My Story: Seeking Perfection

I am such a lover of the Juice Plus+ products, but those who know me, know that I am the furthest thing from a sales person as one can get. In fact it stresses me out beyond belief. Despite the fact I sat side by side two of the best sales people I know for two years and heard every tactic and approach out there (I could coach someone to do sales no problem!), I still nerve out and babble if you ask me to sell and I give the prospect every possible out and am probably welcoming them to say "no".

So I have a hard time figuring out my approach to people I genuinely want to share Juice Plus+ with--whether I think their profession fits, their passion for good health or because they have health issues that I know Juice Plus+ could have help turn around. Sometimes I even feel guilty that I have not shared JP+ with certain people but my sales-aversion keeps me from it. The thing is, I know JP+ is a wonderful thing for everyone.

They say to tell your "story" when sharing Juice Plus+. Some people have great stories--and I love to hear them. People who were in pitiful health and made a complete turn around through Juice Plus+ and changing their diet to whole foods. People who beat the odds with cancer. People who got off years of medication. Children who kicked what doctors had thought would be life-long problems. But what do I have? A young woman who has always been pretty darn healthy, always eaten pretty decent and always been pretty fit? Why am I using Juice Plus+ and how do I know it's even doing anything for me?

Well today it struck me... "young woman"... Yes I still fit that bill, but at the same time... I am just over a year from entering the next decade of my life. A decade, when they say, I'll start seeing some of the "youth" of my body and its ability to recover from anything slip away. I am young...but not THAT young. And then the second thought hit me... When I started taking Juice Plus I was only 25. An age when anybody should be in great health--and I was. My story is that I am trying to write as perfect of a story as possible. I'm trying to hold on to that health as long as possible.

I was fortunate enough to be raised in a very whole-food aware family eating organic veggies from our garden, shopping organic before it was easy readily available... steering clear of processed foods... And about the time I was really out "on my own" (two years out of college and spreading my wings) I was introduced to Juice Plus+. It helped me refocus on the importance of what we fuel our bodies with--not to mention I started using the products to increase my fruit and vegetable intake since I did not exactly have a large income to be buying the healthiest stuff in the world. 

It's been four years and it's actually exciting for me to realize that I have done this for myself for four years... I know JP+ is doing wonders for me because there are not just one, two or three--Over 30 and growing--published scientific research studies proving it IS doing something for me... And, well, to put it most simply, I trust science. 

What's most exciting for me is to think all the years I have ahead. Some people only find out about JP+ once sickness or disease strikes. I have it building in my system now and am creating such a foundation of good health. It's not to say I won't get sick or I won't encounter disease even. But this gives me the confidence that if/when I do... my body will handle it 100x better than it ever would have without this foundation I've built into my make-up for years. 

My victory story with Juice Plus+ isn't that I had a major turn around or recovery. It's that I plan to maintain my age 25 health for as long as possible. 

Sugar Count? ...Ain't Nobody Got Time Fo' Dat!

I will start off by admitting I do not have numbers for you this week. And I will also admit that while I did better in some aspects this week, I did much worse with the overarching goals: No Sugar.

Well, I think I did worse at least... While I did continue to track my food and sugar content this week, the problem came in the fact Mingus packed LouLou "over the river and through the woods" to Mamaw's house in Indiana. 

While Mingus and I are very conscious of our food intake and working to get good nutritional value (and keep out the bad stuff), we are far from perfect. This means, when we travel, usually fast food is involved. That's where things got dicey this week. Over the three days we were away from home we had Long John Silvers, Chick-Fil-A and Arby's. Additionally, we also ate Mexican out with the family. It's not that we indulged in treats on any of these occasions. I even passed on Chick-Fil-A's Polynesian Sauce after I looked at the ingredients and saw that high fructose corn syrup was the first thing listed. (I shouldn't be surprised at all, but it was still a major disappointment... I love that stuff!) We skipped sodas and really we just ate sandwiches and fries on all occasions (minus the Mexican of course). But based on what I am learning about sugar's sneaky ways of getting into our foods, something tells me those sandwiches and fries had sugar in them--at least to some extend, if not a major extent. 

I know I probably could spend a good chunk of time with Dr. Google and find out the exacts on everything I ate, but, really... Ain't nobody got time fo' dat.

