After spending so much time defining whole foods and talking about buying directly from the farm, I thought I would give you an example of just such a meal.
I don't know that I have ever actually photographed my dinner plate before! I know for sure I have never posted a picture of it on the web! Well, this is what we had for dinner tonight. Everything we ate came straight from a local farm and is in season in Tennessee right now. OK, maybe some of the seasonings didn't quite come from the farm but the big stuff did. Parmesan drumsticks, sweet potato dollars, and kale. A very satisfying, and very healthful meal. A great end to this would have been a fruit salad of fresh cut up grapefruit, oranges, apples, and banana (citrus and apples are also in season right now). Here are the recipes (with a few comments): Parmesan Drumsticks from Saving Dinner by Leanne Ely, p. 27 Combine in a bowl: 1 cup parmesan cheese (freshly grate your own!), 3 teaspoons oregano, 2 teaspoons paprika, salt and pepper to taste (remember to use unrefined sea salt). In a small frying pan, melt 1/4 cup butter with either 1 T olive oil or coconut oil. Dip 12 chicken drumsticks, no skin (you could leave the skin on if you like), into butter mixture and then into cheese mixture and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about an hour or until chicken is completely cooked. I always double the cheese and butter mixtures, and use 15 chicken drumsticks for my family of 5. There are usually about 3 or 4 leftover for lunch the next day. This recipe is a big favorite of my kids and it is all whole foods, nothing processed, no chemicals. Hooray! Sweet Potato Dollars from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, p. 405 Peel 3-4 sweet potatoes and slice crosswise in 1/4" thick slices or "dollars". Melt 3 Tablespoons butter with 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I used coconut oil). Brush a cookie sheet (you may need two cookie sheets) with the butter mixture then arrange the dollars in one layer on the pan and brush with the remaining butter mixture. Season lightly with sea salt. Bake about 45 minutes at 350. These are another family favorite and there are never any leftovers. Again, all whole foods, nothing processed, no chemicals, and loaded with nutrition! Kale The kale came from our CSA box. All I did was chop off the long stems, rinse it well, then chop it into smaller pieces. Pour a couple tablespoons of olive oil into a large pan, heat it on medium low, toss in a few cloves of finely chopped or minced garlic (however garlicky you like it is how you decide how much) and saute for a minute. Don't let the garlic brown -- just flavor the oil. Then add the kale, toss it to coat it with the oil, add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes and a splash of balsamic vinegar while tossing the kale, then when it is slightly wilted just turn off the heat and put on the lid. I let it sit on the stove until we are ready to eat. OK OK my kids don't like kale either! But everyone has to have one bite or one small portion, depending on their age. The 2 year old will get one small piece on her plate before she gets any other food. When she eats the whole bite, she can have the rest of her dinner. This works best if she has NOT been snacking before dinner! My 8 and 11 year olds will get a small portion on their plates with the rest of their meal. They know that the kale must be entirely eaten before getting seconds. And they have learned from experience that it is much better warm than cold. Remember, it takes dozens of times of trying a food before a child will like it. So don't give up. My kids learned to LOVE brussels sprouts this way (well, we are still working on the 2 year old). It really makes a big difference to have only one thing per meal that the kids are not crazy about so that they will be more motivated to eat it in order to get more of what they do like. And if they choose not to eat it, they don't get seconds, and they won't starve. They really won't starve. This meal does take a little hands on preparation but it is really very easy to make. The chicken goes in the oven first, then prepare the sweet potatoes and they can go in the oven at the same time as the chicken. It will take you about 15 minutes to do the potatoes so both dishes will be ready at the same time. While they are baking, prepare the kale then set the table. It really helps to have a helper washing and peeling sweet potatoes. I really wanted a fruit salad to go with this tonight but I had a very late start and my husband said we had enough food already. But a fruit salad could easily have been prepared ahead or at any time during the meal. I really like this meal because it is all from the farm, not the grocery store so I have had personal contact with each person who grew or raised what I fed my family. I know that everything was farmed organically by good