the basics : getting started

i couldn't be more thrilled to share with you what it is i do to keep whole, nutrient-dense food in my house and on my family's plates. please know that i am nowhere near having this art perfected. i am also not able to buy all the kinds of food i would prefer to, considering our food budget.

this is why i want to share with you what it is i do, because no family has an endless supply of money or time or talent. so you need to capitalize on what you have the most of.

let's get started:

1. do not waste your hard-earned money on organic junk food. if you are going to eat chips and cookies, just buy the kinds you like. when you over-process organic ingredients they become carcinogenic anyway.

2. do not be afraid of fat. fat is your friend. of course that is, the right kind. it will actually keep your weight off, keep your heart healthy and your hormones balanced. it also helps to digest the proteins that you eat. always eat your meat with the fat. read more about that from this smart chic.

3. do as best you can to find the cleanest meat and eggs. especially if you eat a lot of them. these foods are so good for you, but when they are riddled with hormones and antibiotics they can cause a lot of problems. what's even better? grass-fed. this is because corn & grain-fed animals are actually diabetic animals, which in turn will affect your blood sugar levels. also, grass-fed products are more nutrient-dense.

4. do invest in organic whole foods. these are more nutrient-dense than conventionally grown foods. and the way they are grown is much nicer to the earth they're grown on.

5. find out if there is a co-op nearby that you can get in on. you will save dramatically on your food bill if you can buy in bulk the organic whole foods your family eats a lot of. ask around, these can sometimes be hard to find.

6. don't be afraid to try new things and to make your family try them. i read once that it takes trying something new 7 times before one takes a liking to it. keep trying.

7. always be looking for places to pack additional nutrients into the things you normally eat and drink. even squeezing lemon into your water will give you extra vitamins and a little boost in your metabolism. i always sneak soaked beans in my taco meat. they hardly know they're there!

8. try to get rid of any crappy non-stick pans you have hanging around. especially if you notice that they are leaving black flecks in your eggs. these puppies are very toxic, not only to the food that's cooking in the pan but they also release fumes into the air.

9. soy is not a health food. i don't care what all your granola, hippy-dippy friends think. soy milk, cheese, hot dogs and tofu are over-processed soybeans. this means all the heating and extracting rids the soybeans of their existing nutrients. soy in it's natural state contains high levels of phytoestrogens which most of us don't need anymore of.

10. take it slow. of the suggestions that i listed here and the food preparation ideas i will let you in on, take one at a time. try it a couple, maybe even half a dozen times before you move onto the next technique. get good and confident. it will help you tackle the next hurdle even better.

more coming soon!