In addition to the fast food, we weren't overly picky about the food that was available to us and I'm sure we picked up a little extra sugar in things like the peanut butter I ate or the crescent rolls for breakfast.

Next confessions: I used my once a week cheat allowance.

32oz Frozen Margarita: 156g Sugar Source

Mingus and I split a frozen margarita... Although we didn't exactly split it as half of it was remaining when we left the restaurant. Neither of us had had one in ages. For whatever reason, I felt better about this being my 'cheat' than something like cake. Maybe, because it's truly something I rarely indulge in and in the big scheme of things, when Lent is over, I hope to avoid indulging in sugary treats on a regular occasion (ie, any time the opportunity presents itself) and only for the rarities. The margarita is a perfect example: something I don't have the opportunity to enjoy too often. (The fact Mingus and I agreed, together, to allow this cheating moment also made it feel OK. He and I are in this together.)

Since it was my 'cheat', I did look up the sugar content of the margarita. I found that a standard 32oz drink has 156g of sugar!! Wowzers! Luckily, Mingus and I only had a 20oz drink... But only drank half of it (10oz) and I (at most) had half of that (5oz)... Which means I had approximately 24g of sugar. Still...so much sugar from 5oz!

Considering what this week could have meant... I did really well. Before our margarita splurge we'd attended our nephew's 4th birthday party, complete with a beautiful cake and scrumptious looking cupcakes. I originally thought this would be my cheat... But when it came time for cake cutting, it just didn't seem worth it. Probably the harder temptation to turn down this week was a brownie... Ooooh brownies. Nothing gets me quite like a ooey, gooey, chewy brownie full of chocolate goodness... But I resisted nonetheless.

At home, everything actually progressed (if that makes up for the weekend at all..) The only bad sugar I consumed came from ketchup, hot dog buns and one can of Campbell's soup. All other sugar was primarily natural occurring with a few things that had natural sweeteners like honey and agave syrup.

What I have learned is what a HUGE amount of sugar--naturally occurring sugar--we get from our fruits. It's crazy actually and when you do realize this, you truly understand why there is absolutely no reason to add sugar to your diet. Our bodies do need some, yes, but when you can easily get more than enough from a single apple, the refined sugars are completely uncalled for. I eat raisins practically everyday because of my oatmeal which means I'm probably getting over 20g of sugar just from that!

Source

If you are more of visual person, this blog post gives a very simple and easy to understand picture of how much sugar we get from fruits, as well as from other foods. Take a look...then consider what you're eating for breakfast... or what you are feeding your kids for breakfast. 

Source

On to another week... No major traveling happening so hopefully I'll be back on track!

Sugar Dump Week 1: 9g/day... Fail?

One week of NO SUGAR (well, refined sugars to be specific) down ...aaannnd... How'd I do?

Excellent...yet failed miserably at the same time!

As promised, I have been keeping record of what I'm eating each day to track my sugar intake. I've kind of categorized things in 3 ways:
     - Naturally occurring sugars (like those in fruit)
     - Natural sweeteners (like honey, agave)
     - Refined Sugars (sugar, high fructose corn syrup)

With the first two, it's hard to track my sugar intake unless they are being used within another food that I bought at a store and the nutritional info is listed. For example, I've eaten a lot of grapes and pineapple this week... NO idea the sugar on those so they are not included in my totals; I simply mark them on my sheet to denote I DID get sugar from them. (Although I'm sure I could research online and get the info easy enough.) On the other hand, I bought a bag of apples and they had nutritional info.... 16g of sugar per (what they considered a) small apple! Perfect example of why there is absolutely NO reason to ever add sugar to your diet!

And I'll tell you one thing I've already learned... What's the fastest way to get me to refill the honey pot? Tell me I can't have sugar!! Our squeeze bear and our honey pot have both been empty for a couple of months now... We have VERY limited honey left from what we extracted two years ago (plus it's a sticky mess to refill), so both Mingus and I have put off refilling either... But, let me tell you, two days into no sugar you can bet I was digging out what honey we had left!

But, the point is, I did consume honey last week... in multiple things... I can't really track that one either, assuming it brings some type of sugar into my system. 

So total, for what I could track--of good and bad sugars--I consumed 233g last week, averaging 33g a day. How much was refined sugar? 63g... 27% of it. I averaged 9g of refined sugar a day even when I was cutting out everything to the best I could!! Now just imagine how much sugar I have been getting on a daily basis when I WASN'T cutting it out? When I was enjoying bagels, instant oatmeal, ice cream, chocolate...

