A Healthier Life...On a Budget

I am asked quite often how we can afford to feed our family a healthy diet full of organic veggies, fruits and meats.  Over and over I have people telling me some version of this, "We would eat healthy food, but we just can't afford it."  In fact, I've heard it so many times that I've lost count, prompting me to decide to craft a few blog posts about making healthy, inexpensive changes to diet and lifestyle.

 

Having parents who had raised me to know about things like using food as medicine or the benefits of alternative therapies, I feel blessed to have had a head start and a knowledge base that I might not have otherwise. My parents were "organic and crunchy" before it was hip to be so. We had chickens, a garden, and homemade everything...even mayo. Even now, I'll tell my mom something I learned or decided to try making and she'll say to me, "Oh yes, sweetie, I used to make that when y'all were little."  She's a wonderful resource. I am very, very grateful to always have the support of my parents when I am trying to give my family a healthier way of life. They believed in me through 3 pregnancies, home births, homemade baby food, battles with pediatricians over vaccinations and antibiotics, and treating sick kids with herbs and homeopathy. Love and thanks to you, Beebo and Pappa, for raising me to think outside the box!

So for all of you who have emailed me, commented on posts or messaged me on Facebook, I will write a few posts to try to help and encourage those of you who truly think there is no way you can afford to change the way you eat and live.  You can do it...I promise!

“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”  ~Jim Rohn

Sorting Through the Hype

I'm not one for making New Year's resolutions.  I do, however, always have to hit the restart button after all of the holiday indulgences.  It's truly amazing how crappy you feel after consuming all of the sugar, carbs, wine, and just generally less-than-healthy food.  After too many late nights, I am typically exhausted as well.  So begins the post-holiday reboot.

With all of the health trends, superfoods, exercise fads, etc, it is really hard to figure out what's best.  I've decided that there is no one path to health.  We all have different imbalances, nutritional needs, and lifestyles. Always researching and reading, I am usually up for trying new things.  Unfortunately, some of those things end up being a waste of time, money and energy.  I guess that's how we learn.  There are a few things, however, that I've figured out work quite well for me personally.  I'll share them with you and I would love to hear the things that work for you!

I believe good, clean food is the best thing any of us can do for our health and well-being. I am very particular about what I buy and prepare for my family.  The first thing I did after New Year's Day was get the sugar out of the house.  Sugar, regardless of what form it is in (carbs and grains included), is really harmful to your health. It is not surprising to me that so many of us get sick after the holidays.  Every bit of sugar we consume lowers our natural immunity, making us susceptible to all kinds of yuck. I feel my best when I limit carbs and cut out other sugar completely.  Well, except for the occasional square of really dark chocolate. :)

Foods that I include in my diet are farm fresh local eggs, pastured cultured butter (like Kerrygold), greens (raw and cooked, also in smoothies), good grains like quinoa, lots of roasted roots (especially this time of year), slow simmered soups, organic veggies and lots of hot tea.  I am a big believer in eating for the different seasons.  We pretty much exist on salads and fresh, raw vegetables in the summer.  Once fall and winter roll around, we start wanting warming foods like roasted vegetables and soups, and lots of different teas.

While I am not a believer in taking a hundred supplement pills everyday, I do realize that there are just some things we don't get from our food today. Three things that I do include in my diet everyday are probiotics, fermented cod liver oil (info here), High Vitamin Butter Oil (info here) and coconut oil.  I believe completely in the benefits of healthy fats, having discovered how much better I look and feel when good fats are a daily part of my diet. The only non-food supplement I am currently using is a transdermal magnesium oil spray.  It has worked wonders.

We all know exercise is crucial.  I personally am a hater of the treadmill, so when I discovered Peak Fitness (aka HIIT) a few years ago, I was sooooooo happy.  I absolutely cannot run long distances on the treadmill. It is torture...boring, boring, boring. High Intensity Interval Training is the best thing ever.  20 minutes, 3 times a week. Yes!  The rest of the week I do rebounding or yoga.  I suppose if I were to make a resolution for working out it should be to include more weights...also not my favorite thing.

One of the best things I've done for my health in the past few years is to include different kinds of energy medicine.  I never do any kind of workout without first doing the 10 minute Energy Routine (here) plus a few other exercises I've learned from my mom.  You may think it's crazy and a bunch of bunk, but it makes a huge difference in my ability to work out harder and longer.  (I've also used it to balance my hormones and get rid of premenopausal symptoms like night sweats.)  My dad is in his 60's and never misses a workout. If he does, we know he is really sick.  When he started doing energy medicine to stay balanced and healthy, his daily pushups started to number in the hundreds.  Yes, you heard me correctly...hundreds.  My daddy is quite the studly one, huh. :-)  By the way, if you do yoga, you are doing energy medicine.  Just sayin'...

Well, this is all I can think of for now, not to mention this post is really long.  Thanks to any of you who actually make it to the end!  :)  I really would like to hear what works for you.  Love to learn new things!