My personal health journey

Ok so I just haven't found the time to take pics and document every step of my cooking process this past week.  It's tough when you've got 3 kids to look after while you're doing it!  But I promise to document at least one meal this week.
  I thought I'd just talk a little about what I eat and the process that's brought me here.  I grew up eating a lot of processed food and always struggled with my weight.  I've always been very active so I knew that wasn't the issue.  Once I moved out of my parents house and was on my own I started to question the foods I ate.  I stumbled upon Marilu Henner's book Total Health Makeover and it changed my life.  It basically educated me on what I was putting into my body and how harmful all of the chemicals and preservatives that they put in processed foods are.  I had no idea I was consuming all of this and felt very betrayed.  I just couldn't understand how I was being "poisoned" without being aware of it.  So I vowed to make an effort to treat my body better and to stop eating meat and dairy.  It was very difficult because I didn't know how to cook so I ended up eating a lot of frozen meals and processed vegetarian foods to start off.  It was basically an easy way to transition into this new world of eating no meat or dairy.  When I became pregnant with my son Gavin I started to eat meat again.  I'm pretty sure I was eating dairy long before that.  It's just so easy to slip back into your old ways.  The convenience outweighs the effort at times.  But I usually avoided red meats and still made a conscious effort to eat organic produce and to avoid preservatives and chemicals.  That always stuck with me...
  After I had Gavin I watched a lot of cooking shows and began watching Christina Cooks.  Christina Pirello is a local vegan cook and enthusiast that cured herself of cancer through her diet.  She's very inspirational and she taught me so much about food and how to cook healthy vegan dishes.
  I also watched Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals and learned a lot about how to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into my cooking and how to make quick meals.  She taught me a lot of great tips on how to chop vegetables and so many shortcuts like using vegetable stock instead of water in many recipes.
  I basically started to use recipes as a base and changed them to suit my needs.  I still do that today.  I look at recipes for inspiration but change them up by substituting what I have on hand.  There are many meaty dishes that I change to be vegetarian.  It's really easy once you get the hang of it!
  As time went on I got pregnant with Autumn and went back to meat once again.  But when she was about a year old I stopped eating meat and never looked back.  I feel so much lighter and healthier and I honestly do not miss it at all.
   A few years ago I began getting my summer and autumn produce through a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)  It's really a pleasure to know that I'm supporting a local organically grown farm and I get to reap the benefits of the bounty they are creating.  Once a week I fill my basket with fresh, colorful, and delicious organic produce and between that and the garden in my back yard I rarely buy other produce.  I enjoy going to local farmer's markets and supporting the farmers in the area to meet my other produce needs.  There is nothing like fresh local produce.  It's so much better for your body, it has a lot more nutrients and it's so much tastier! 
  We started a garden in our backyard about 4 years ago and each year it gets bigger!  It's really quite addictive, the process of planting your own food and just going out back when you want something is so rewarding and educational.  My kids LOVE being a part of this process and they are definitely better eaters because of it.  They sometimes stop playing to just grab a sprig of mint or tear off a baby tomato for a snack.  We let them have their own sections of the garden last year and they got to plant whatever they wanted in those sections.  They were so excited to have the opportunity and really ran with it!

  They have become really great eaters and I'm so passionate about incorporating them into this way of life.  I constantly tell them why we eat what we do and I include them into the cooking process whenever curiosity strikes them.  I don't know why people feel kids are allowed to eat crappy food but when they grow up they should eat healthier.  I am teaching my children how to treat their bodies well NOW!  I feel it is my job as their parent and the fact that this gets overlooked so much in the world today is very upsetting to me.  If we teach them now they will always respect their bodies.  You only get one!  My daughter Astrid is 1 and has never had meat.  She is a wonderful eater and is very healthy!   She eats what we eat.  Nothing special for any of my kids.  I make one meal a night and that's what we eat!  It's possible I promise!!!  Don't get me wrong we get complaints but I stick to my guns.  If they don't eat what I made they don't eat period.  Trust me if they're hungry they'll eat it.  It gets easier with time.   Here's Astrid enjoying some guacamole...:-)

  So there you have it just a little glimpse into my journey of healthy eating.  It's so worth the effort!   I'm still taking baby steps toward better and healthier ways but it all comes down to feeling better for me.  I'm not trying to live to be 100!  I'm not trying to be a size 2!  I just want to feel strong, fit, and healthy!  I want to have the energy and stamina to get through each day with a clear mind and a smile on my face.  And treating my body well helps me do that.  I feel more connected with nature and the earth and my mind just feels clearer.  It's not being weighed down by the digestion process or chemicals anymore. I'm much more creative and happier and you can be too!