Dear Friends, will you join me in eating Real Food for 10 Days?

So, there is this thing called a "10 Days of Real Food Pledge" that my husband and I are going to do (try really hard to do) starting November 1 and I am looking for some people to join us.

It is from the 100 days of real food website which was started by a family that used to be junk food/processed food eaters and they set out on a challenge to only eat real food for 100 days...and they succeeded! The website has recipes and 3 different week long meal plans for breakfast, lunch, dinner...and grocery lists to go along with.Check out the rules before you decide to accept the challenge.
I thought some of my readers/friends might be interested in doing it as well...for encouragement, accountability, and over all health! Let me know! If you decide to do it maybe we can swap dinner one night (for those in Memphis). You in?

Why do this? Why cut processed food? Here is what they say on 100 Days of Real Food...

Processed foods are an illusion, often appearing to be healthy (with claims like low fat, low carb, vitamin fortified, no trans fat, contains omega-3s, etc.) when these foods are in fact the very thing making a lot of Americans unhealthy, sick, and fat.
Coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer – four of the top ten chronic diseases that kill most of us – “can be traced directly to the industrialization of our food” according to Michael Pollan.
Making smarter (and sometimes more expensive) food choices now may reduce your healthcare costs later in life.
Why would one want to eat a processed food-like substance that is scientifically designed to never rot?
The food industry has proven that it is not very good at seasoning our foods by adding way too much salt, sugar, and/or oil to almost everything.
When you eat white bread and other foods made with white flour (which is a highly processed version of wheat) you are basically consuming empty calories with far less nutrition than the whole-wheat or whole grain alternatives.
It is estimated that up to 90% of processed foods* in the supermarket contain either a corn or soy ingredient in the form of an additive under a variety of different names. Now how is that for eating variety?
Cutting out processed foods could lead you to experience a variety of personal health benefits such as having more energy, losing weight, improving regularity, or just feeling healthier overall.
Rather than counting calories, watching fat grams, or reducing carbs for “healthy eating,” simply eat whole foods that, as Michael Pollan puts it, are more the product of nature than “the product of industry.” It certainly is less complicated.
It just makes plain old sense to fully understand what you are eating, be able to pronounce everything on the list of ingredients (if there is a list), and know exactly where that food comes from…don’t you think?
*Statistic courtesy of a food scientist interviewed on the documentary “Food, Inc”

Random thoughts on Starvation, Obesity, and Organic Food

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/articles/food_crisis_in_kenya/

RT @injusticefacts: 28 percent of children in developing countries are severely underweight while 45% of American children are overweight. My friend Stacy Leigh, over at My Messy Manger, had this posted as her facebook status yesterday and I've been thinking about it a lot.

Then I read this article from Samaritan's Purse about the food crisis in the horn of Africa right now and what they are doing to help and I couldn't help but think about that above quote again, and feel guilty.

I'm not obese at all but I do sometimes go back and forth about spending so much money on groceries. You see, I love to buy organic because of all the toxins, pesticides, and chemicals in just about all of our food here in America. It costs more. A lot of the reason it costs more is because it supports sustainable pracitices and provides fair wages and good working conditions for those harvesting the crops so this makes me feel good. But it also means that money I could be using to send to Samaritan's Purse or other organizations is going towards our grocery bill. I believe buying organic is worthwhile because it helps others and I believe it is a great way to steward the body God gave me and to take care of my family. But I just have these random conflicting thoughts that sometimes cross my mind and I sometimes wonder if its "okay" to spend so much money on groceries when there are so many starving. So that's my struggle. Can anyone relate? Ideally, one day we hope to learn more about homesteading and grow most all of our own food or participate in CSAs, etc. This would help bring the cost down immensely.

And then there is the obesity problem in America. It saddens me when I look at pictures like this:

And then I look at pictures like this:

There is so much wrong with these two contrasting pictures and scenarios that I cannot even begin to put my thoughts into words. Our country is so greedy and gluttonous it is sickening. We are so materialistic and consumeristic and ravenous really. It saddens me that parents allow their children to get obese and overweight because of the hazard it is for their health. (genetics just means you have to work harder at keeping the weight off, it is not an excuse for obesity) It also maddens me when I am reminded of the fact that there are children all over the world and even in our own country that are starving. How can this be?! It is not right! Even though I am not obese I am still guilty of over eating and indulging in food and goods that I do not need, while children die from starvation daily all over the world.

What will we do to help the starving children in Kenya, Somalia, and other areas in the horn of Africa? Will we turn away and pretend like it doesn't exist as we continue to stuff our faces and our homes with stuff we don't need? I am asking myself these questions as well. I know that the needs are so overwhelming all over the world and I am just one person. You are just one person. But one person + one person + one person, etc. can make a big difference.

Let us pray that God would open our eyes to our gluttonous hearts and our gluttonous stomaches and show us how He would have us help starving children all over the world and in our own back yards.

Happy Mothers Day Mamas! Thanks for keeping your bathroom safe...

Happy Mother’s Day!

Have you seen The Story of Cosmetics? It's a short online film about toxic chemicals in cosmetics, including everyday products that moms buy for their families, like bubble bath, shampoo and lotions. Since you’re a mom who cares about the health of your family, I thought you might want to watch it, too!

Click on the video image to watch, or visit www.storyofcosmetics.org. Thanks for all you do to keep your family - and our larger community - safe! 

See you next week for Birth Story Week!!!

Adventures in Going Green....er, yellowish-green

Going Green. It IS the new cool thing to do, right? Even the big companies are producing "natural" and "green" products.  Well, this is a little bit of my story of why we are trying to be more green, although right now we would probably barely classify as "yellowish-green".