people who really care and who know me on a first name basis. And rather than having my food shipped across the country in big 18-wheelers, I obtained it by simply driving to the local farmers market or farm within a few miles of my house. Another great thing about this meal is the rich color. It is not only pleasing to the eye, but that rich color is truly all natural and it means the food is LOADED with good stuff that is good for my family. The chicken lived outside in the pasture, soaking up the sunshine, and ate a healthy meal of bugs and grass, the way God designed, which makes the chickens healthier. Animal foods are our best sources of protein and without them our bodies cannot effectively assimilate other vitamins. The sweet potatoes and kale were grown in fertile soil free from pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Both are overflowing with vitamins that will boost my family's immunities, strengthen their heart and bones, support their vision, and many other things. The use of fresh butter and coconut oil will also support our thyroid. And, as I talked about earlier, the garlic is a powerful ani-fungal, anti-viral and anti-bacterial herb. What did you have for dinner tonight? We had chicken, sweet potatoes, and kale. It was really good. |
Back in September I wrote about the importance of buying as much of your food as possible from the farm, and also buying food in season. The same farm where we buy our beef also sells awesome vegetables. This past summer they offered their first "Simply Summer CSA", and today was the first day of their third Winter Vegie CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. This is simply a way for the farmer to guarantee sales in advance (and make a living wage!) and a guarantee for the consumer to receive local, farm fresh produce all season. It is a great deal where everybody wins. The summer CSA boxes were loaded with awesome summer produce. We loved the bounty of fresh potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, squash, zucchini, herbs, corn and even some eggplant. But I have to say that nothing quite beats the beauty of a winter CSA box when it is loaded with huge heads of fresh lettuces, bunches of dark leafy greens, brightly colored red and purple radishes, fat red beets, bunches of purple turnips, fresh onions, and bright orange carrots that are the sweetest you'll ever taste. Just the sight of one of those boxes will make even the pickiest eater's mouth water. Yes, it is picture perfect and I admit I have taken a few pictures of my CSA boxes! Here are two pictures from today's box:
Today's box had several heads of lettuce, a bag of mixed lettuce, a big bunch of bright radishes, a mixture of peppers, parsley, turnips, and a variety of fresh greens. I have never been one to like greens, but because of the large quantity that came in my CSA box I have not only learned to like them but have actually been looking forward to them this year! As we were unloading the box together I mentioned to my son that because greens are so plentiful this time of year, God must have intended for us to eat them now. Greens are absolutely LOADED with a plethora of vitamins but especially vitamin K, vitamin A and vitamin C. This means that, among other things, greens will help your body build strong bones, fight cancer, fight heart disease, and have strong immunities. Just what our bodies need during flu season! And because these greens were just picked this morning they have more of these good vitamins than greens from the grocery store. Recently Dr. Joseph Mercola wrote an article for his newsletter about why it is so good to buy your food locally. Some of the reasons included better taste, better for you, supports local farm families, etc. It is true that fresh, locally grown food is better for you and the environment. Local farmers are less likely to use GMO seeds, they are more likely to practice sustainable farming that protects and nurtures the environment, they use less packaging (and recycle most of it) and the environment is not polluted by emissions from delivery trucks. We love driving to the farm to pick up our boxes of fresh vegetables. It is great to get outside the city and see Tennessee's rolling farmland with the trees changing colors. We get a break from the busyness of the week for a short drive in the country and a breath of truly fresh air. Sometimes we get to walk around the farm and visit the greenhouses where our food is grown, or feed the chickens and gather eggs, or help lead the cows to new pasture. We learn something new every visit and always leave assured that the very best care was given to insure that our food was raised in the best possible way. The healthiest way. The animals are better off, the land is better off, even the bugs are better off. And we know for sure that we are better off. Farm fresh! It sure is different than the grocery store...