So here's where my refined sugar came from:

• Pasta Sauce: It's REALLY hard to find it without sugar... And we figured we didn't want to throw out what we already had open so this was definitely our biggest downfall. The Ragu we had contained 12g in 1/2 a cup of sauce!!
• Ketchup: We LOVE our Brook's ketchup... Bad news... It has high fructose corn syrup :( But, again, we didn't want to waste what we already have open, but it has 5g/2T!
• Store-bought breads: hotdog and burger buns plus any bread. I guess I need to get back to making my own and not just bumming a loaf a week off of my mom! These breads had 3g/serving... And sugar was actually listed as an ingredient. I'm sure our bread has sugar, but in the natural way and from the honey.
• Balsamic Vinegrette Dressing: It's open in our fridge and for the little bit that is in there I have gone ahead and used it on the salads I made this week.... 4g/2T...
• Ritz Crackers: For the record, I only ate a few... Because the packet was already open and would go bad if they sat for 40 days!

So, you can see, it's not like I was consuming the obvious sugar-loaded foods. In fact... most of the things we ate that had refined sugar were very minor amounts (in comparison to most sugar foods), but it adds up so quickly! Again, if I'm getting 9g/day and really trying to keep the stuff out... just imagine the overload we all get when we're not paying attention?

Has it been hard? Yes and no. 

Ironically, the hardest and most tempting place I've been has been church! Darn the good people and their delicious baked goods!! Both on Ash Wednesday and after Sunday mass there was food in the basement. I know I gave myself the "cheat once a week" rule and I was SO tempted to use it this past Sunday, but I opted out... I knew if I just got out of there I wouldn't regret not touching any of those donuts or pastries... 

The other hard part is breakfast... Not so much at home. I have been fixing oatmeal, but last Friday I headed out early. There was absolutely nowhere I could stop and grab something to eat, particularly because, in combination with the no sugar, as a Catholic I don't eat meat on Fridays... so no breakfast sandwiches either. At least I thought of my limited options before I left the house and I grabbed an apple... (16g of sugar right there--but natural!)

I did make a trip to Whole Foods to shop for items we needed (spaghetti sauce) and items I could use for snacking throughout the day. (This breastfeeding thing keeps me hungry constantly!) While I did not find teriyaki sauce or pasta sauce with zero sugar... I did find it with either organic cane sugar, cane syrup or agave syrup instead. In fact, everything I got at whole foods that had some amount of sugar content, I was able to get with one of those natural, organic sugars/sweeteners.

How did the shopping trip turned out?

Having new, safe, healthier snack options in the house has saved me big time! It's kind of funny when I think about it... I thoroughly enjoy snacking on what my options have been this week: grapes, pineapple, apples, sesame sticks, dried fruit and nuts, rice crackers, sweet potato chips, peanut butter... I think my past problem has been two fold: (a) I have bad sweets available in the house (b) As long as those sweet treats are there, the 'healthy' snacks don't appeal.

Mingus has been happy with his decision to nix the sugar as well. While we don't keep soda on hand, he typically drinks it for lunch and cutting it is definitely helping him. We've enjoyed a lot of popcorn for our late night snack (no microwave of course). 

Oh... And I have found my ice cream substitute: plain organic yogurt with honey and a drop of vanilla... Yum!!

A Sweet Farewell

It's official. No sugar.

Or something pretty darn close.

After paying attention to everything in our pantry over the past two weeks, I realize that completely cutting sugar will be next to impossible. Luckily, it will be easier since Mingus has decided to take on this Lenten goal with me. (Meaning he won't be tempting me with sweet treats and stuffing the cabinets full of things I can't touch.)

I admit, we've kind of gone overboard on sugar the last couple of weeks, knowing we were going this direction. We used the excuse of giving it up to kind of overdose lately. (I was also using the excuse that I needed to eat up anything in the house that would be tempting me later!)

So, I won't be eating anything that is outright sugary. However, I'm giving myself a couple of rules of allowance since this is a bit extreme.
(1.) If I make it from scratch, we can eat it. (With a 4 month old, a part time job and plenty of house work, it's not like I have time to bake cookies and cakes on a daily basis or anything.) I usually try to use at least partial honey as my sweetener anyway.
(2.) I'll give a once a week exception to a sweet treat.

