The point of this blog? Getting there. Next paragraph. Keep reading. :)
I've been thinking a lot about oil pulling (still doing it, still loving the benefits I get from it) and this has led me to think about more natural alternatives for health, healing, and general well being. Don't worry, I'm not "going hippie" on you. However, I have been giving some deep thought to what I eat. Especially with my recent weight gain. I'm attributing it to stress eating and lack of exercise. But, also to WHAT I eat. So much of it is processed garbage.
Thus, I'm working diligently at making changes. Eating "real" food and less "fake food. Food less processed. Food without everything removed from it - like fat or sugar - and other less healthy things added into it.
So, I'm using more butter vs margarine. I will probably never totally convert to butter, but I have noticed it takes much less butter to cook with and the flavor is wonderful. Using a small amount of butter, saves calories, satisfies my hunger and is healthier in the long run.
Sugar - this is more difficult. Due to gastric bypass surgery a few years ago, ingesting regular sugar causes some rather unpleasant side effects called "dumping" and is not fun. So, I have to be careful how many grams of sugar I take in each day. Thus, I use the fake stuff in my coffee. But, I use raw sugar, honey, molasses or other alternatives the rest of the time.
I'm also using more olive oil, coconut oil and butter for cooking vs canola oil or spray oil (propellent anyone??) when I need added fat. Have I stopped using canola completely? No. I will probably always have some around, but the more I read about it, the more I believe the others are better alternatives.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are also getting top billing in our diets. I'm baking more of our treats vs buying cookies, etc. I even make hamburger rolls when I plan ahead. They are tasty! Homemade pretzels, while time consuming, are incredible. Just a few minor changes. When I find the local farmers market (next weekend, I hope) I plan to start buying vegetables there. Fresh, local, home grown vegetables. Yum! I can't wait.
Speaking of buying local, I am so into supporting local businesses vs chain stores. Small Mom and Pop places from cafes to furniture to clothing. I think these places are what keeps each town unique and special. Plus, it's fun to find them. Do you patronize your local shops too or do you stick with the chain places?
Coffee: Oh yes. A wonderful cup of Gevalia is at my right hand. It keeps me going. It is flavored with the fake sweetener, but has a splash (seriously, just a small amount, maybe 1 TBSP) of real half and half - no fat free stuff - in it. That's another small, but wonderful change I've recently made. :)
Are you considering any changes? What are they?
I find myself facing the same dilemma. I have been very proactive in looking for ways to use fresh and organic whenever feasible. I actively look for ways to avoid "fake" foods and chemicals. My daughter has been my biggest influence in this. I use Splenda in my drinks, but use a mix of Splenda and other natural sweeteners in my cooking. I also use Half and Half in my coffee.
ReplyDeleteSusan I have always baked with real butter, full fat everything, etc. I just think food tastes better and I don't believe that it's as bad for you as we have been led to believe. I am all for avoiding all the processed, refined, low-fat junk. It's more expensive and doesn't taste as good. Chip recently lost 35 pounds making a simple change to his diet. He stopped eating any foods that have more than 5 ingredients. I have started my low-carb diet once again and am finding it much easier this time around. I still have munchies late at night but so far the only temptation I was unable to resist was eating 1 bite of Chase's fried rice from our favorite Chinese place. I do miss pasta but I know that later on I will be able to have it, just in smaller portions. For right now, I typically have bacon or a hardboiled egg with a chunk of cheese for breakfast. A low-carb tortilla with meat and cheese for lunch and for dinner a big salad with nuts, strawberries, and some type of meat for dinner. Keep your fingers crossed that I am successful this time around :)
ReplyDeleteIn the past couple years, I've slowly started to make the same transitions. I (mostly) refuse to buy any kind of breads (aside from a regular sandwich loaf.) This means no canned biscuits or rolls, no pie crusts, no "baking mix," no cake mixes, etc. I'm trying to weed trans fat (aka partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredients list) from our diets.
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