a new look on food.

{just as a pre-cursor, i am not at all trying to be preachy or judgy. this is just something that has been on my mind a lot lately and has become very important to me, and so, naturally, i wanted to share a bit about it with all of you :)}

so if you follow me no instagram or twitter, you may have noticed that i've been talking a lot about food the last several weeks. ok, fine, i always talk about food - it's a big passion of mine - but recently, my passion for food has evolved into a passion for nutrition. i have pretty significantly changed the way i view food and, in turn, the way i eat. i have become very conscious of what i put into my body.

i think i have been on a journey toward this point for awhile now, choosing to take more trips to the local farmers market, starting to buy organic here and there, and buying less and less processed foods, primarily shopping the perimeter of the grocery store. but it really took a turn when i read this article about GMOs (genetically modified foods), posted by an amazing/inspiring chiropractic friend. it was unsettling, to say the least. it stirred up a lot of strong emotions in me. i was infuriated that we, the public, are so left in the dark about what we are eating and that the food industry is so heavily controlled by money, when what should be its driving force is providing consumers with fresh, healthy food options. it is all very f'ed up, i tell ya. there aren't even conclusive studies about the long-term effects of GMOs. scary.

here are just a couple of unsettling points from the article, in case you're interested (the article is long & a little bit dense, not the easiest read.. you can find a few more highlights from it in the google doc i created.)

There can be no scientific testing of the physical effects of GM foods on humans. Or animals, for that matter. It is not permitted. And of course there is no GMO limit in US foods, and no testing has ever been done because, remember, NOT ONE LAW has ever been passed regulating GM foods in America.

HOW MUCH OF THE AMERICAN DIET IS GM TODAY?
Best estimate: 80% of processed foods on supermarket shelves contain at least some GMOs, and at least 60% have GM as a primary ingredient.
In addition, virtually all confined animals are fed GM food almost exclusively, most of it GM soy.
 
In 1991. the policy commissioner of the FDA was Michael Taylor. Under his personal guidance the decision never to label GM foods in the US was ushered into policy and enshrined in an unassailable position. That decision has never been challenged.

from there, i started reading/researching nutrition like crazy, about herbicides and pesticides, how processed foods affect our health, all sorts of things that i was in the dark about. i also watched quite a few food documentaries, thanks to Netflix, such as Fresh, Forks Over Knives, Food Fight, and Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead (just to name a few... i'm kind of addicted). with all of this new, eye-opening information i had gained about food & how closely it is linked with health (the number one killer in the United States, heart disease, is a result of how people eat!), i knew i had to make a change to the way i ate; there was no going back.

for the first week, i followed the Paleo diet (which i now think involves too much meat), cutting out grains & dairy completely (except eggs), as well as any kind of processed food, which includes refined sugar.. (i have discovered, through this process, that sugar, or high-fructose corn syrup, is added to just about anything in a box/can/bag of food. argh). i just ate a whole lot of fruits and veggies. and let me tell you, i felt freaking amazing. i had not one stomach issue and i had never felt lighter. it felt so good. once i reintroduced dairy into the picture, i realized that i unfortunately must have some level of lactose intolerance. not enough to where i have to avoid it altogether, but i have started cutting back on it quite a bit (i used to drink milk and eat cheese like it was my job). i have started drinking vanilla coconut milk and it is delicious!

after reading all sorts of articles on the optimum diet//what's good for you/what's bad for you (there are a million different perspectives on nutrition, let me tell you), i decided, for now at least, that i would (mostly!) stick to a whole foods diet with no refined grains (buh-bye white bread, white rice, white pasta, etc.) and minimal amounts of refined sugars (honey and maple syrup are excellent alternatives). oh, and only organic and grass-fed meats (and dairy when possible), and mostly organic fruits and vegetables (i use the dirty dozen food list for reference.. i can't afford to buy everything organic!). i eat way more veggies and fruits than ever before & have only been eating meat once or twice a week (and fish usually once a week). and honestly, it hasn't even been that hard. (except the sugar thing, i have to splurge here and there. i can't live my life entirely without cupcakes, cookies and ice cream. no freaking way.) i feel so.much.better, so much healthier. and - bonus - i've even lost a few pounds. and i swear my skin looks better.

{available here}

{HELPFUL RESOURCES}

i've found the blog 100 Days of Real Food to be an incredible resource. (thanks Beth!) it answered so many of my questions and has a lot of great recipe ideas. i've also been loving Martha Stewart's Whole Living and the blog Deliciously Organic. i've been going to the farmers' market every weekend now, trying to buy as many foods locally as possible, including meats and cheeses. there are so many great reasons why buying local is best! i'm looking into using Door to Door Organics once the farmers' markets close down for the summer.

if you made it to the end of this, i am impressed (and happy!)  there is still so much i've left out... i could go on and on about all this. if you have any questions (or advice!) don't hesitate to email me. i really feel like God has given me a passion for food and nutrition, and i am excited to see where it will lead! i am even considering going back to school to get my Masters in Dietetics once joel becomes a (full-time) professor (i could take courses for free)! expect to see some healthy (but still delicious) recipes from me in the future :)

would love to know your thoughts on nutrition!