Having mentioned honey already, I should note that we are OK with natural sweeteners like this.

Here are a few things that are going to be hard to work with:

• Pasta Sauce: Mingus tried to find one without sugar over the weekend at our regular grocery with no such luck. Pasta is an easy staple, so we will probably still make it with our current sauce, but we are on the look out for something better at a health food store. (We also have a couple of jars of our homemade, but we're saving that for a rainy day.)
• Teriyaki Sauce and Soy Sauce: Another go-to staple in our house is stir-fr. We always have veggies and rice in the house and usually some chicken breast or tofu. Again, though, these sauces have sugar/high fructose corn syrup. We will be using Tamari in place of the Soy (Tamari is REAL soy sauce... as in ONLY soy... Why it isn't called 'soy' sauce, I cannot tell you...) We'll have to keep looking for a healthy teriyaki option
• Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing: Probably our most usual salad dressing for our quick salads we eat with a lot of meals. We have made our own dressings in the past and it looks like we might need to get back to that.
• Crackers: A lot of crackers have some sugar in them, so it's just something else we'll have to pay attention to when shopping. Also, I've taken to liking Wheat Thins as a snack, but they will definitely be out during this process. (Graham crackers will too obviously.)
• Peanut Butter: We're actually OK with this one. We currently have a jar of Earth Balance peanut butter and its only sweetener is agave nectar. However, I know a lot of PB has plenty of sugar in it. 

Since I can't give up sugar completely at this point, I am going to do my best to track how much sugar I do have in a day's time. I'll write down the amount in anything that has a food label. Now, things like fruits and veggies all have an amount of natural occurring sugars in them I'm sure and I won't know how much I'm getting from these, so I'll just note if I ate certain fruits on a given day. I'm very curious to see how much sugar my body is still getting when I'm cutting out the obvious sugars.

Wish me luck and good luck to you and your Lenten sacrifices and penances. May it be a blessed season of reflection for us all. 

Now back to my last pint of ice cream I'll be enjoying for awhile...

Confession: I Have the World's Biggest Sweet Tooth

It's true... I love sweets way more than any person who claims to be a "healthy eater" ever should and still claim to be "health conscious".

FitSugar.com: The Battle of Added and Natural Sugars

I'm not just any one kind of sweet tooth either. I love chocolate--all forms: brownies, hot chocolate, mochas, Valentine's Day chocolate, M&Ms, cookies... I'll stop before I have to go hunting around the house for a snack...

I love candy--suckers, skittles, suck-ons, mints, gummies, starbursts.....
I love ice cream--bars, cones, sherbet, frozen yogurt, soft serve, from a store, from a carton....
I love pastries--donuts, cupcakes, cookies, breads, scones, cakes...
I love drinks--lattes, cappuccinos, frappes, sodas, juices...

And even when I'm trying to be "healthy", I often attempt to 'disguise' my sugar-love... By getting a bagel instead of a donut...but getting the cinnamon sprinkled (+sugar) bagel... Or by eating oatmeal instead of Lucky Charms--but that instant oatmeal is full of sugar itself. 

But when it comes down to it, I KNOW... I know, know, know, sugar is terrible for me. There is absolutely nothing good about sugar for me... Nothing. The natural sugars in fruits, veggies, etc, are all my body needs. 

You’ll Stop Eating Sugar After Reading This Post

I know all of this, but, oh, how our world is filled with sugar. Sugar is even in the things we least expect, making it that much harder to cut out or steer clear of the sneaky sweetener.

It's funny, though, isn't it, that we are super concerned with keeping sugar away from our youngsters, yet we are completely OK with making the exception for ourselves? Is it because have fooled ourselves into thinking we only make our kids avoid it as to avoid the "sugar buzz" effect--and not the actual health aspect of it: that sugar is NOT good for our kids? Because if we face this fact, we must also face the fact that it is also NOT good for us!

My sister posted a link to this article and it's gotten me thinking about my sugar addiction--because, let's be honest, that's what it is. (Thank goodness Mingus and I try to keep most sugars out of our house, but I'm still amazed at the amount here...hot chocolate, ice cream, graham crackers, granola bars, canned fruit, yogurt...) 