**edited to add: My dear mother has kindly pointed out that I said that buying from the farm keeps from polluting the air by emissions from delivery trucks, then immediately said how I love driving out to the farm. She felt that was contradictory. Let me clarify by pointing out that there is a difference in my personal vehicle driving a few miles to my farm vs. a big 18-wheeler driving across country or even across a couple of states. While both vehicles produce emissions, my vehicle is much more kind to our air than the big truck. Hope that clears it up! |
Something really satisfying to me is preparing a meal or dish that I know is 100% good for you, that is rich with color, and that tastes like it was prepared by a gourmet chef. Tonight was one of those experiences and as I was cleaning the kitchen I thought it would be good to post the recipe on the blog. I well remember the early days of our diet changes when it seemed there was nothing to eat because it was all so bad. Something tells me that there are a few of you out there who are feeling the same way. Well here is a totally healthy recipe that is extremely easy to make, and my husband gave it RAVE reviews tonight! I’ll post the recipe and then add a few comments at the end … Now don’t turn up your nose… Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk from www.canada.com 2 Tablespoons olive oil 2 onions, finely diced 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 Tablespoon minced gingerroot 1 Tablespoon curry powder or paste 4 cups water (or chicken broth – it will taste better and be healthier) 7 to 8 cups diced butternut squash (this is a large one, about 3 lbs, but mine was about 5lbs … to prepare the squash, peel it, then cut the bulb end off, cut that part in half, scoop out and discard the pulp and seeds and dice; then slice the long end in half and dice; you’ll need a good cutting board and a big sharp knife) 2 teaspoons sugar (this little bit won’t hurt anyone) 1 ¼ teaspoons salt (remember to use real sea salt) 1 14-oz can unsweetened coconut milk 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (I omitted this entirely) Warm oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Stir in onions, garlic, gingerroot and cook 5 minutes. Sprinkle on curry powder and cook 1 minute, tossing continuously. Pour in water (chicken stock) and bring to a boil. Mix in squash, sugar, salt, and lower heat to a lively simmer. Cook 30 minutes, or until squash is very tender. Pour in coconut milk and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice (I left this out). Puree soup in batches in a blender and return to a smaller pot, if desired. Reheat before serving if necessary. This is a rich, creamy, colorful and very flavorful soup. But what makes it so healthy? Several things … For one, butternut squash is in season right now. Eating seasonal vegetables means that it is probably a better price, it has not come a long distance, and therefore it has not lost any nutrients. However, its thick skin does make it keep its nutrients longer. Butternut Squash is a winter squash. One cup has more than 100% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene which is a powerful anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory. It is also rich in vitamin C, potassium, fiber, manganese, folate, copper, vitamin B1 and B6, omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin B3, and pantothenic acids. All of this means that winter squash can help prevent heart disease, osteoarthritis, cancers, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and many other conditions. Another healthy ingredient in this soup is the ginger. Ginger is so much more than flavorful (which it definitely has a lot of!). Ginger is a very powerful healing herb and is used and respected world-wide for its powerful healing properties. It can help motion sickness, upset stomachs, headaches, congestion, and can even help lower fevers. It helps stimulate circulation, aids metabolism, can reduce spasms and cramps, cleanse your colon, and is also an aphrodisiac and helps with stress relief. Ginger is loaded with powerful antioxidants. It also helps fight off colds, flu, and infections. I have successfully used it to lower fevers, fight nausea, and lessen the severity of colds. Garlic is yet another powerful healing herb. It is an antibacterial, antiviral, antiseptic, antiparasitic, antiprotozoan, antispasmodic … Garlic has been successfully used to treat high blood pressure, bacterial infections, gastrointestinal infections, sinus infections, eye/nose/ear infections, and much more. Garlic is truly nature’s antibiotic. But garlic is also directly effective against viruses! I have personally successfully used garlic to treat colds, viruses, and ear infections. There is no way I could begin to tell you all the great things about coconut products, one of which is the coconut milk that is used in this recipe. Lauric acid is the principle fatty acid in coconut milk. It has potent antiviral, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties. It supports your metabolism and is excellent for your thyroid. Contrary to what you may have heard, coconut products can help you lose weight! There is definitely not room here to tell you everything about coconut! Finally, this soup is great for you because its base is chicken stock. Chicken stock, and all meat stock, is a basic element for a healthy diet as long as it is homemade. The store bought stuff in a can is loaded with chemicals that will damage your health. When meat stocks are properly prepared they will be loaded with minerals, namely calcium, magnesium, and potassium. The gelatin that comes from the stock bones is helpful in fighting and preventing cancer, bone disorders, arthritis, and other similar ailments. And it isn’t just a folk tale that chicken stock is a cure for the flu. It is good for flu, colds, asthma, and many other health problems when consumed frequently. And one of the most important aspects of meat stocks is that it aids in your digestion. If your body is not digesting well, then it can’t get all these great nutrients from your food. I plan to post about making healthful chicken stock soon. Well, now you can understand why I was so jazzed about tonight’s soup. Isn’t it so cool that just one dish can do so much? And if you listened to typical, conventional diet advice you would have missed out. Maybe you will try this recipe too. It really is a good thing. |
