Day 34- First Month- Let's Review

I am more than a month into my little experiment of trying to make more healthy food choices.  So far I have bought farm-fresh eggs.  Given up Fast Food (yes, I have had Wendy's once and Burger King once for breakfast- it was not very tasty.)  I shopped at Whole Foods (really expensive) and Trader Joe's (more fun). I avoided high-fructose corn syrup- although this is a work in process. I gave up Diet Coke and my headaches subsided- but I still crave a cold icy glass often. I weighed in every Tuesday and I have not seen the scale move much.  I started The Biggest Loser 30-Day Jumpstart (but I have not been very consistent.)  I picked apples, shopped at local farms, and ate grass-fed beef.  Someone asked me if I felt loads better and truthfully I don't feel any different.  Maybe because I have not been completely consistent. And maybe because this is still a process.  I do know my cholesterol levels have come down (I have also been taking a fish oil supplement.)  For the next month of the journey, I want to focus on being more consistent with exercise and looking at incorporating more of the Food Rules.  I'm also planning a give-away contest coming up soon.

One thing that has been difficult is the cost of buying "better" food. Other than produce being rather inexpensive during the summer months, other healthy foods are quite a bit more expensive.  And it is so much more time-consuming to cook from scratch!  It's way easier to get carry-out or make Hamburger Helper (which is so gross in my opinion).  But it takes a lot of time and effort and planning to cook healthy meals.  (OK end of whining.)

Leave a comment to let me know how you are doing- I would like to hear from you!

Welcome to 90 Days of Change

Tomorrow is September 1st. There's something about the start of a new school year calendar that always inspires me.  No New Year's Resolutions for me, I'm all about the start of Fall. (Nevermind that it's 90 degrees today.)

Today I am starting a journey- well an experiment really- that will take me to the end of November, and maybe beyond.  I have been thinking for some time that I would like to make some changes in the way my family eats and acts and lives. It all started when someone told me they just read the book In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan. I kind of filed that away thinking I would read it when I had time.  Then someone else said they just watched the movie Food Inc.  So off to the library I went.  I got In Defense of Food on CD and Food Inc. on DVD.  I listened to the book over several days and watched the documentary over a couple nights.  I have to say they both changed the way I look at food.  The way it is produced, packaged and consumed.

So I began to think- what can I do? For myself and for my family. To eat more whole foods and less pre-packaged junk.  Also to live more healthy in general- for our bodies and our environment.  I will say right now- I am not one of those green-eco-hippie types! (But, all the best if you are.)  I just think we should do the best we can with our bodies and earth God created.  OK, plus I can stand to lose a pound or ten (or forty.)

I will be using as one of my guides the small paperback book by Michael Pollan- Food Rules: An Eater's Manual.   It contains 64 "rules",  which are more like suggestions, for eating.  I will also be using other resources I come upon from time to time.

I'm not really sure what this is going to look like, but tomorrow I'm going to dive right in.  I hope you will join me for the next 90 Days of Change!