My food learning journey

So, in the past month and a half I’ve learned a ton about food. A lot! It started with chatting with a friend who mentioned to start avoiding ‘the whites’, white flour and white sugar. Which began the research on those items, leading me on a huge and exciting journey to learn more about nutrition, how our food is processed today, and what causes cancer in our bodies.

I love to learn. I wish I had this passion when I was in college, but I have it now. I love technology, books, and youtube. We are so very, very spoiled today with the ease of learning through technology! When I research, I dig, search, gather information from lots of places, analyze, talk with others, process it in my mind, pray, and try to walk away with a better view on things. Well, learning about food changed our lives. When I learned one new thing, I wanted to learn more. I went from topic to topic, and was amazed at the discoveries. I listened to podcasts, and read a little bit each night. I had many moments of ‘Holy crap! Do other people know this??’ Well, yes, if they do the research.

In short, we are doing the processed free way of eating, and eating along the lines of Weston A. Price. Whole foods, nutrient dense foods, vitamin and enzyme packed goodness. It’s a big undertaking, yes, but so very worth it. It wasn’t too hard for me, because I love to cook and already do a lot of preparing meal from scratch. We’ve made, and are still making little changes to our food, and the way we prepare it.

That’s the key. If you want to change your eating, don’t get overwhelmed and try to change too much at once, because there’s a lot that needs to be changed:) Just do one change at a time, and do what you can comfortably do. I’m crazy. I changed about three things at once, the white flour and sugar, and the cooking oils. I just got really excited from what I learned, and knew we could do it. Don’t be crazy like me:)

Besides learning about traditional cooking and such, there is one lady who taught me the most important things I never knew I’d learn, and her name is Dee Mccafrey. Her website is Processed Free America,  and she has seriously done her homework. She’s an organic chemist and diet counselor.

Back in the early 90s, the poor babe was 200 pounds and only 4’ 10. She was on a hike one day with her school class, and it was there she realized that she needed to change her life or she would die, from her health, eating habits, and weight. Previously, she tried many diets, but no success. The weight would come off, but come back with cravings and such.

The first thing she did on her journey was cut out white flour and white sugar. In 30 days, she lost 20 pounds. After walking for exercise, and going processed free for a year, she lost 100 pounds, and has kept it off for 20 years. She maintained her weight, awesome.

In that journey, she went back to studying and gained insanely important knowledge about our health and food. Her story intrigued me, and I read her recent book, this one:

Oh my goodness, if there is one book you read about food, read this one. It’s an easy to understand, and very well written. She shares her story, and then teaches us about the food we’re eating, how it affects our bodies, and how to make changes to improve. It’s fabulous.

So basically, I’ve learned so many great things, and I wanted to share them in some blog posts, a food series. For anyone out there who cares, and who is curious. The things I’ve learned are concerning, and exciting. I just want to write them down. I will say that after I learned about our food, and made the changes, going into a grocery store has never been the same. I  just become a TON more aware of everything. I became a food label detective. Many times, people pass me in the aisles as I stand there holding something in my hand, and reading the label. Actually, I don’t shop much in the middle of the store, just the perimeter now. Everything has changed, and it’s wonderful.

I’m hoping to talk about these things in their own post:

• Refined, white flour
• Refined, white sugar (I never knew that overconsumption of white sugar, which is in nearly every processed food,  sets the stages up for cancer in our bodies. Can’t wait to discuss that more.)
• Refined vegetable oils (My favorite discovery so far! Free radicals, wow.)
• Canola oil
• Agave nectar
• Salt
• High fructose corn syrup (who’s bright idea was this??)
• Lacto fermentation (Really old and cool way to get probiotics in our bodies, which fight cancer)
• The movie “Food inc”
• Coconut Oil (Oh, my love! The best stuff ever!!)
• Healthy fats (Guess what? Butter, whole milk, and cream don’t make you fat. Sugar and fructose does.)
• Making cream cheese and whey (You need whey, and other items, for lacto fermentation.)
• MSG (Highly not good)
• Sodium Nitrate (Big cancer causing factor)

These are what I hope to cover, when I can. Trying my best to blog with family life and such. Thankfully, the kids slept in this morning so I could write this:)

Thanks for taking the time to read my little blog. I’ll do my best to share what I’ve learned:)