No labels please

There are many different culinary lifestyles out there: Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Lacto-tarian, Ovatarian, Raw Foodist, Primal, Paleo...there's even one cheeky blog where the woman claims to be a "could I stab__to death". When I first began altering my eating styles I tried to identify with one group or another as I looked for new recipes and methods of food preparation.  Eventually I decided the need to identify with a culinary label was taking the old adage, "you are what you eat" a little too far. While it might be true that we actually are what  we are at a cellular level, what we eat isn't who we are.

What do I eat? SO much! I eat a plant based diet with greens, vegetables and fruits. I eat grains, seeds, and nuts. I eat dairy mostly in a cultured form of homemade Kefir and sometimes yogurt. I occasionally eat cheese (that has been made from cows not treated with hormones).  I never eat margarine, I will occassionlly eat butter (also from untreated cows). I grind my own wheat and only use that in my baking. Only whole wheat bread in our house. I don't drink any soda. In place of white sugar I use coconut sugar, raw honey, stevia, molasses, agave and on the very very rare occasion brown rice syrup. I use real sea salt. I make rejuvelac, I go through phases of sprouting my own grains. I make green smoothies (basically a blended salad with fruit.) We eat local grass fed beef maybe once or twice week at most (more if we go to a family member's house for dinner and that's what's being served.). Chicken-maybe once a week at most, if that.  We only eat farm fresh eggs from a local neighbor (the same family we purchased our quarter of a cow from and keep in the deep freezer.)

Yeah, I'm that Mom, we are that family. The really CRAZY thing is that sometime I wish I was doing MORE! I have to laugh at myself because only a few years ago one of my friends was living a life like this and I thought she was actually certifiably insane! I remember saying to my husband I didn't know how anyone could really live like that.
All these "crazy" culinary habits I have I will pick apart later. The point is I have come a long way, and I wish I hadn't been so stubborn to be more nutritionally open minded sooner. As a result of these changes I have so much more energy. I feel awesome. I don't have adult acne once a month. I haven't had pain or discomfort from a para ovarian cyst.  I lost my pregnancy weight SO much faster than I did with my first and even lost the weight I had gained between my first and second child. I have had an improved mood, and I feel empowered in regards to my health physically and emotionally, and the confidence that comes from setting a goal and achieving it. I would never have thought I'd be able to make the changes I have. I've been most surprised by the decrease in my sugar cravings.
I come from meat and potato stock, and grew up eating fabulous southern cooking. I've been amazed at how much more varied my diet is, not limited once I opened my mind and my plate to new ideas.
A little food for thought:

“Sow a thought, and you reap an act;
Sow an act, and you reap a habit;
Sow a habit, and you reap a character;
Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.”
― Samuel Smiles

My hope is that I may fulfill my  destiny with energy and health and that I may be a source of strength in helping those I love do the same.

Walking With Green Giants

Do you remember what it was like to walk hand in hand with your parents as a child? I do.
My Dad takes big steps and he walks fast! As a child I probably took five steps for every one of his. As you can imagine, as an adult I'm a rather fast walker. When I first began trying to "Walk With Green Giants" I felt like a little kid all over again, stumbling as I tried to keep up with "Green Giants".

The Green Giants I refer to are the "giants" of nutrition, over all health physically, emotionally, mentally and those that contribute to the betterment of our environment and the world around us. IMy giants are every day people and some are world renown. Regardless of their popularity or fame, true Green Giants practice what they preach. They live what they know about taking care of their minds and bodies in the best way possible.

For  me at least, the idea of fully converting to healthy lifestyle was intimidating and overwhelming. Of course I wanted to improve my quality of life and give my children the best advantages to their health but I felt defeated before I even began. Too much to know, to much to buy and too much time. My other excuses consisted of, "It's too hard!" "It's expensive!" "Healthy food doesn't taste good." "You can't eat anything!" I didn't realize how wrong I was though. Over a long period of time, I've thankfully learned a lot about a lot.  I can honestly say after studying, practicing, and living a life similar to my "Green Giants" it really isn't as hard, expensive or tasteless as it once seemed.  I really CAN eat healthy food that satisfies my taste buds AND fills my stomach. I CAN eat nutritious fresh food on a budget WITH OUT spending HOURS in the kitchen.

My goal for myself is to be able to "Walk With Green Giants", not run and not get dragged along. This is also my goal for my family and loved ones and I know they can. Anyone can do this. Why? Because all "Green Giants" started as baby green giants. Just one step in the right direction is all it takes. Having realistic expectations kept me from getting discouraged, and expecting my first "baby green giant" steps to be just that, baby ones helped me now feel overwhelmed. Sometimes even now, I have to remind myself to give myself a break if I take  a few "mis-steps." Steps are still steps.

Through small and simple things, great things can happen. I have made small changes a little at a time, and the end result has been improved health, happiness and an improved quality of life.
I am so excited about all I've learned and that I'm continuing to learn. I'm glad to finally have one place to document all my findings and experience;  like my favorite kid and husband approved recipes, the truth about what's in our food and some fabulous household products not only effective but good for your family and the environment.

Eating healthy can be satisfying, tasty and affordable. Even more so, it can be empowering by helping one taking control of their body, health, energy, day, and life.