I've been recently thinking about what I will give up for Lent this year. Luckily, Easter is coming late in 2014, making Ash Wednesday not come until March, meaning I have more time do make up my mind about my Lenten sacrifice (and I got to enjoy Valentine's Day sweets). Reading this post about sugar, and having a young baybo who will sooner rather than later be looking to me as an example, I think I have decided what I will do for Lent.

I would like to give up sugar completely. I really have no idea, though, how realistic this is and know going to an extreme like that is asking for failure. As slide #13 says, "Sugar is Sneaky". It's true. It has so many forms and names on labels. Of course, looking at the nutritional facts is the easiest way to find out sugar content. But how many things is sugar in that I don't even realize as I type this??

No Sugar, More Spice Blog

So, my goal over the next two weeks, before March 5, is to pay attention to labels--especially of the things I keep in the house and eat regularly. (Yes, yes...obviously I KNOW my instant oatmeal is out!) I will definitely cut out all obvious sugars--candy, ice cream. I will allow for honey as a sweetener as well as other natural sweeteners. As this article points out, it's the sugar we ADD to things that makes our intake level so poor. I think if I can go the 40 days of Lent with much LESS sugar--all while becoming aware of where it is hiding--it may help me at least cut back on the amount I consume after the fact. After all, Lent is how I learned to like to drink my coffee black! I found this blog to help keep me motivated.

How much does sugar run your life and you don't even think about it? Please take a moment to flip through these slides to read a little more into just how BAD sugar is for us--cancer stimulant, bad on our skin, addictive, an energy-suck, immune system killer and the REAL reason we're all FAT--the list goes on and on. Honestly, the cancer part scares me most, as I know too many people who get it and you never really know why... meaning I'm just as viable a candidate for it as anyone.

You don't have to go to the extreme of giving it up completely--I admit that's hard, but at least start becoming aware of the amount of sugar you consume on a daily basis and try cutting it out with some of the easier daily decisions--like in your beverages--skip the sugar in your coffee or pass on the soda. This article will help you figure out what sugar substitutes are actually OK for you--as opposed to those trying to pose as a positive alternative, when really they are no better, maybe worse. 

