Changes in my diet...

So, today I wanted to share with you the changes I've made in my diet the last few months. I have been researching (quite by accident!) on going back to a very traditional diet. Basically, if my grandma wouldn't have recognized the food, it's not on the menu. That's not to say I am being anal retentive about it - I let myself have some processed crap once in a while, but I find my body not liking it much when I do.
For dinner tonite (as an example) I had a stir fry with snap peas, zucchini, garlic, potatoes, broccoli (all fresh from my own garden) and pasture raised pork, and mushrooms (from the store.) It was delicious! And oh, so good for me!

Some simple changes I've made to get the process started:

• no more refined sugar. If I need sugar, I now use unrefined cane sugar
• sea salt instead of table salt
• sourdough bread (fermented foods are extremely good for you... and yummy, too!)preferably made with whole grain flour, not white or whole wheat flour
• unpasturized honey (pasturized honey has a glycemic level that is through the roof - the heating process does that. Plus, unpasturized has certain bacterias that are very beneficial to us)
• NO PROCESSED FOODS
• Raw milk. This one is my personal favourite. It is illegal to buy (stupid government) so you have to find a cow share to get into). Raw milk has beneficial bacteria and microbes we all NEED to be healthy, and OMG is it ever good. You have to get your milk from grass-fed, hand milked cows. The grass fed is the healthiest way to keep your cow, and machine milked cows are the scary type... bad bacteria builds up in the machines, and that's why we now need to pasturize our grocery store milk. Think about it - 100 years ago, people drank raw milk every day, and no one died from it. It was only when we industrialized the process that people started to get sick.
• Butter from grass fed cows. NO MORE MARGARINE! I now make my own butter from my milk each week. The stuff from the store is the same old story - made from corn and grain fed cows... NOT healthy for you at all.
• meat - now I only get my meat from grass fed cows, pasture raised chickens and pigs. Also, I raise my own eggs from pasture raised chickens. These eggs and meat have lots of natural omega-3's, and other healthy nutrients we need. Again, it's how we raise the animals that has the most impact on how healthy the products we get from them are. Eggs only became 'bad' when they started raising them on corn and grain (not a natural diet) and keeping them in little cages or cramped in close quarters. Sad.

Slowly, I am adding a new element into my diet, making more of my own foods, growing as much as I can, and trying to buy organic when I can afford it.
Some huge differences I've noticed - the most noticable thing is that I don't get any zits anymore! I have only had one in the last 3 or 4 months. My skin is clearer than it's been since I was a kid. The zit I did get was just about 3 weeks ago. I was all rush, rush, and panicky - didn't have time to make something good, so I went to McDonald's. Within HOURS, I had a brush of pimples all over my chin. Geez! They have since cleared up, and I haven't had another since... I think that's telling me something!
I have more energy - I work 16 hour days, running 2 business', and I'm not totally dragged out all the time. I used to be, even when I wasn't working hard.
I have lost 10 lbs, and I am not even trying to. It is coming off slowly, but surely. It's great!
I still am not getting any major sugar cravings. I didn't realize I used to eat so much sugar - I thought my diet was good. Not. Now, I have a little piece of chocolate each day, and unless I get really stressed out, that seems to be enough.
My teeth seem to be getting healthier. I always have taken good care of my teeth, but have fillings all over the place. I have recently had a few fillings fall out, and can't afford to go to the dentist. BUT, the cavities I have in those places are hurting less and less, and getting less and less sensitive to temperature. Interesting!

So, I'm not telling you this to nag, or say that this is the only way to eat. Just Food For Thought;-) To me, it actually makes sense. This is how people used to eat in the olden days - before cancer was a common word, before everyone was chubby, and before tooth decay was rampant.

If you want to find out more, go to http://nourishedkitchen.com/