Confession #1: We just started recycling a few months ago. Gasp! I know I know. Even non-green people have been recycling for years. Embarrassing I know. But see, we are very new to this "going green" lifestyle, and I have already learned that there are so many simple things you can do.

Confession #2: I started going green because of concerns for my personal health, as well as my family's,  not because of the environment. Oh sure, it makes me feel good that my choices are making this world a better place, but when I first starting diving into all things green it was because of health concerns. The more I learn the more I care about the environment too. 


My first major green purchase: Better Life Home Cleaners Starter Kit
I started using these when I was pregnant because I was really concerned about the harsh chemicals in other cleaners. As it turns out, these are the best of the best in natural cleaners. They work so well, are safe, non-toxic, and oh sooooo natural! Love them.









My second major green purchase:
I always planned on doing cloth diapers. My mom did cloth diapers with us and it seemed to work out well. The main reason I settled on cloth diapers is because they are soooo much cheaper than disposable diapers, and because there are no harsh chemicals in them that would be harmful to my baby. They are also so stinkin' cute! Who can resist a cloth diaper baby butt? We love our Flip - Snap - Stay Dry Insert Individual-BlossomFlip - Snap - Stay Dry Insert Individual-Blossom by Cotton Babies. Now as I become more environmentally conscious I also love that they are sooooo much better for the environment. By using cloth diapers our family's carbon footprint is reduced exponentially.




In the meantime: My husband begins gardening
Okay, if we are being honest, I was not excited about this new adventure. The start up is expensive (although it saves tons if you produce a good harvest), and it took time away from us spending time together (the thought didn't occur to me at the time that I could help him).  My tune changed when we started eating squash from our own backyard. He has been researching "backyard homesteading" and "sustainable living". We have a LONG way to go in this adventure but would love to be able to live off our own land like the good old days. This summer we are striving to keep our garden as organic as possible and we have been composting all year as well.

Next: WE HAVE A BABY! This is how the green monster got let out of its cage. Recently someone asked me (referring to my new "green" ways) "You haven't always been like this have you?" I reply "No, not until recently. " She asks, "What changed?" My response, "I had a baby." 
Seriously though, this has catapulted me into a world of researching the safety of products and the health of foods, and anything else I can think of. I guess the mama bear in me has come out of hibernation. Ever since having a baby I have been trying to eat very healthy, and as organic as we can afford (why is all the healthy organic stuff soooooo expensive?)  So, fortunately we have a Whole Foods here in Memphis and that is where we get a lot of our produce and most of our meat, as well as a few other things. If we could afford it I would buy all organic just because it is best for the environment and for the workers, but for now we focus mainly on the dirty dozen. And now that baby girl is eating solids you better believe I try to feed her as organically as possible.

Quite possibly the biggest can of worms: COSMETICS
Had NO IDEA until recently how toxic cosmetics are. I mean shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, shave gel, makeup, lotions, cleansers, etc.  And seriously, why do baby products have known carcinogens in them? There has been a lot of attention focused on this lately and you have seen many companies come out with a "natural" line that is not natural at all if you look at the ingredients. Just a marketing gimic!
 I started my research here at The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. It is absolutely crazy to me that companies use known carcinogens and other harmful chemicals in products that we use every single day.  So we are in the process of getting rid of all of our unsafe cosmetics. I have already done one huge purge, and when we run out of the last few things I will buy safe, non-toxic, natural cosmetics to replace them. (In case you are wondering you can find these at Whole Foods, and Sephora has a natural line, as well as several companies online) Most importantly, I switched baby girl over to California Baby products right away and feel so great about her using their products! I have been loving Bare Minerals for makeup and still looking for a natural skin-care line that I love. Right now I am trying REN.

Some small things:

• Trying to eliminate our plastic usage. I am not sure it will ever be possible to eliminate all plastic from our lives, but we are now using paper grocery bags for garbage, which is such an easy step. Also, for the diaper pail I bought 2 reusable, washable diaper pail liners. I found reusable produce bags at Whole Foods recently. I also saw online that there are reusable sandwich bags, so I plan on looking into that. 
• Next big step: buy glassware to replace our plastic that we use for storing leftovers and such. 
• Another big step in the future: switch over to Calphalon (or another brand of cast-iron skillets) and get rid of Teflon and other utensils lined with plastic non-stick component. 

Why are we going green?

Well, like I said: originally it was about health concerns. It is definitely not cheaper so we have to cut back in other areas, but I think it is worth it when it is our health you are talking about.  (side note: if i were more domestic and learned how to make more things myself I think it could be a lot cheaper) 

Now that I have been researching and learning about going green, organic, non-toxic, or whatever other label you want to place on it, I am starting to really care about the environmental aspects as well.  Another term that has been coined is "creation care." I love and follow the Creator who created all of this world, and I want to be a good steward of His creation. I want to be a good steward of my body, His temple, and also of His world. I know I can't completely eliminate my carbon footprint, but I want to do what I can, especially if it is simple. I think it is clear to see that creation is groaning for the return of Christ. We have really messed up His creation, but it is not too late to change our ways. I really do believe that Christ will return sometime in my generation, but who knows for sure? Only God knows when that will be. And in the meantime, I want to preserve the beauty of His creation. I want my children and grandchildren to be able to breathe fresh air and to see coral reefs. One of the ways that God reveals Himself is through His creation, so we want to try our best to preserve His creation for His glory. Don't we? Shouldn't we care about these things as His children? We, after all, are to be stewards of all He has made. 

My family has a long way to go in "being green" and "creation care", but I hope we can continue to learn and apply what we learn, and do all that we can afford. 

What about you? What are some ways you have gone green or what are some things you want to do? What do you think about the idea of "creation care"?