Everything begins with baby steps.

~~~~~~~~
Food for Thought:

"Sugar is added to dozens of foods you didn't know about, especially "healthy" options. A 2013 study by the University of Copenhagen shows that sugar actually aids the growth of malignant (cancerous) cells." -25 Reasons to Stop

"We cannot treat our way out of the cancer problem. More commitment to prevention and early detection is desperately needed in order to complement improved treatments and address the alarming rise in cancer burden globally." -Excessive Sugar

"Twenty years ago I wasn’t sure, but now there's little doubt in my mind  that artificial sweeteners can be far worse for you than sugar and fructose, and there is plenty of scientific evidence to back up that conclusion." -Sugar Substitutes

Sports Talk: Run The Bluegrass--Why Not?

As a correspondent sports writer for The Casey County News, I write an weekly editorial column for the publication. Published Feb. 5, 2014.  
January is over so it's time we all ask ourselves... How are those New Year's resolutions going??

Good, great or not so great is not the point. The point should be that no matter how you're doing on a goal you've set for yourself, any day can be the day to buckle down; not just the start to the year.
 
If you're looking for something to give you a little extra motivation on a fitness related goal, I have just the thing for you: the Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon.
 
This race, which covers the beautiful horse farms of Lexington, takes place on March 29--exactly two months away. And don't worry--if you don't think you're cut out for a 13.1 mile race, they offer a seven mile option.
 
I love that there is a seven mile option. This is long enough to be more of a challenge than your typical 5K, but not so daunting to train for as a half or full marathon.
 
In addition to being a great race that's not far away at all, it's considered America's prettiest half-marathon's, attracting runners from across the country. The event itself is more than just a race, aimed to show off all the beauty of our state and some of its stand out features--like our horses and bourbon.
 
One of the really cool things this year's race has focused on is their Guest of Honor, Heather Abbott of Newport, Rhode Island. Heather was one of the victims of the 2013 Boston Marathon and has since had her lower left leg amputated. Heather and a loved one will be attending the race and get a full Bluegrass experience while the race coordinators are encouraging race participants to donate toward helping with her medical expenses for the prosthetic leg. Their goal is $10,000 and they were well past $5,000 as of December.
 
I should also mention, for anyone who has already signed up for the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon, which will be held on April 19, the two races have created a partnership, The Kentucky Half Classic. Those who finish both races get all sorts of awesome amenities like a unique finisher's medal and exclusive access to food, drinks and bathrooms.
 
Look to some of those in our community who hit major milestones last year--Nell Duggins, Erica Turner and J.J. Tarter who all became Iron Women. If you need words of encouragement for achieving your goals--whether it be this race or something much simpler--I guarantee you there are people nearby ready to give you whatever motivation you need to remind you that you can accomplish your goals.
 
January may be over but don't let that be the end of your 2014 goals!

Follow the Run the Bluegrass Facebook Page

After 3 Years... I finally said, "I Do!"

Our relationship really began more than three years ago, but you were more just like a good friend that I took for granted. Either way there is no denying that you helped me grow and develop into the woman I became and even though I definitely went through an era of blowing you off more than embracing you, you were always there and I always knew you were an important part of my life.

Then, three years ago, I looked back to my roots and to the ups and downs myself and those close to me had been through. I knew it was time to bring you back into my life and embrace you and all you were willing to do for me. So I did. Healthy eating and getting the nutrients my body yearned for became a daily part of my life again, as well as my husband's (then boyfriend). With that, together we began eating healthy meals together, made from whole, raw fruits and vegetables. We set on a track to begin gardening and preserving our own foods. We also began taking Juice Plus+.

Source

My commitment to "walk the walk" about healthy eating really began three years ago, as Mingus and I were dating and his food allergies (no dairy, eggs, red meat) forced him to do a lot of in-home cooking. At this time I also began to understand that even with my best efforts to eat well, fruits and vegetables were miracle workers when it came to my health and getting enough on a daily basis was next to impossible. In addition to smoothies being part of "walking the walk", Juice Plus+ also became a part of this walk.

Most people need to be told to "walk the walk" if they are going to "talk the talk". I, on the other hand, have spent three years walking the walk and have finally taken up the courage to "talk the talk".

I'm the furthest thing from a salesman anyone could be as I don't even like to push my general opinions with people unless I know they are are on the same page as me. (Unless we're talking about the color purple. I'll always tell you it's the best color ever.) 

But after three years of learning about Juice Plus+ and making it a part of mine and my husband's life and knowing our good health is a results of it, I can no longer not talk the talk. So I made the commitment to no longer be scared to bring the product to other people, if for no other reason than to simply reinforce and educate people on the unbelievable things fruits and vegetables can do for our health and futures. Health solutions are not all about medications and drugs after the fact. Prevention is a lot easier and cheaper. 

We all know fruits and veggies are healthy for us, but I don't think most people understand the miracle workers they are--and how badly we ALL need MORE of them with the direction our overall health as a society is headed.

