I know that it should be a good experience and it should feel super awesome that you're making changes and getting healthier. And it did, and still does, trust me. The part that was so frustrating to me was the fact that there is so much, and I mean SO MUCH contradictory information and ideas out there. By this I mean things like those that are trying to lose weight eating all non-fat or low-fat products, but then finding out that all of those products are loaded with chemicals and all sorts of crap to take the fats place. Then there's those who are trying to lose weight by cutting out carbs, but then they're not allowed to eat fruits and are extremely limited on veggies. (In what world would that EVER be healthy?!). Or switching to agave nectar instead of sugar, only to find out that agave is actually really nasty stuff. Or how about butter lovers switching to olive oil for cooking, only to find out that it forms a type of carcinogen at high heat. Then there's the McDonald's, fast food, or frozen food lover that starts cooking more homemade meals instead, only to find out that the meat she's using could be loaded with hormones, antibiotics and who knows what, and that the grass fed, certified organic meat that costs 3 times as much would be so much better for her and her family.
It. Gets. Frustrating.
I have been there, I'm still there on some things, and I thought I'd never figure out what's best or what my game plan is. Starting from basically ground zero and never having bought organic produce, never having paid attention to what's in my food, I figured any step forward was a step in the right direction. And that's your key.
You may not be able to switch everything all at once, you may not be able to afford all organic, and you may have super picky meat-n-potatoes only kind of boyfriends. Oh wait, that one's mine. The point is, you have to start somewhere, and one change at a time is better than no change at all.
Start with your produce for instance: learn the dirty dozen and the clean 15 and buy accordingly. When you're ready, start making the change to buying all organic. Maybe next, switch to organic, grass fed butter and milk. Next switch your eggs, then your cheese. Next, stop buying canned tomatoes and use fresh instead, then start making your own stocks instead of buying processed versions, and making your own spice mixes, and so on.
Do your research. If you're one to purchase low-fat or non-fat versions of dairy, look at the ingredients list and look up anything you're not sure of. Compare your labels. Don't think there's much of a difference between non-fat and full fat, or conventional vs organic? Compare regular, conventional eggs to organic, cage free eggs once. There is a drastic difference in cholesterol & sodium. Same thing with sugar-free foods. They make you think it's a healthier option because there's no sugar, but in the place of sugar there are nasty, and I mean nasty, chemicals masked as artificial sweeteners that can cause a whole slew of health problems and even cancer.
So even though the stuff still may not be good for you, the regular versions are typically not as dangerous as the low-fat, non-fat, non-sugar versions. So is switching back to regular, full fat, good enough instead of switching to all organic? Not quite. But it's your first step.
Back then I knew with the more I learned and the more I realized things need to change, that I wasn't going to be able to do it all at once. I couldn't afford to buy all organic, or throw everything out and get healthier versions. I had a hard time wrapping my head around my vegetable intake consisting of more than a can of beans at dinner or a salad at lunch for pete's sake. Seriously. Not to mention that picky meat-n-potatoes boyfriend that thought I fell off my rocker and came back to as a hippy! I knew he'd be my biggest obstacle with switching how we were eating, and he still is. I've been trying different things and I must say that he's adapted quite well, but he still raises an eyebrow to a few things and even flat out refused others. I'll get him there eventually.
And I am still working on things and switching, eliminating, or adding things one by one even now, and I'm sure I will be for a long time. It's pretty neat to look back at all of the changes I've made over the last year or so though, and knowing that we've made leaps and bounds towards healthier lives. We didn't get here by drastically changing it all at once and we didn't notice instant results or changes in us by making the changes. We did it one or two changes at a time, at our own pace.
It's also important to remember that it's not only about taking things one at a time, but it's also about doing your own research. There are contradictory opinions out there on just about every topic. Don't believe everything you hear, and don't follow new trends. Instead, hop on Google and do some digging yourself, or ask someone that's knowledgeable about natural health. It's really easy to get confused as to what's healthy and what's not, or what claims to be but isn't. Find out for yourself. That is my best advice. I can't tell you what you should or shouldn't do, or how you should eat, or what not to buy, and I am not a health expert or medical professional. But I can tell you to start doing your homework and start making decisions on how you're going to improve your health starting today.
No comments:
Post a Comment