My Top Five

Hi to all, and thanks for reading my first blog post and coming back for more! 

Last post was related to my personal history and how I got interested in real food.  In this post, I'd like to briefly describe the top 5 changes I've made to my family's diet over the last couple months, so you can get a better idea of what you might be in for if you keep reading.

Even though I am relatively new to this, and it has not been long since I've implemented these strategies, I personally feel SO MUCH BETTER and have so much more energy than before.  I can also say that with patience and creativity, I have watched more REAL FOOD enter my picky eater's belly in the last month than ever before.  Let's just say, I'm hooked!


So here they are, my top five, not listed in any particular order.  I will be referring to these in future blogs and will include more details as I go. 

1) Clean Out the Pantry

Even after 4 years of being what I considered to be picky about what we ate, after all the reading I've done the last few months, I still managed to find a big bag of food items in our pantry that I just don't want to eat anymore. Like Progresso bread crumbs - read the ingredient list. And pretty much every item that is not organic, because I would like to limit my family's exposure to GMO's. Everything non-organic that has a corn or soy product in it (canola oil, soybean oil, high fructose corn syrup, soy protein isolate, etc) most likely contains GMO's. Read the research - you're not going to like what you find!
I have also cleaned out our bathroom and cleaning products, and I promise to blog soon about what products I now rely on to clean our house.

2) Minerals

Your body needs both MAJOR minerals (calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosporus, and chloride) and TRACE minerals to carry out virtually every bodily function.   They also aid the body in absorbing vitamins.  It is very difficult to take in enough minerals from the Standard American Diet (SAD - that's right!).
The ways I've been adding minerals to our diet is by adding in real bone broths to every meal I can, concentrated mineral drops into other meals I'm preparing, taking Epsom salts baths, and by using Himalyan sea salt (23 minerals!) instead of regular.  Oh, and this is also my excuse to consume Topo Chico whenever I want.  ;)


3) Probiotics

Your Yoplait claims to have probiotics, so you think you're covered, right?  WRONG.
Your doctor gave you a probiotic supplement, so you think you're getting plenty, right?  WRONG.
The fact is, one bite of lacto-fermented cabbage (aka sauerkraut) can contain trillions of beneficial bacteria, versus millions in a supplement.  And a more varied flora, which is also superior.  Most world cultures have a fermented food product (kimchi, miso, etc.)
You can also get probiotic goodness from kombucha, kefir, raw milk/cheese, and all kinds of other fermented veggies and condiments.


4) Full Fat

Basically the new theory on food is that fat has been given a bad rap - it's a concentrated form of energy that burns long and strong in your body.  When you see low-fat on a food product that is typically high in fat, run the other direction.  Think chemical shit storm.  What they are doing to the product to make it taste normal without the fat means they are processing the heck out of it or adding a bunch of nasty additives that your body doesn't need.  Plus if you don't eat any fat, you are always going to be hungry!

5) Local Meat and Dairy

I started buying local meat this summer, and I am still amazed by the difference in flavor.
I was previously buying mostly organic meat from the regular grocery store, which was severely limited in selection and totally frustrating.  For instance, at the nearest HEB, we have a choice of organic ground beef (not necessarily grass fed), grass fed beef (not necessarily organic), and several cuts of organic chicken (not necessarily free range).  UGH. 
The best surprise for me was that I can find good quality chicken, beef, pork, turkey, duck, and lamb - either at the farmer's market, Sand Creek Farm, or Farmhouse Delivery (my bi-weekly CSA delivery service). 
I am just now fully localizing our dairy through Sand Creek Farm, where I can get raw whole milk, kefir, yogurt, and many types of raw cheese.  It is so far amazing! Why would I switch from the organic milk at the grocery?  A couple reasons, one being that this milk is coming from a source that rigorously tests each and every cow they buy.  Another being that I believe pastuerization kills the beneficial organisms in the milk.  Finally, my daughter would only drink Central Market organic milk and that freaks me out.  Let's say I needed to buy the Randalls brand one day; well, she would not drink it.  Makes me wonder if they are using "flavor packs" in their milk, like the OJ companies do.



Ok, that's it for now.  I hope your head isn't spinning - I really want this blog to be as beginner-friendly as possible.  Please let me know if you have questions or other feedback for me! 
I've got posts coming soon describing our trip to Sand Creek Farm and Tales from the Brothal (hee hee hee, get it?).  Have a great day!
Jill