints unfortunately do not care whether an apple's organic or conventional. That's why I think the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists can be extremely helpful to a mom who wants to reduce chemical exposure in her home.


Did you know there can be as many as four pesticides on one little apple? Not to mention the wax it's coated with to make it sit there all shiny on your grocer's table. Gag. Raisins are another food not mentioned above, but worth investing the extra money in for organic. Grapes are on the dirty dozen list, so those raisins are highly chemically treated. I don't know about you, but my kid eats A LOT of raisins. I don't want to sweat about what else he's ingesting, so I go organic on those.


I could go on for days on this subject once I get all impassioned, but I'll spare you and only mention one more important food choice we make: organic milk. My husband actually had a doctor he works with tell him that if he was going to do anything organic at all, at least buy organic milk. I know, it's got a high price tag so it hits the pocketbook hard. On the flip side though, it's free of hormones, chemicals, and is produced in an environmentally friendly way. 


If you're new to the world of organic food, I'd suggest doing some independent research to see what will work best to ease your family into the changes. Look into local co-op opportunities, CSAs (community supported agriculture), or even farmer's markets. These options tend to be more affordable and offer better selection than your typical chain grocery store. 


It's so easy to want to overhaul your family's diet and nutrition in one fell swoop, but one step at a time does it just fine. I say just making the choice to be cognizant about what you're putting on your table is a step in the right direction.

31 Days of Natural Nutrition ... a blogging challenge

Hello there! If you're visiting for the first time, scroll down to read the first post in the 31 Days of Natural Nutrition series. I'm linking up with Nesting Place on this challenge.

31 Days of Natural Nutrition: Day 2 ~ Fun Food Finds

31 Days of Natural Nutrition: Day 3 ~ Why Organic?

31 Days of Natural Nutrition: Day 5 ~ What NOT to do (aka why there was no Day 4)

I like numbers. I like challenges. I like making goals and meeting them. I like nutrition and have become very passionate of late about what my family eats. 


SO, I have decided to hop on board for the month of October's 31 Days of ... challenge hosted by Nesting Place. I actually found out about the challenge via the (in)courage community, which is an amazing online community for women. If you don't know about it, check it out. We need all the encouragement and support we can get as women. 


The 31 Days of challenge is a challenge where you choose one topic to devote your posts to for the entire month of October. I didn't have to give my topic more than a moment's thought because it's been on the forefront of my mind over the course of the year and this is just the kick in the pants I needed to get it going full force. 


My topic is 31 Days of Natural Nutrition. Why natural nutrition? First off, I have a love affair with alliteration, so the word choice was only natural. Pun intended. Secondly, I have been on a journey this year to strip down our food choices in our home and restore our diet to natural, traditional, wholesome foods. It has been a roller coaster ride for me, as I'm a foodie without necessarily the most distinguishing of palates (cheese puffs, anyone?). 


I've begun to explore what real food is, not just foodstuff or artificial filler. It's been no picnic and most days I feel guiltier for what I'm eating than what I'm not, but progress has been made and we're the better for it. We started by joining a local co-op where we get mostly organic produce, as well as locally farmed meats, cheeses, natural body and household products, and more. It's been fantastic so far, and I've learned so much about food. The funny thing is I realize there is still so much yet to learn. 


Over this month, I will strive to share what healthy, natural nutritional choices we've been making in our home, what we've steered clear of, and ways we have benefited. This will come in the form of recipes, food finds, and definitely some what-not-to-dos if I know myself and my propensity for all things junk food. 


It's high time we clean up our eating around this house. Our bodies are temples to the Lord and I'm feeling the push to polish this temple and make it shine for the Lord's glory. 


I hope you'll join me on my journey and throw in any healthy, natural tidbits, recipes, helpful hints, etc., that you would like. I can use all the help I can get. 


In the immortal words of Cosmo Kramer, "Giddy up!" 


*As an aside, this is all-too-fitting timing given the fact that I crashed my truck into one of those poles (you know the ones that guide you around the drive-through) at McDonalds yesterday afternoon on the way to pick up my natural, organic produce from co-op. Nice. Intervention accepted.