Two days ago I committed to stop eating processed foods in my own home. I didn't give enough thought to what that really meant.
I am not backing down on that statement but it is a much bigger commitment than I really contemplated. No more store bought bread or cereals (mind you I pretty much gave up cereals a while ago) or cookies or crackers or most pre-packaged goods....well...no more store bought lots of things. Of course pretty much everything is ultimately from a store no matter what it is...but you know what I mean...pre-made with artificial ingredients added.
I have most of the equipment to do things other ways. We have our own bread maker (haven't used it for years) and we decided to invest in a VitaMix blender which is extremely expensive but does a million different things (when I took the Food Preparation Course at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition the instructor had the VitaMix blender and it was real impressive). The VitaMix hasn't arrived yet but Jamie and I are both excited about getting it. You can check out what it does by clicking the following link: VitaMix . Just don't look at the price tag unless you have had your physical recently. You may have a heart attack. I know we are close to having one so it better be good!
The only thing I think I still need is a Food Processor but Jamie is a little resistant to that as we tend to buy things and not use them. As equipment accumulates it also takes up more and more space in the kitchen which is critical for his running the B&B so I do see his point..maybe someday. I can survive without one for now. Can't afford one now anyway.
Still...the change to "unprocessed" is bigger and more challenging than I anticipated.
I am going to adjust my commitment only VERY slightly. The change is temporarily practical and allows me some wiggle room while adjusting. It also allows time for the VitaMix to arrive, but at the end of the day it is only temporary.
The adjustment is simply this: I am not going to throw out food I already have in the fridge/freezer. First of all I can't afford to do that (especially after buying the VitaMix) and second of all I am not going to waste all that food.
So for now it will be a bit of a mixed bag, but as processed things run out they will not be replaced, so I will get there whether I like it or not. I am actually excited about making this transition. It just takes more planning I think.
Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while may recall that a fortune teller once told me that I knew what I had to do but I was always finding a reason to "do it later". Well...this is it...later has arrived. I am going to do it.
As a general "update", yesterday I went swimming for the first time in a long time and enjoyed that. I used to swim all the time when I was young. I ate really well too although I did have some wine (come on...it was Saturday night!)
Feeling good about things right now.
Be healthy!
Alan
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6 comments:
Alan - do you ever have porridge? It is a totally unprocessed, wholesome, cheap and delicious breakfast. Just get oat flakes from a wholefood shop and cook 1 part oats to 2 parts water with salt added to taste (this is where it can get controversial - with some needing it to be sweet - maple syrup will do the job), but I belong to the old-fashioned Scottish school of salted porridge.
Yeah I do but not enough. I actually really like it so should have it more often. This vitamix thing is supposed to grind the oats for us if we buy whole oats to that might be cool to try out :-)
Alan
This "no processed food" is def the way to go. Today I took Dommie off to Ikea to buy stuff for his digs in Glasgow and he was starving, so he bought 2 hotdogs, a choc doughnut and 2 coffees (1 for me). In the bad old days I would have eaten at least 1/2 of what he bought - to my credit (and surprise) I wasn't even tempted by that junk .... wayheah - it's working!!!
Add appleasauce to your porridge..or any stewed fruit, it is delicious!
CDP: In the good old days I would have eaten EVERYTHING he bought AND an Ice Cream Cone! LOL.
Not being tempted isn't just to your credit, it is a HUGE accomplishment. I wish I could tell you that you will never crave these things again...but you probably will.
The fact is though, you are gaining the skill power to avoid them. Many would people would think that your accomplishment isn't such a big deal, but those of us who struggle with weight now how truly HUGE a deal it is. I am sooooo proud of you :-)
Alan
Anonymous. The applesauce suggestion get me REAL excited because according to the Vitamix Website I will soon be making my own homemade Applesauce :-)
I really hope this thing works as good as it is supposed to.
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