I have much to share overtime about Juice Plus+ and why I've chosen to take it, support it, and now share it, but here are the highlights:

• It's whole-food based nutrition (REAL fruits and vegetables, check the ingredients for yourself)
• Fruits and vegetables have important antioxidants and phytonutrients our bodies need that we cannot get through vitamins or anything besides the fruits and veggies themselves, but eating enough a day, everyday, is VERY hard. Juice Plus+ helps bridge the gap.
• Currently 29 Juice Plus+ published research studies have been conducted in leading hospitals and universities around the world proving its value--That's not to mention the studies that have not been published.
• It's not a multivitamin, medicine, treatment or cure for any disease. It's prevention and has been proven in numerous studies to improve poor health.

Juice Plus+ or not, start considering how you can get more fruits and veggies in your daily routine even if you're healthy as a horse. Future you will thank you.

A Cart Full of Junk

I had a realization about myself on a shopping trip this week. Mingus was prepping for a four-day camping trip and I was having a couple of girl friends down, so I wasn't on a regular grocery trip. It was definitely a defined list of items he need (wanted) for camping and some things I knew my friends and I would enjoy (as well as I few easy dinner/snack items for the days when I was home solo). 

As I pushed my cart around Walmart I became more and more self-conscious about its contents and the items I was adding to it. What a disaster. Soda, hot dogs, oatmeal cream pies, bacon, white buns, chips, cinnamon rolls....Yikes! By the time I was through I looked at my cart and I honestly couldn't remember the last time I'd had such a junk-filled trip. 

Now, in the back of my mind I knew a few self-redeeming things about this trip:

1. There were some OK things in the cart: oranges, grapes, potato salad...
2. Our trips are never very produce section heavy... Why? Because we rely on our garden for our produce for the most part. A bulk of our food--even meat--we produce ourselves. We eat whatever we have in season. And while I am glad people shop out of the produce section, I find comfort in knowing we have our home-grown goods, which I know exactly how they were grown--chemical free.
3. This particular trip was a one of a kind.... Filled with items we NEVER buy, but I'm fine with letting me or Mingus splurge on junk when it's a rare fun event with friends.

Despite these things, I still felt like the crazy pregnant lady with the food I was buying. That's when it hit me that what was bothering me wasn't about fatty, sugary or high calorie foods. It was about the literal JUNK in the "foods" (if you can call some of it that) in my cart. To think people thought The JUNK in these things would be going into my body,and, in turn, into my baby's as well. 

Because of my small frame, I've always been fortunate to not have to worry much about my weight. I've had more and more friends, as I get older, pay attention to calories or certain diets in order to lose weight. I respect that--I hope I would/will have the discipline to follow a strict diet if I find myself in a situation of gaining too much weight. 

No, it's not about the fact I wasn't buying low-fat, low-sugar, low sodium, weight-watcher friendly items. I realized what bothered me about this trip wasn't the lack of health labels on the items in my cart. It was what FDA doesn't require: all of the bizarre, weird, unpronounceable junk listed under "ingredients"--and worse off, the randomness that goes into those things that aren't required on the label. 

It's what makes me eat an oatmeal cream pie and, while loving it, still asking myself exactly what makes it sooo good and last for months on end without going bad. It's what makes me gag a little when I drink too much soda, wondering what exactly goes into the sugary syrupy substance that makes it sweet. It's what makes me not even want to look at the ingredients list when I know I already know it's incredibly too long full of things no common person has ever heard of. 

All I can think of looking at a cart like I was pushing are the chemicals going into my body, my husband's body and my baby's growing body. And the thing is, I know that by eating all of the junk in my cart I probably won't see immediate effects (maybe a tummy ache if I ate it all at once).  My fear is the future. 

It seems new allergy problems are becoming common on a regular basis in our society. More and more people experience heart and health problems at an earlier age. That's not to mention cancer--something it seems no one can hide from. I can't help but wonder and fear, as I eat things full of weird ingredients, that I am setting myself up for a future of dealing with weird food intolerance, other health issues, or heaven forbid, cancer. 

I am far from a "perfect" eater. I have the world's worst sweet tooth, salty foods call my name, and I've definitely used pregnancy as a crutch for my ice cream weakness. As terrible as it is, I love McDonald's french fries. I do put bad things in my body. But I do usually feel badly about it and I try my very best to balance these impulses with also eating fresh goodness from our garden, taking my Juice Plus and putting off the time until my next splurge.

Despite your weight or body type, start taking some note of the extra "junk" you are putting in your body. You don't have to become a saint about leaving it out, but remember there are so many unknowns about what effects these things we consume are having on our bodies and health. The least you can do is be sure you are balancing out the bad with plenty of good: lots of organic fruits and vegetables. 

My favorite easy, quick clean-up meal: Foil Dinners

What's the easiest meal for anyone to fix at home?

One ready for the oven with no clean up of course!

What does this usually require? Usually it means you're fixing a freezer meal and one already prepped in some sort of disposable pan or cooking device that can simply be pitched after the fact avoiding the chore of cleaning the kitchen when you really want to just veg out after finishing your dinner. 