Well, the holiday season is here. Candy is literally everywhere and everyone is thinking about those tantalizing, decadent desserts so prevalent this time of year. Some of you may disagree (ha!), but I thought now would be a good time to take a closer look at sugar. Most granulated sugar originates from the sugar beet and sugarcane plant. Did you know that there are powerful companies who have genetically modified the sugar beet so that it will tolerate repeated spraying with herbicides? And that the EPA has just increased the allowable amount of herbicide residues on the actual plant part that becomes sugar by 5000%? Now think about this: half of the world’s granulated sugar comes from the sugar beet. GM sugar is already in most all processed foods in the form of high fructose corn syrup, including your children’s breakfast cereals, but before long it will be in your sugar bowl and in all of your favorite homemade treats. The only way to avoid this is to buy organic and cook all of your meals from scratch. If you are not aware of the dangers of genetically modified food (known as GM or GMO or GE for Genetically Engineered) then you need to watch “The Future of Food,” a documentary produced by Deborah Koons Garcia, at www.mercola.com. Or visit www.futureoffood.com. Back to sugar. Even if it isn’t genetically modified, sugar has been through 10 steps in the refining process before it ever reaches your sugar bowl. Even organic sugar. And by the way, organic sugar is nothing but a guarantee that it is not GM. The extensive processing of sugar cane removes the vitamins, enzymes, protein, and minerals that God originally put there and leaves you with a substance not only devoid of all nutrition but harmful to your health. The list of ways sugar damages your health is mighty long. Here is a sampling: Sugar can …suppress your immune system; interfere with your body’s ability to absorb valuable minerals; increase your bad cholesterol and triglycerides and even lower your good cholesterol; cause hyperactivity, anxiety, and crankiness in children; feed cancer cells (especially breast and ovarian cancer, among others); cause autoimmune disease (including arthritis); cause depression; contribute to Alzheimer’s Disease; lead to addiction; cause learning disorders; cause hormonal imbalances …. And much, much more. I didn’t even mention tooth decay, fatigue, gallstones, ulcers, or heart disease! For 24 hours after eating sugar, your immune system is literally suppressed making you more susceptible to colds and viruses every time you eat a piece of candy, drink a soft drink, have some ice cream, or have “just one” cookie. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is another, even more dangerous, form of sugar. It is the number one source of calories in the
If you have read my previous blog entries, you will know that it doesn’t take rocket science to see that God did not create white sugar or HFCS. All good things come from God, and these are not good things. These sugars are definitely not whole foods, they are not nutrient dense or synergistic or anything good at all! God did create us to enjoy sweet things, however, and he perfectly designed sweeteners for us to enjoy that would boost our health at the same time. Raw honey is yet another amazing whole food creation. It tastes great and at the same time is loaded with nutrition. In fact, according to Beth Holland’s booklet, “Some Common Nutritional Fallacies,” honey is made of at least 165 different components, including “amino acids, enzymes, vitamins, minerals and at least 25 different kinds of sugar.” Unlike sugar, raw honey actually helps your body’s metabolism. Honey is anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal. It contains vitamin B2, B6, iron, manganese, and a slew of many other nutrients. I read about a study where honey was used on the incisions of c-section patients. These patients had far less infection and more rapid healing than the patients treated conventionally. Honey has many medicinal uses, whether topical or internal, from sunburns to coughs. You shouldn’t be surprised that honey can do so many things because, after all, God created it just for us. Don't forget Proverbs 16:21 where God gives us the bottom line on honey ... it is sweet to the soul and health to the bones. But remember this is talking about raw honey. Pasteurization destroys all of these great things, and most honey at the grocery store has been pasteurized. Other natural sweeteners that God created for us include molasses and maple syrup. Like honey, both of these have nutritional value. Maple syrup is an excellent source of manganese and zinc. This makes it rich in antioxidants. Maple syrup is also good for prostate health, your immune system, and your heart. Maple syrup that has been cooked over a wood fire, the traditional way, is the best because it avoids equipment that has been cleaned with formaldehyde. My favorite source for maple syrup is www.vermontel.com/~knsh. Molasses, especially Blackstrap Molasses, is loaded with good things as well. It is rich in iron, calcium, copper, manganese, potassium and magnesium. It is good for your bones, your heart, skin, hair, hormones, nervous system, and boosts your energy. Make sure you buy unsulphured molasses so it is free of processing chemicals. Sucanat is yet another healthy sweetener. It is simply un-refined sugar cane. The brand name means Sugar Cane Natural. According to Wikipedia, Sucanat is simply pure, dried sugar cane juice which is extracted by machine then heated and cooled, which forms the brown granules. Because it is un-refined, Sucanat retains its molasses content. Sucanat is not as loaded with nutrients like honey, maple syrup and