So, this photo doesn’t totally relate to what I’m about to say… I just saw it and thought it was funny, anyway…
I’ve been on this journey toward a healthier lifestyle for a while now. It’s something that’s been on my thoughts a lot. I was raised with some awareness of nutrition, but it definitely wasn’t a huge focus. We ate wheat bread and always had vegetables of some sort with dinner, but we also ate a lot of “low fat”, “lite”, and “diet” type processed foods. We ate our fair share of sugar coated cereals, “fruit” snacks, chips and soda. When I was a teenager, my dad was diagnosed with type II diabetes. He decided to treat it with diet and exercise rather than medication. I’m really proud of him for that. He read a lot about nutrition and got into the Zone diet. From there came a little more knowledge for me (like refined carbohydrates being a bad thing). I’ve always considered myself to be a relatively healthy eater, but I’ve done quite a bit of reading over the past year and I’ve learned a lot. I’ve realized that my previous habits really weren’t healthy at all.
I’m so glad that this knowledge has come my way now, so that I can raise my daughter with the same knowledge and teach her from this young age to nourish her body well and avoid things that will make her sick. I’m also glad that I’m changing these habits now because I want to be at my best for her. I want to have energy and be well so that I am better able to give of myself.
At this point I’m far from my ideal and that’s what this post is about. The ideal. I still eat dessert. I still eat cheese. I still don’t exercise like I ought to (ok, really, at all). I probably drink too much coffee and not enough water. But I’ve made some significant improvements over the last year and I don’t see myself going back, not at all. I feel so much better!! I can tell the difference in how I feel when I eat crappy food. It makes me feel crappy. I know that it was making me feel this way all along, I just never noticed before. I have more energy than ever before and quite frankly I’m the thinnest I’ve been since early high school, which is a super nice added bonus 
I’m looking forward to even more progress. I hope that you’ll do your own research and take your own steps toward better health… join me, won’t you? I could use some company!
Progress (I posted this recently, but I’m repeating it):
- I haven’t eaten meat since sometime in June 2007 (except for that one time at Mosaic when I didn’t notice the bacon in my broccoli salad until it was in my mouth. that was pretty funny
- I’ve cut way back on dairy (no cow milk, except in lattes, no yogurt, no creamy dressings and sauces and waay less cheese, if any, when I cook, etc.)
- I eat a salad and some green smoothie for lunch every day and I love love LOVE it! I also incorporate more raw food in general.
- Stopped eating processed packaged cereals and cut way back on packaged foods of all sorts.
- Stopped purchasing packaged drinks for myself and recently stopped drinking soda.
- Stopped chewing gum/mints. Too much packaging and artificial sweeteners and I used to have it all the time.
- Switched to this bread.
- Switched to natural cleaners, soaps, detergents, “shampoo” and deoderant
- Cut out bleached, refined grains (white bread, white rice, etc.)
- Avoid artificial colors, sweeteners, preservatives, additives.
Ideally Healthy:
- Green Smoothies
- (Sprouted) Whole Grains
- Almond (or other nut)/Rice Milk
- Healthy oils from raw: seeds, avocados, extra virgin coconut oil, nuts, flax seed, olive oil
- Vegetables (as much raw as possible)
- Raw, fresh fruits
- Drink lots of water
- Get 6-9 hours of sleep daily
- Buy locally grown, organic goods, preferably in season, as often as you can. (CSA)
- Frequent exposure to natural sunlight often with no sunscreen (essential for mental health, bone density, vitamin D production, etc. – difficult for those of us in the Northwest!!)
- Don’t take prescription drugs or pharmaceuticals, I’m learning so much about the power of food/exercise/emotional health
- No following the USDA’s crazy Food Guide Pyramid
- No pills or supplements. Get the nutrition you need from whole foods.
- No fad dieting.
- Exercise regularly.
- Meditate, Journal, Pray (deal with emotions and stress)
Avoid List
- Sodium nitrite (causes cancer)
- MSG / monosodium glutamate (causes obesity and nerve damage)
- Hydrogenated oils (causes heart disease)
- High-fructose corn syrup / sugar / sucrose (causes diabetes and obesity)
- Artificial colors (causes behavioral disorders)
- Artificial Sweeteners (causes brain damage, optic nerve damage)
- Homogenized milk fats (cause heart disease and cardiovascular disorders)
- Red meat (causes heart disease and cancer)
- Processed meats like hot dogs, salami, pepperoni, etc. (contain sodium nitrate=cancer causing)
- Animal Protein (excess protein, especially animal protein, is bad for your health and ability to absorb things like calcium)
- Cows’ milk, cheese and dairy products
- Soft drinks, junk foods, snack foods or fast foods
- Processed foods such as cookies, crackers, frozen dinners, etc.
- Fried foods
- White flour and enriched flours.
- Refined carbohydrates such as breads, cereals, pastries, etc.
- Fruit juice drinks
- Brand-name laundry detergents/dryer sheets (loaded with toxic fragrance chemicals)
- Popular deodorants (contain aluminum)
- Popular shampoos / soaps / conditioners (all contain harmful fragrance chemicals)
- Diet for a New America by John Robbins
- Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman
- How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of your Doctor by Robert S. Mendelsohn, MD
- Green Smoothie Girl: website and blog
- The World’s Healthiest Foods - I love looking up different foods on this website and checking out their nutrient content as well as ways to prepare them.
- Disease Proof blog
