How to Improve your Eating Habits and Shock Your Friends

Over a year ago, I made some fundamental changes to my family's diet:

1. I started baking our own bread. I still buy tortillas and some hamburger buns, but the sliced sandwich bread we use daily is homemade.

2. I stopped buying most store cereals. My son rebelled, and I still buy frosted flakes for him, but otherwise, I don't keep 4 or 5 cereals in my pantry anymore. For about 6 months I made granola for the rest of us, but they eventually got tired of that, and mostly eat toast at breakfast now.

3. I stopped buying Crisco and canola oil.  I'd read too many scary things about these two, and decided to replace them with coconut oil (yeah, I know, GASP!!!), more olive oil, and lots more butter.

4. I'm buying only whole milk.  No more low-fat products in this house.

5. I'm buying farm-fresh eggs and organic chickens.

6.  Hardly ever do we: eat junk food (processed/ pre-made) at home, go out to eat at restaurants, or eat fast-food.  Mostly, this is a financial change for us, but I'm sure it's healthier too.

It's been over a year.  Just this week, I'm pulling back out my winter clothes.  And guess what?  Those fitted skirts are no more snug than they were last year at this time.  Now, granted, I am not a skinny woman.  Still, with the addition of whole milk, coconut oil, more butter, etc. -- I'm not a pound larger than I was a year ago.  Neither is Adam.  I find this surprising, and encouraging.  It tells me that it's not the good, healthy fat in our diets that is making us heavier.  I'm convinced it's all the sugars we add, to compensate for the low-fat tastelessness.  And I'm tired of sugar;  I don't want it like I used to.

Anyway, here are three fun articles for your reading enjoyment, all from "Simple Organic":


Five Foods Women Should Be Eating by Katie Kimball

Three things to eat to Stay Healthy This Winter by Katie Fox

Five Foods Everyone Should Eat to Avoid the Flu also by Katie Kimball

You'll be surprised, perhaps shocked!  I found that the changes I made over a year ago, are probably keeping us all healthier this year. I think I'll go make an egg on toast right now!

I know a whole generation of Americans are devotees of LOW-FAT everything.  Rethink it, guys.  Has the whole fat-free trend made America skinnier? Healthier?  If we strip all the fat and sugar out of our foods, what do you think we'll replace them with for flavor?  Yep, chemicals.  No thanks!!

Many thanks to Jo-Lynne at "Musings of a Housewife" for faithfully reminding me of how to eat right. You're the best, JL!