molasses, but of all the sugars derived from sugar cane, Sucanat is the most nutritious. It most resembles brown sugar in flavor but I have used it successfully as a one for one substitute for white sugar in recipes. Some people do not like its strong flavor and use Sucanat with Honey instead. I am not sure about this product, but I do know that it is still a better alternative than white sugar. Everywhere I go it seems that someone is pushing candy on my kids. From the bank teller to church, there is candy everywhere. If your child participates in any kind of class, there is often a candy treat passed out at the end. Even in my 2 year olds mid-week Bible class, there is always candy passed out when class is over. Is this really the message we want to send to our children? That candy is a reward for having done nothing but show up? People think I am over the top when I complain about this. But think about it -- diabetes, obesity, endocrine problems, auto-immune disease, depression, cancer, learning disorders ….addictions … “It’s just candy!” God knew that we would enjoy sweet things. He talks about a land flowing with milk and honey. It is good for us to enjoy sweets on occasion, especially when they glorify our creator by nourishing our bodies! That, my friends, is so sweet. |
God makes good things. Of the many wonderful things he created, whole foods are one of them. But just what are whole foods? And then there are processed foods. What are they? How does one tell the difference between the two? My purpose here is to help you understand and identify both. Then you will be well on your way to making good choices for your family dinner table! Apples, eggs, steaks, whole milk, butter, lettuce, carrots… Hungry yet? These are all examples of whole foods. Foods that are considered whole are foods that God created, and they are as close to the way he created them as possible. The list above is a good example of this. Whole foods are natural and they haven’t had anything done to them to change them much from the way they are in their original state. For example, you could buy a carrot in the grocery store in a cellophane bag, or you could buy a bunch tied with a rubberband with the green tops still on, or you could buy them sliced/diced and frozen. They can be eaten raw or cooked. But these are all easily recognizable as carrots and they are a whole food. Whole foods are not always identical to each other; within one food group there is a lot of room for variety, shape, color, size, texture, taste, etc. Apples are a good example of this: there are red, green, and yellow apples, some are sweet, some are tart. Another example is whole raw milk. Depending on the breed of cow, her feed, health, and the time of year the milk may be creamier at times than others, it may have a creamy color or it may be slightly yellow, and it may taste sweeter than at other times. And if the cow has gotten into a patch of onion grass, the milk will taste like it! Raw honey is also a whole food with many variations in flavor and color depending on what flowers the bees visited. Whole foods will provide a variety of necessary vitamins and nutrients when eaten alone, or you can take whole foods and combine them together for even greater nutrition. This is synergism, which I will talk about later. Whole foods always contain the specific vitamins and nutrients that God intended for them to have, because he created them for the purpose of nourishing our bodies, which he also created. Another aspect of whole foods to consider is that different whole foods are produced through the earth at different times of the year, and in different regions, as opposed to being available year round. This is all part of God’s plan. And now let’s look at the opposite of whole foods: processed foods. After reading this I hope you will understand that the phrase “processed food” is actually an oxymoron. The following items are all processed: boxed cereals, soy milk, canned soups, Velveeta, American cheese, toaster pastries, soy hot dogs and other concoctions, white flour, white sugar, boxed mixes, low-fat and skim milk, animal crackers, Crisco, and the list goes on and on and on … Examine this list and you will see that none of these items occur naturally. Whole foods become processed when they have had things done to them that change them dramatically from their original state, altering their original God-given nutrition. The end result is always not only less nutritional but often damaging to your health in the long run. Also note that many processed items have had vitamins added to them – flour and cereal are enriched, low-fat and skim milks have vitamin D added, etc, because vitamins cannot survive the process of processing. There is no processed food that can grow from the ground or that can come directly from an animal. All processed foods originate in a lab, then go to a factory and finally arrive neatly packaged at the grocery store, gas station, or vending machine. Processed foods are always the same, box after box, with no variation. Processed foods are available everywhere, all the time. White flour, white sugar, and table salt are good examples of processed foods. White flour originates with wheat that grows in the field and is then harvested and ground into flour. But there is another part of the process: the germ and the bran are mechanically separated from the wheat. What is left over is then often bleached to make it a snowy white. This is white flour and it is all starch -- no nutrition -- so synthetic vitamins are then added back into it to keep people from getting debilitating vitamin deficiency-related diseases (pellagra, for example, and even insanity in some cases). But don’t be fooled. Of the 90+ vitamins that are removed, only about 4 are added back and they are not in the amounts or forms that God created. The germ and the bran are what contain all of the nutrition and are sold off for other uses – animal feed, or neatly packaged jars of wheat germ, or bran cereal, etc. Business executives have made a lot of money from this. White flour is