I used to be a person that didn't worry too much about what was in my food or in the products I used every day. I didn't educate myself on the toxins in the environment and thought people who only ate organic or lived "naturally" were being overly cautious. I didn't allow things to upset me or make me anxious in this area of my life. Even while I was pregnant with my first child I only limited the essential things the doctors told me to limit, such as deli meats, fish with mercury, or drinking alcohol. However, I had a friend that was much more cautious during her pregnancy and afterwards and I thought she was being silly staying away from nitrates in bacon for example or only buying her baby organic baby food or not buying Johnson and Johnson products because of what she heard was in them. Well, I am here to say that all that "silliness" is a reality and one that I wish we were all more aware of in America.
So, what has changed? Well, I started reading these blogs and learning about what is really in our foods. In the beginning I focused only on food, but recently I have started delving into the world of beauty products and household products. Do you remember the movie, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland where she goes down the rabbit hole? Well, that is what it feels like every day I learn something new. Honestly, buying organic and more natural, real food is so different. These are not the brands I grew up around and that has made shopping more difficult. I feel like it takes me so much longer to know what I need to buy and then read labels to see what is actually in the foods I want for my family. Having lived in California for a few years I had shopped at Whole Foods and Trader Joes. These stores offer some good choices for eating real food, but not everything in the store is "real food". So, you still have to read the labels and know what you are buying. Check out Food Babe's article on 100 Days of Real Food.
My first time back in Whole Foods since beginning this journey I was so overwhelmed. I went there because they had organic whole chickens on sale for a very low price. I told Kim I was going to check it out and when I got there I felt anxious and overwhelmed. I walked around the store looking at everything. They have a wonderful selection of fresh fruits and vegetables. They also have some great meat options and a beautiful deli area with a salad bar. However, I had no idea what to buy and like I said these products and brands were not what I grew up eating or buying. So, I went to look for the chicken. All I could find were very expensive chicken packages that said "Organic" or "All Natural". Then there were these whole chickens (which I had never bought before) and they were so small. I was used to buying chicken breasts that were twice the size of the whole chicken, so I left the store with nothing. Then, one day I was comparing the organic chicken breasts to the regular ones at my local grocery store and I realized the difference in the sizes of the breasts. It finally dawned on me that the reason those whole chickens were so small was because they were not being pumped full of growth hormones. I continued to do my research and read about what happens to our chickens and cows and why they need so many antibiotics due to their living conditions. Well, I have not braved the movies dedicated to revealing these truths yet. I am scared to watch these documentaries, because I'm afraid I will never eat meat again and my husband would be very upset with me. He is already having a hard time with all the changes I am making around the house. Here are some of the documentaries I have on my list to watch; Food, Inc and Fresh. One day when I am brave enough to watch these I will tell you my thoughts and what happens in our household. For now, I will continue reading my books and blogs.
So, now I am committed to buying only organic chicken and grass fed beef. We are planning to buy a portion of a cow in the near future and I will talk more about what I have learned and will continue to learn about that part of my journey soon. We are waiting to get back from vacation to buy a deep freezer to hold all the food. I also need to learn how to freeze things appropriately so I can buy fruits and vegetables in season and use them throughout the year. Just another goal on my journey. However, when it comes to my daughter, which is why I started the journey down the rabbit hole, I am committed to only buying her organic foods or ones that I know of their origin, such as local farms or my own back yard. Now that she is eating all table foods I have to be more diligent about reading labels and researching the brands I buy that are packaged. Honestly, I would love to eat only fresh foods that don't come in a box, but being a working mother it is difficult and tiring to always make sure everything is fresh on the dinner table. We are doing well with our produce box, but it amazes me how quickly things go bad that don't have pesticides on them. It really does take a lot of planning to know what you are getting in your box each week and then make plans to use those ingredients in meals within the time frame before they all become rotten. This is something I have not conquered yet, but I am still learning.
So, for all those mothers out there, please help me with any easy suggestions you have on preparing healthy meals that are quick. I don't know about you, but I would rather spend my evening playing with my daughter then spend it all night in the kitchen preparing a meal. Please share your wisdom with me.
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