However, this also usually requires a sacrifice in the nutrition and health of your meal.

Prepping freezer meals in advance from scratch is a great idea, but I have a favorite solution that can be done the day of--but at any time of day--and the only tools you will have to clean from prep will be your cutting board, a chopping knife and potentially a bowl and fork.

When I make foil dinners, it's usually on an occasion when I know my evening will be busy so I don't want to have to mess with prepping a meal and, even better, I don't want to deal with making a mess that requires cleaning that evening or the next morning.

Ingredients I typically use:
-Potatoes
-Carrots
-Onion
-Garlic
-Ground Meat
-Salt
-Pepper
-Butter
**I add other ingredients as we have them. Last week I also included green beans and cabbage. Other herbs or seasonings would be fine too.

Here is the process:
1. Tear a piece of foil approximately 18-24" long. (This is dependent on how much you plan to pack into your foil dinner.) Tear foil for each person you plan to feed.
2. Chop you potatoes and carrots (and other veggies) into bite size pieces. I usually quarter my onion and keep the chunks together. Lay your veggies on each foil piece, dispersed evenly. Chop or press garlic over and add to veggies also.
3. Sprinkle salt and pepper over veggies (and any other seasonings of choice.)
4. If using meat, mix ground meat with salt and pepper and any other seasoning of your choice. Make into a patty and lay on top of your veggies.
5. Add butter to top of your "pile" of veggies and meat. Half to 1 tablespoon pieces should be placed throughout the top. Judge the amount to use based on the amount of vegetables you are using on each foil dinner. 
6. Wrap the foil tightly around your meal. Afterwards, use a second piece of foil to warp a second layer around each meal. This will not only help hold the heat in for cooking, but it will also help keep the butter in with your meal as it melts.
7. Your wrapped meals can but kept in the fridge until you are ready to throw them in the oven. I cook them around 375-425 for an hour and a half to two hours. 

It's nice to prep this meal in the morning or early afternoon or have it ready on a weekend when I know I may get caught up in a project and not want to have to quite in order to start on dinner. For eating, you simply open up the foil and eat off of a bowl or plate. The foil can be disposed of and, aside from your plate and fork you have nothing to clean in the kitchen!

Yes, this meal still takes more effort that a trip for fast fast food or a frozen meal from the grocery, but it's a great way to serve up fresh produce or veggies from your own garden and keep it extra healthy.

Where's our microwave? ...In the attic...

I have come to not notice my home's lack of a microwave. It's not until we have a guest and I spot them surveying the kitchen in confusion.

"What do you need?"
I expect an answer like: "A fork." "A cup." "The salt."
Instead I get: "Where's your microwave?"

That's when I remember we're weird and it's in the attic because we put it there shortly after moving in.

I actually had gone over a year without a microwave prior to my husband and I living together. When Jo and I lived together in Louisville neither of us brought a microwave. She said she had one at her parent's house (or had access to one) and would bring it, but it was never a big deal to the two of us. Our apartment kitchen was small with limited counter space so eventually we got used to not having one and were fine without it. We ate things cold or heated them by stove top or oven. Both of us were gone often on weekends due to our significant others living over an hour away so besides dinner on week nights, we didn't eat at the apartment a ton anyway.

When Mingus and I moved to The Loft in The Valley, family had furnished the living space with lots of furniture and kitchen supplies. We packed much of it away, especially after the wedding, since we had our own furnishings.

Ironically, there were actually two microwaves when me moved in. We put one away immediately for obvious reasons. The other we sent to the attic a month or two later after beginning to learn more about the negatives of a microwave.

I do still use a microwave from time to time, like at my work office. I don't hate them, but I figure the more I can cut the use of it on my food out of my life, the better. 

In addition to the health benefits, I find not having a microwave is just a healthy habit in general. We are such a rushed society. The reality is, I can heat soup or water pretty quickly on the stove top. Maybe not in 60 seconds, but in a matter of minutes. We also have a toaster oven when we want to reheat leftovers. Again it takes a little longer than a microwave, but it can still be done in a matter of minutes.

One of the harder things to get used to was thawing foods--meats to be specific. As mentioned in my last post, we've cut out most freezer meals anyway, so quick lunches or dinner done in the microwave aren't common. However, if it's Tuesday afternoon and I realize we have no thawed meat, I better start deciding what we'll fix for dinner. If I need to thaw something, I better get it out now and possibly set it in a warm spot to speed along the process. 

Again, though, having done it for nearly two years now, it's just the way it is and no longer an inconvenience. It actually helps with our eating and cooking style to have another reason to plan ahead. Since we don't fix pre-prepared meals, it's good to decide the day before or early in the day what we'll have for dinner. Not only do I then make sure we have things thawed as needed, but that the pantry holds whatever else we need. If it doesn't it gives me a chance to have Mingus stop on his way home from work.

Here's a blog post that goes a little more in depth on their decision to do without a microwave and how they adjusted by replacing the toaster and the microwave with a toaster oven. As this contributing writer to The Humbled Homemaker says:

"Sometimes convenience leads to bad habits and bad food."