a processed food. The same is true of white sugar. Sugar cane actually has some nutrition in it, but all of it is stripped away in the process of making white sugar. What is left is bleached and refined so that you have freely flowing, snowy white sugar granules that have zero nutrition. Then there is table salt. Real salt is coarse and gray with colored flecks in it and is full of naturally occurring minerals. But this beautiful food that God created is put through many processes, including intense heat and bleaching, which results in the healthful benefits being lost and gives the consumer a freely flowing snowy white product known as table salt. White flour, white sugar, and table salt are well known to have adverse health effects such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. The list of documented problems with just these three items has no end. And you will find at least one of them, often all three, in almost every processed food item available. Here are more examples of foods God created and are healthful in their whole state, but are ruined through man’s processing: Raw honey is loaded with nutrients. It has living enzymes and is also anti-bacterial and anti-viral. Pasteurized honey has no nutrition. Corn is a healthful, seasonal vegetable but corn syrup is dangerous to your health. Fresh, whole, raw milk is loaded with beneficial bacteria and enzymes that are good for your digestion, and it is also antibacterial. Pasteurized, homogenized milk has lost all of these qualities and can actually be harmful to your health. Low-fat and skim milk have dry milk powder added back to make it thicker and add color. I could write pages about ways man has messed up God’s perfect creation by processing it. There are some areas where it may be difficult to identify whole or processed foods with confidence. Dairy is one of those areas. Milk has already been discussed. Cheese was mentioned briefly; cheese is basically a whole food however many cheeses have had undesirable things done to them and added to them leaving them nutritionally deficient. Yogurt is a whole food yet most yogurts available are highly processed as they have had many undesirable ingredients added to them. When faced with uncertainty, it is extremely important to read the labels!! If it is full of hard to pronounce ingredients that you know didn’t come from the farm, then you are looking at a processed food. Whole foods have synergy. The different parts work together as part of a whole package. Processed foods cannot do this. According to Webster’s dictionary, the term “synergy” means, “combined action or operation.” Think of each component of a whole food as a synergist – “something that enhances the effectiveness of an active agent.” This is how you get “synergism” … the interactions of each “agent” (think: nutrient) working together results in a “total effect…greater than the sum of the individual effects.” (Quotes are from Webster’s Dictionary) Let this sink in a moment. We marvel at the amazing parts of God’s creation, such as the ocean, the stars, the many animals … yet we tend to totally ignore his incredible creation of food that is so diverse and has such potential to nourish and heal us, if we would only let it. “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31) God created us. God created the earth. God, in his infinite wisdom and with his intimate knowledge of us, created perfect foods to nourish us. To God be the glory! |
For the person who wants to improve their diet, the grocery store can be a very scary place. The purpose of this entry is to give you a simple guide for navigating the grocery store. This is all about “what” and not about “why.” We’ll save that for another time. Before I get started, I want to say that I believe we should buy as much of our food as possible from the farm, especially meat, dairy and vegetables. But for some people this just isn’t possible. There are also some food items we just can’t get from a farm. Thus, here is “Grocery Shopping 101.” First, here is the bottom line: eat only what God created to be eaten, and make sure it is as close to its natural state as possible. For example: eat raw cheese, don’t eat American cheese; drink whole milk, not skim milk. Second, at the grocery store you will find that a majority of the items in the above category will be located around the perimeter of the grocery store rather than in between the aisles. There are a few exceptions but not too many. And now for the specifics: Produce … Fresh vegetables, in season, grown as locally as possible and preferably organic … Fruits are good but only in moderation. Meat … Look for organic meat from animals that have lived and eaten on the pasture as opposed to confined and grain-fed. These meats will be much higher in nutrients. Dairy … Avoid processed dairy products, including yogurt that lists sugar, corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and other chemicals and processed items in its ingredients. Look for whole milk, unprocessed cheese, full fat sour cream, real butter. Avoid dairy that has been “ultrapasteurized”, that does not require refrigeration, or is reduced fat or fat free. Look for whole milk that comes from pastured cows, preferably non-homogenized. Locally, that would be Hatcher Family Dairy milk. Oils … Look for Extra Virgin Olive Oil, unrefined coconut oil, palm oil, cold pressed sesame oil and peanut oil and high oleic safflower oil. Avoid soybean oil, cotton seed oil, corn oil, canola oil and any oil that is hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated. Salt … Unrefined Sea Salt is the best and it may not be available at a regular grocery store. Two excellent brands are Celtic Sea Salt and RealSalt. You want salt that has not been refined, bleached, or had chemicals added to make it flow smoothly. Real salt will be gray or speckled and coarser than traditional table salt. Sweeteners … Always avoid white sugar, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Look for unpasteurized honey, molasses, organic maple syrup, or unrefined sugar such as Sucanat.
