Nourishing

I have a confession to make...
I haven't used my microwave in almost 2 months.
Shocking, isn't it, esp. with 3 children to feed! I didn't think I could do it...eliminate something that seems so essential to modern day cooking. But all it took was a little research and a little figuring out how to do things differently, and voila...I've moved on. I took baby steps, eliminating things one by one until I was down to only heating water. And now I heat that on the stove too...and it really doesn't take long at all. And I really don't miss my microwave...at all.

Why am I doing this? It all started with these guys.

When I saw each one of these perfect little bodies, I wanted to do the best I could to "nourish" them. To keep them healthy and on a path with the best chance of avoiding diseases that are becoming all to common today. Sam struggled with eczema and had sensitivity to wheat-related products when he was littler. He has had to do nightly steriod breathing treatments for the past almost 2 years. Emmeline is sensitive to wheat products and maybe even some pasturized dairy. Her and Mollie both also have very sensitive skin. I could accept this as normal, but I am determined to find out if there is something in their diet that is causing these sensitivities so that we can eliminate them and help them feel better. As I started learning what to do for them, I wanted to do it for me too. I want to be healthy and feel healthy. And what I'm learning isn't so shocking...it's just uncoventional for today's world of processed foods that surround us. What should we eat???

Whole, unprocessed foods. Meat, eggs, fruits and veggies, healthy fats. Meat that hasn't been pumped full of growth hormones and antibiotics. Dairy that hasn't been ultra-pasturized to take out all of good along with the bad (because of the growth hormones and antibiotics). Eggs from chickens that have been allowed to graze outside of a cage. Fruits and vegetables that aren't genetically modified and laden with pesticides. Healthy fats that aren't hydrolized. Natural, not artificial (esp. high fructose corn syrup!), sweeteners.

Basically...eat like your parents did when they were growing up on the farm because it was before the time of highly processed foods. Does this take a little work in this day and age?...YES. Does it go against what everyone else seems to be doing?...YES. But is it possible?...YES!!! I am finding an amazing community of support both online and locally. I am not the only one making these changes.

I'm taking baby steps. And whenever I feel like I'm not doing enough, I look at what we are eating now and what changes we have made in the past several months and am amazed. It really adds up and I am excited to keep making more changes, and do much more research, even if I face challenges.

I'll leave you with this tidbit of info. from the book Nourishing Traditions that I am reading right now. I don't think you'll ever want to eat margarine or shortening again. This is a good example of why I want to know what I'm putting into my body.
Hydrogenation: This is the process that turns polyunsaturates, normally liquid at room temperature, into fats that are solid at room temperature - margarine and shortening. To produce them, manufacturers begin with the cheapest oils - soy, corn, cottonseed or canola, already rancid from the extraction process- and mix them with tiny metal particles - usually nickel oxide. The oil with its nickel catalyst is then subjected to hydrogen gas in a high-pressure, high-temperature reactor. Next, soap-like emulsifiers and starch are squeezed into the mixture to give it a better consistency; the oil is yet again subjected to high temperatures when it is steam-cleaned. This removes its unpleasant odor. Margarine's natural color, an unappetizing grey, is removed by bleach. Dyes and strong flavors must be added to make it resemble butter. Finally, the mixture is compressed and packaged in blocks or tubs and sold as a health food.

I'll pass and reach for some real butter instead.