You've Questioned My Eating Habits

Image by dboy via Flickr

This post began as an email. A really long time ago a friend asked me how we eat "whole". In conversation, I couldn't really put it into words. She was the first to ask me with the intention of understanding. Most other people, *cough* my family *cough*, cornered me into more defensive explanations. After my friend and I got off the phone, I sat down and tried to put into words how we do things at the grocer... started an email... decided to blog about it instead... and then forgot about it. So, here we are....

My thought process in buying groceries/choosing what to eat...

I'm not saying how we do things is the best, this is just what we've found to work for us... and I'm sure as I learn, things will change. It's all second nature now. The longer you do something the easier it gets. (I wish I had a vegetable garden).

When people visit, I am reminded that we don't eat like typical American families... we don't always have an entree and 2 sides for dinner... we eat a lot (meaning numerous times)... my siblings make fun of my cereal choices... we don't use milk... and I'm sure there are other quarks you'll discover if you come visit...

Before we step behind the brain, I must make something clear: my rules do not always apply to social situations and most certainly not to holidays OR vacations. ;) That's the kind of moderation to which I have committed. Being married to a youth pastor means I am often forced to choose between eating what I call "fake food" or starving to death... the first 3 youth trips we went on- I starved! Then we started making friends and I realized how our eating habits made other people uncomfortable.... I decided I wasn't okay with that. So, I make compromises when necessary... the lesser of two evils is better than starving and jacking up your metabolism. With that being said, these are the guidelines I try to stick to...

My desire to eat well has nothing to do with carbs or fat. It has everything to do with things that my body was meant to digest. I figure if I eat things with which my body knows what to do- I will have more energy, be overall healthier, and not get cancer (knock on wood). I figure food is fuel; if you put the wrong kind of fuel in your car, it isn't going to run well... if you feed your body fake food that it cannot digest, it isn't going to work well. So I...

• try to affordable avoid pesticides on our fruits and veggies as much as possible by prioritizing organic produce. (I wish I had a vegetable garden)
• avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup like the plague and pretty much any labels that read "corn". I use to avoid corn all together. The ridicule got to me so I compromise on real corn and pop corn every now and again... it still bothers me that our bodies can't digest it though! (I have a theory about this).
  
• buy organic cereal... my favorite is Weetabix. I shoot for the 2fers. BOGOs are the best deals when it comes to cereal. (I do this because I want to avoid the intake of the synthetic vitamins/minerals most cereals are fortified with more than anything else) Something about Organic Cereal makes me feel like I'm starting my day on the right foot, not to mention it regulates digestion- nothing better than regular digestion- your body will thank you.
  
• don't eat a lot of meat. meat is expensive organic or not. When we do, it's from Trader Joe's or it's something my man shot or caught.... or it's pork... yea, I know.
  
• eat a lot of hummus. It's a good filler, easy to make, and pretty inexpensive to buy.
  
• buy bread without preservatives... we keep it in the fridge. It took the husband a while to get use to that. (Bread is hard to find without preservatives- thank God for TJs)
  
• don't buy organic peanut butter cause it's frickin expensive, but we do buy all natural peanut butter from TJ's. It's cheaper than all pb and it's delicious. peanuts and salt- nothing to worry about.
• discovered the sweetpotato- so many ways to be cooked and enjoyed! DELICIOUS!
  
• eat a lot of over-loaded salads, homemade pizza, and organic soups
• buy raw sugar- I divorced Splenda a while ago, and I know my body is grateful. It knows what to do with real sugar!
  
• don't write off sweets. If I think we deserve a treat, I don't have any qualms about bakeries and their pastries. It's the frozen and packaged "sweets" I stay away from. When I bake at home, since I'm using raw sugar and it is naturally sweeter than processed sugar, I use less sugar than a recipe may call for. And I try to always bake from scratch...
• really really really really wish I had a vegetable garden. (Exciting news?! My co-workers have one and bring me fresh green beans and squash!)
  
• don't drink sodas (however, if you're going to, Pepsi just came out with "Pepsi Throwback"... no HFCS!)
• pretty much only drink water or coffee... most people like to add things to their water, but I'm telling you, there comes a point where you will like the simple taste of water if you train your body. If you don't agree, try drinking your water room temperature (I hate ice), I talked a neighbor into it and now she loves water as much as I do!

I figure if it's not natural, you might as well eat plastic. It'll probably keep you full longer and give you the same results as eating a Little Debbie cake...

I can't think of much else... What are your thoughts? Is what you put into your body something you think about? What tips do you have for eating whole and on a budget? Any stories or experiences with trying to cleanse your body? Or do you think life is too short to think about this stuff?