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Eat Organic (and local)

The first thing I did to change my health status was to eat better. And to eat better I actually had to learn to cook! I had been consumed a lot of process and fast food as a kid into young adulthood and never really learned to cook nutritious meals. I started out slow and simple, choosing fresh ingredients from my local markets markets. I started to educate myself on different growing practices and over time knew which farmers at which markets produced their meats, dairy, fruits, and vegetables in accordance with what I wanted. I looked for grass-fed meats, pastured poultry, and organic fruits and vegetables. Soon I joined several food clubs to find the best quality for the best price. I gave up refined sugars in exchange for raw honey and maple syrup.

The first book I ever read to help inform my new way of viewing food was Nina Plank’s Real Food: What to Eat and Why. Soon after making these changes I got pregnant with my first baby. Nina Plank’s Real Food for Mother and Baby: The Fertility Diet, Eating for Two, and Baby’s First Foods was also excellent.

Nowadays many conversations with friends center around foods, food philosophies, and how best to nourish one’s body given the time constraints of modern life. I choose to eat organic, gluten-free, soy-free, and with the freshest, most local ingredients possible. I am a recovering sugar addict and love salty treats like potato chips and French fires. I indulge in a high-quality ice cream, preferably homemade, from time to time. I also make my own baked French fries and sweet potato fries often and sprinkle them with some Celtic sea salt or pink Himalayan.