Always, always avoid “new-fangled modern convenience foods.” This is when you really have to think. Ask yourself, “Is this really a food?” “Was this food item available 75 years ago? 100? If not, why?” All of the above guidelines can be applied to the many products in the grocery aisles. For example, if you were to buy spaghetti sauce, simply read the label and avoid those brands that list high fructose corn syrup on the label. Keep in mind that when you bake from scratch at home you would never use ingredients such as “autolyzed yeast extract” therefore don’t purchase products that include this on the label. Often you will find that the most simple of products will have the longest ingredient list. This is a big warning sign. Grocery shopping in this manner will be overwhelming at first but it can be done! Your first few trips will be long as you scan the shelves and read the labels. You may be very discouraged to find that many of the items you are used to buying are now “off limits.” Take heart! Talk to your grocery manager and ask him to supply more brands and choices. He is often willing to special order. Or, learn to make some things from scratch at home – you will be surprised at how many convenience foods you can actually make yourself for very little trouble (for example, spaghetti sauce!). Remember, don’t make all of your diet changes at one time. Take baby steps. Decide what is your biggest priority and start there. The other things will fall in line. |
I get excited about the strangest things. Ever since becoming a homeschool mom, I just laugh over the crazy things I get excited about. These days I get really excited about food. Call me crazy, but I get excited about food! Especially food that is straight from the source, as opposed to food from the grocery store. A few years ago a friend gave me some milk she had just milked that morning. It was so fresh, and unadulterated…I was excited! As I was carrying it to the car, someone inquired about it. When I explained what it was, she was disgusted. “Ewwwww!” was her exact response. Shocked, I replied that all milk at the store comes from an animal and she exclaimed, “But I don’t want to know about it!” What? “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” These are the words of God from Genesis 1:31. This is what God had to say of his creation. News flash: God not only didn’t create Lunchables, Velveeta, Pop Tarts, artificial sweeteners or margarine but he didn’t create the grocery store, the dairy case, or the milk carton either! God created the cow, and from that cow comes our meat and milk. Good food comes from the farm. Yes, the farm. And when the thought of that disgusts us, we are not only not appreciating God’s perfect creation but we are not living in reality either. Every week it seems there is a new food scare. Recently there was a huge beef recall. A meat processing plant that had been cited for disgusting violations in the past had apparently messed up again. Their meat went to regular grocery stores as well as a nationally known health food store that advertises organic and all natural meats, and charges a premium price (I don’t think their customers were getting what they paid for!). Earlier this year there was the tomato scare where people were getting salmonella from eating tainted tomatoes at restaurants. Remember the spinach scare last year? People were getting E. coli from eating spinach! Even the organic spinach was pulled off the shelves because it was all coming from the same place. Just last week the news broke about babies in Do you know where your food comes from? And who has been handling it? I know of people who won’t eat food prepared by certain people because they know that kitchen isn’t very clean, or that person has a lot of pets in the house. There are other people who won’t eat food that other people have had their hands in, for example, a tray of cookies sitting out for sampling at the grocery store or a church potluck dish that has been sitting out. We know that in each of these situations the food has been at risk for spoilage or contamination in some way. Yet we are perfectly fine eating food from the grocery store, prepared or grown in places we have never seen and packaged by people we have never met. There may be laws in place specifically designed to keep food clean and safe, but these laws are violated all the time, and people get sick. Maybe the processing plant is perfectly fine, but what about the ingredients? Scientists are doing things to our food that are perfectly legal, yet can still make us very sick. Scientists have genetically modified corn and have experimented with using it in different ways. Several years ago some of this corn, changed from the way God created it, wound up in taco shells at the grocery store. Someone who purchased and ate those taco shells nearly died as a result. (You can learn about this from the documentary, “The Future of Food.” Go to www.mercola.com to watch it free.) It makes one feel pretty powerless, doesn’t it? When we leave the handling and preparation of our food in the hands of strangers, we put ourselves and our families at risk. Good, healthy, safe food comes from the farm. When you hear news of the latest food scare, do you run to the fridge to check labels and code numbers? If you buy your food from the farm, you will never have to worry again about who has been handling your food because you will already know! In fact, that person will probably have become a friend. You can probably send them an email, give them a phone call, or drive to their house because you will know who is handling your food. In fact, that farmer will probably try very hard to keep in touch with you. Now that’s a change from the typical grocery store and the big companies who supply it! If you were to buy a side of beef for your freezer, you will know that every burger, every steak, and every roast came from one single cow and you will likely even know where that cow was slaughtered and maybe even who it was who did it. If you were to buy a share in a Community Supported Agriculture program for fresh vegetables and greens, you would