Where We're Headed Food-Wise

When I started having some health issues last year (exhaustion, inflammation, joint pain, etc.) my doctor, without a clear diagnosis, wanted to start me on strong pharmaceutical drugs. I preferred, however, to try to find the cause so I could try to stop it naturally as opposed to covering up the symptoms with pain killers and other drugs. Through my research I learned that a lot of health issues can be lessened or cured by making sound food choices. That was the beginning of my foray into nutrition and what to eat and what not to eat to have the best possible life. I have learned so much this year about what is good for our bodies, what is harmful and the different eating plans people follow. The plans that really spoke to me were Paleo, primal and the diet recommended by the Weston A. Price Foundation. They vary in some ways but in common they eschew processed foods, sugars and over consumption of grains. They are a bit extreme to jump into so I have put together a plan that I think will work for us. It's a mixture of the Primal diet (I love this site: Mark's Daily Apple)and WAPF eating plans. Perhaps later on down the road I will pick one to stick to but for now I think I have come up with an eating plan where we won't feel deprived, that will be easy to follow and will make us healthier.

Moving abroad and having a cook is such a wonderful benefit and it also means I can completely revamp how we eat and that is what I intend to do. Following the 80/20 rule, I am going to menu plan so our meals prepared and eaten at home are healthy. If Naomi has crackers at school or a cupcake at a birthday party I am not going to sweat it. Likewise, if I have some bread when out at a restaurant or some dark chocolate I'm not going to beat myself up. I am going to strive for eating clean and healthfully 80% of the time.

So what does this entail exactly? Well to begin with we are going to eat as many organic foods as possible. I already do this in that I only buy organic foods in the "dirty dozen". I've already got that down so it won't be difficult to maintain.

The other things I plan to implement (most days) are:

no processed foods
no high fructose corn syrup
no soy or corn products (unless I can find some not genetically modified)
no dairy products with rBGH
no peanuts
no CAFO / fast food meats or eggs (i.e. only grass-fed)
no wheat
no white potatoes
no white sugars or artificial sweeteners
no dyes, chemicals, additives, preservatives, etc.

This may sound rigid, but it's really not. Different? Yes. More time and preparation required? Yes. More home cooking? Yes. It means we will eat mostly meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, coconut and olive oils, and sweets made with maple syrup, Stevia or honey. It's healthy, enjoyable, beneficial and manageable. Yeah, I am going to miss regularly scarfing down cereal, pizza, cookies and ice cream but we can still eat a large variety of foods and with the luxury of a cook I can inform her of what is allowed and what is not. That should make it easier and I am motivated to try to fully reclaim my health! I have already been feeling a lot better and my doctor is baffled at how my "disease" didn't progress as she had expected. I fully expect that I will look and feel even better with this new plan and what am I waiting for? Seriously. Do I want to start this when I'm 60? Moving abroad is the perfect starting point and I am excited for the results.

Meanwhile, I need to eat up all this food in three weeks!!

I know. It looks like a family of four lives here. Maybe I should throw a dinner party.