Healthy Eating!

So probably 6 weeks ago I stumbled upon a 2 hour documentary about refined sugar (hungry for a change). I was glued, I actually watched it two times.... and after a bunch of complaining from Stan I caught him watching it (alone) on a Saturday morning!  http://www.hungryforchange.tv/ (it was free to watch during the trial but now it costs money to see) 

I loved it! I loved it because it very slowly explained all the changes in our food industry from about the 1970's until now. It went over the process of refining all types of foods (sugar, flour, cocaine :-) etc...) and the effects on our bodies. And after you were totally grossed out after the first hour--they spent a second hour showing you how to detox and eat right and be healthy and not kill yourself with food. 

There were no gimmicks or ways to make money off me; and the next 6 weeks I have gotten two emails in my inbox with recipes or advice for eating right.

After watching the movie, Stan and I went through our pantry and got ride of a lot of stuff. We started shopping at the Victorian markets (every Saturday) where we can buy lots of fresh veggies, fruits, and meats. We cut out desserts and replaced them with fruit.  We follow a general guideline for our meals (that we created) which looks something like this:

Breakfast:

crumpets (which have no sugar in them) + honey = divine!!

homemade juice (whatever I blend in the blender)--Pineapple, cucumber, pear, chia seeds (which work better than Olivia's laxative which she has been taking for nearly 3 years now)

1 vitamin

1 fruit (if still hungry)

+ 1 fruit for morning tea

Kids Lunch:

2 veggies

2 fruits 

1 sandwich

water bottle

+ 1 fruit for afternoon tea

Dinner:

1 meat

2 veggies

1 fruit (served at the end for dessert).

(and we do fish for our meat 1/ week--yep FISH FRIDAYS --usually salmon, but there are so many yummy fresh fish here in Australia, its hard to choose).

Other frequent add ins:

avocado, cilantro, parsley...I eat as much of these as possible (fresh), and throw them on everything! 

I guess I have done this in baby steps. Australian food has about 10% of the sugar content that American food does....that's 90% LESS!!!! I have noticed such a huge change in my body with taking the extra step and cutting it out even further.

I go to the store a lot now--can't bulk buy fruit (it goes bad)...we consume at least 1 pineapple /day so when I go to the store we get a lot of pineapples (and it is winter here). I don't buy anything canned due to the sugar content in the syrup, all produce is fresh!

So I love it!  Eating like this has changed my life. The kids lunches have changed so much. No more chips, gummy snacks, cheese sticks, gogurts....nothing. Just cut up fruits and veggies and a sandwich. Breakfast has changed a lot too (no more cereal (which is crawling with sugar...yea even the "healthy ones")), no apple juice (or any kind of store made juice) and my snack cupboard is bare....I replaced the microwave popcorn with the natural kernels which I pop with olive oil and salt. I use olive oil or water for everything now.

Sometimes I break my sugar rule (for instance, I just had my birthday and we did have cake), but I don't even have a desire to eat this sort of "processed" stuff. It is amazing how many times I go into a store and am only interested in about 10% (or less) of the store, and don't even get me started about gas stations or quick places to get the kids food if I come unprepared after school and we have to dash off to dance or another activity...It is so sad! There is unhealthy stuff available EVERYWHERE and healthy food is hard to find. 

Across the street from Stan's office is a "salad shop" there is a line an hour long every day; it is the only really healthy lunch place in the whole city. People want to eat right but with our fast paced world we need healthy stuff available now, otherwise people compromise just to eat! 

 I am so glad I didn't make these changes until AFTER I or someone in my family had gotten very sick or obese--(diabetes, cancer--highly related to sugar) or some other crazy disease). I am keen to see if eating this way will positively change how Olivia digests food. 

I know a lot of diseases are genetic, but research shows that almost always something has to "trigger" them--I am not going to let food wipe me out physically, especially with all the stressors now days. Keep you posted on any other benefits or tips I come across. I can't sum up this video in a quick post--it is 2 hours-- just watch it--eventually someone will put it on Utube right?  :-) It will change your life!!

ps. Although my kids did resist at first, they have to eat, and if there is nothing but healthy stuff around--they will eat it! Brussel sprouts are a new family favourite right now--Stan is the best cook ever!