never have a concern about salmonella or E. coli in your spinach and tomatoes because you would know that your farmer doesn’t use tainted fertilizers or irrigation. A small scale, local farmer who sells directly to the consumer will have a special interest in the quality of his food. He will not only personally know the children who are eating his food and relying on it to nourish them, but he will know that if his products aren’t good quality that he will no longer have a livelihood. And you will have the opportunity to find out how well he treats his animals, or what he fertilizes his vegetables with. You will quickly develop a relationship with the person who produces your food as you learn how much this person cares about what they are doing, if they are honest and hard-working. When you buy from the farm, you take the responsibility for feeding your children back into your own hands. You go from powerless to powerful. Tonight, when you sit down for dinner and thank God for the hands that prepared your food, who will you think of? Here are some websites to help you locate farms near you: |
Most everyone knows of the verse in Ecclesiastes which tells us, “….there is no new thing under the sun.” (Ecc. 1:9) While I’m sure this verse is speaking of more important things than blogging, it still holds true. There are bazillions of blogs out there, and a wealth of nutritional information as well. Everything that I say in this blog has been said before, and probably more eloquently (and grammatically correct!). My purpose here is not to reinvent the wheel. Rather my purpose for this blog is to serve as a single place where I can refer friends and friends of friends who are curious about what I am doing when it comes to feeding my family. I love telling people about what we do but it can be very time consuming. My hope here is to eventually cover all the most asked questions and most requested topics. By saying it once, hopefully I can continue helping and encouraging others without neglecting my other responsibilities. If I have referred you to this blog, you already have a good idea of who I am. But if you happen to wander by and get to reading you may wonder who in the world is “The Grain Girl” and why does she think she has something worthwhile to say? At least, that is what I would think if I just happened by! So let me get the introductions out of the way … I am married to a wonderful husband and father who is also a wonderful physician. We have three children who are 11, 8 and nearly 3. I have been homeschooling them from the beginning. And, I am a follower of Jesus Christ, the only son of God. This belief and commitment affects everything, including how I view my role as a wife, mother, and homemaker, and also how I view my food. My journey toward better eating began in earnest about 6 years ago. The first thing I did was rid our home of all things “partially hydrogenated.” From there it was a series of baby steps over several years, changing one thing at a time in our diet. The book What The Bible Says About Healthy Living was a great motivator and opened our eyes to the philosophy of not eating anything except what God created to be eaten. Since then we have made huge changes to our diets which have affected our entire lives. Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon has become my “nutrition Bible” and is my most referred-to book. I have developed my own network of farms and resources for acquiring healthy food for my family, and I have spent countless hours reading, researching, seeking out, and baking nutritious foods for my family. It has been time well-spent with no regrets. In the summer of 2007 I made an open invitation in my Sunday school class – anyone who wants to can come over and watch me bake bread, learn about how to do it, and especially why. More than 10 people wanted to come! I had two classes in my home that were a huge success! Not long after that, my sister and I were invited to teach a bread class to the ladies group at the church where we grew up. It too was a huge success. A year later I am seeing fruit from those seeds that were planted. Not only did several people immediately begin making changes, but their lives are affecting others, and others … and it is going from there. Relationships were formed that probably would never have happened otherwise. Opportunities to minister! I am frequently on the phone or email answering questions and talking to people about diet. Which brings me to the purpose of this blog … it is hopefully going to be a way to keep on with helping/encouraging others while not neglecting my other extremely important responsibilities. I am excited and I hope this blog becomes a great resource for many! |
My very first blog .... This is something I never thought I would do but lately it has become apparent that this might be the perfect way to help people who are searching for a new way to better health. And it seems that I am constantly coming in contact with people who want to make changes but have no idea where to start. Just yesterday while having my car serviced I met a lady with tons of questions. Who would have expected that? I am meeting people everywhere, and everyone knows they need to make changes but they are just too overwhelmed to know where to start. It helps them so much to actually meet someone who has the information. Somehow that makes change less of an obstacle. The problem for me is time. It takes a long time to have one of these phone calls, or to type in an email answering questions. I love to do it, but do not have the time to say and type the same thing over and over. It seems that a blog is the answer. Type it in once, and refer people to it. They can post their questions and I can answer as time allows. A dear friend keeps telling me, "Amy, this is your calling." So. Here we are! This post is just a test to see how this whole thing works. Hopefully I can carve out the time to type a little here and there. I am eager to get this up and running. It has been on my mind for a long time. But right now we are headed off to the farm to pick up fresh chickens for the freezer! |