If you’re new to this series, start here!
It all started…
(unintentionally) about two years ago. I was not out to learn more about eating or cooking healthy, I thought I knew the basics and was, in general, a healthy person. Sure, I loved sweets (still do), ate the typical snack foods and grabbed the occasional fast food, but I exercised other healthy eating habits and figured it all evens out…”everything in moderation,” right? Well, I still agree with the frequently used mantra to an extent; however, I believe that most of us, including myself, could stand a little more HEALTH and a lot less “moderation.”
For example, if we are having a treat because it’s a special occasion, fine. But if you take into consideration that one can count almost any occasion “special” and begins making a daily exception to the rules, than it is no longer rare moderation, but rather it is the norm; the norm equals the lifestyle!
But I digress…
Shortly after Max was born, entering the Spring of 2010, Andy and I both wanted to start working out and feeling healthy again. So, I checked out the audio version of Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels. I’d seen it online and thought I could at the very least glean some worthwhile health and fitness tips.
THINK AGAIN!
This book rocked my world and, now that I think about it, served as the stepping stone that would completely change my lifestyle, passions, and health.
It was not that this was the most in depth book about our food system or healthful cooking, but it provided a powerful overview of how the body’s endocrine system works and how what we put into our bodies TRULY affects our health, hormones, and how we feel!
I’ve always known to eat, “healthy” but this was my most powerful introduction to the HUGE difference between what our culture understands (and the FDA approves) as healthy and what ACTUALLY is. I was shocked, disgusted, upset and amazed at what I was hearing. After scraping my jaw off the floor and recounting half the book to Andy (before he listened to it on his own)…
We were on our way to a whole new lifestyle; one that simply includes a renewed passion for food in regards to how we view, buy, prepare, and consume it!
Once I learned a little, a spark was ignited and I consumed any books, articles, blogs, and documentaries on the topic of real food and healthful living. It all served as a major wake-up call…
and was entirely overwhelming!
There were moments I felt powerful, like a veil had been lifted from my eyes regarding our food culture (or lack there of) and I was suddenly able to make great change and contribution to my family’s overall health. At the same time, there were moments of great frustration and anger, not only in struggling to figure out HOW to make these changes, but also at how the food industry is shrouded in such lies and faulty marketing that the consumer TRULY doesn’t even know what he is consuming.
We underwent an overhaul…
which prompts my next post: 7 Tips Towards Real Food
Becca V
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Hi Becca- As I have seen you post on Facebook, and come over here a few times, I have been curious about how you got on this path. I am so glad you are sharing your story!
What you write on this blog comes across as a passionate desire to eat healthy and help others eat healthy. You are making things accessible. Even people who don’t feel like they can travel as fully into real food as you are (like me) are given great steps and ideas for incorporating MORE real food into their diets.
I just wanted to encourage you on this journey. It is powerful to see people follow their passion. If you keep sharing your passion with humility, as you have done so far, I believe it is something that will bless and help others.
So glad you stepped out in faith to do this! It’s fun to watch from the sidelines.
Thank you, Stephanie! Your encouragement means a ton to me and I am so happy to hear that it comes across with great passion and hopefully, great humility. I really appreciate your kind words; thank you for reading!
I am inspired to radically reform my eating habits, and yet I desperately want to go to buffalo wild wings…hmm, this is what they call a dilemma.
Love to read this stuff! Well done Madame
well, shoot. that is a dilemma!
I trust the FDA as much as I trust all government agencies – “as far as I can throw them”. Keep it up, B.
EXACTLY! It has VERY little, if anything, to do with health and is entirely centered on where the money is coming from! Thanks, Sarah!
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