so what's this all about anyway?

I'll have to admit - the concept of cleaning up our eating habits is happening a lot faster in my mind than in reality. After all, i've got 4 people in the house (and one off in college) to consider when planning meals. But maybe if i divulge a little more into the background and motivation for doing so - I can begin to pace myself day by day to achieve the greater goal!



First and foremost! It's a no brainer that junk food is bad for you. even in moderation, when you stop and really think about it, what good does a cupcake or a bag of skittles do for you? When was the last time you heard of the "Doritos Diet" or read "drink more soda...your body will thank you...". 'Nuff said. And while my family is not exclusively on a junk food diet, we can certainly do better! As my husband and I approach middle age, of course health concerns are on the rise. The body doesn't bounce back like it used to and aging occurs at a much faster rate when you don't take care of yourself. As for the kiddos, well, it's never too late to get those good eating habits in place. It may take some time and with Jeremy, yes...it might be tough, but so far he's been cooperating. Which leads me to my next motivation...


It seems that Jeremy has had a rash since he was six weeks old. At eleven and a half now, it's gone beyond chronic. We've tried it all and seen several different doctors over the years. Always the same thing, and nothing ever really takes care of it. Jeremy also has horrible allergies. Circles under the eyes, runny nose, chronic inflammation, the list goes on. So I had a revelation last week, maybe it's FOOD! I've been much better at cooking healthy meals for a quite a while, but Jeremy is not one to try new stuff. He loves mac n cheese, french fries and bagels. You get the picture...starch, starch, starch! It hit me that he could have some food allergies going on, and hey we need to get serious about getting into shape! Hence this rush into changing our family food plan.


The goal is simply this: increase our fiber intake to 35grams per day, increase our water intake, eliminate as much as possible processed foods and fast foods. Don't miss it...AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. I realize that there is no way to transform this family into a completely organic, fresh foods only lifestyle, as much as I would love to, it's not going to happen. So my goal is to re-direct my menus and cooking by using as much fresh food and non processed ingredients as possible. Most of what I will be using is available at our local grocer and really does not require a regular health food store visit (except for our vitamins and supplements, which we already take). I tried a couple of recipes this weekend, one success and one failure. Buckwheat dumplings...YUCK! Ruined a perfectly delicious pot of homemade chicken soup!


My purpose for blogging is really two fold; 1, to journal our daily progress and 2, to share with those who may be interested in pursuing the same goals. It's not for everyone, especially those faint in willpower when it comes to food! But I believe that it's a godly purpose to provide the healthiest food I can for my family, to help them be all they can be!

I'll try not to be too serious and maybe even share a recipe or two. Maybe one day (can you tell I'm a big picture thinker??) I can compile this for my kids - a great book for your library Michele!

Peace.