Do You Judge What Others Eat?

My motto since adopting is that you don't have to understand our choices or all the issues that come with adoption, I just ask that you respect our decisions.  Trust that WE know all the issues and we know what is best.  

This motto has applied to several issues in life through out the years, including our food choices.

I try very hard not to judge what others eat( though I do admit I worry) but for some reason because we choose to eat organic and non processed, it seems like everyone has the right to judge us. I do, however, judge the food industry and the gov't  that allows our food supply to be doused with toxic herbicides and pesticides, filled with chemicals manufactured in a science lab and laden with ecoli.

This blog post hits the nail on the head about the issue and the unfortunate incident that caused this mom to write it-




Defending My Daughter's Diet
By Eden Strong

I dropped my daughter off at her friend’s birthday party and before I left, handed the friend’s mom a gluten-free cupcake. “Thanks so much for the invite!” I said. “My daughter’s on a special diet and she knows not to eat anything while she’s here, but if you could just give her this cupcake when you guys have cake that would be fabulous.”
The mom looked at me as if I’d just told her that my kid only eats fertilizer and would she mind ordering some for the party. “Oh sure, no problem,” she said with one eyebrow raised and the corner of her mouth twisted upwards to convey her disgust.

Later, when I arrived to pick my daughter up, the kids were still in the midst of eating their cake so I stood outside the party room with the other parents as we waited for them to finish. The birthday girl’s mom stuck her head out the door and offered us all a slice saying, “The kids filled up on pizza and one little girl’s mom has her on a weird diet so there’s a ton of cake left.” In response, the other parents mumbled, “Some people just need to lighten up; it’s a party.” They laughed and talked amongst themselves - amongst ME - about how ridiculous it is that some parents feel the need to be all high-and-mighty with their “organic this and organic that.” One mom even expressed sadness that there was a child who was “missing out on the fun” and they all agreed they’d never want to willingly make their child feel different.

Here’s the backstory: For medical reasons, my daughter’s on a special diet. To add to that, I’ve chosen to limit and diversify her diet in other ways that I feel are important for reasons I don’t feel the need to explain. Certainly, I don’t expect anyone to cater to her dietary needs or go out of their way to accommodate her, but I DO expect to be respected for the ways that I choose to feed my child.
I’m sick and tired of other parents telling me to just “loosen up, she’s a kid!” I’m tired of catching the stink eye from people when I pack my a daughter a lunch full of things most kids can’t recognize. I’m over people making me feel like I’m ruining my daughter’s childhood because I limit her from certain things. What is wrong with me feeding my kid what I feel is best for her?  When I see parents feeding their kids Happy Meals and ingredients I believe can cause pretty significant health issues, it’s hard for me to understand why they’d willingly fill their kids up with processed garbage and pretend it’s actually food. I look at your kids and I fear our future rising healthcare costs as well as the unhealthy spouse my child may one day marry. So while you’re cringing because my kid’s not eating a cupcake, I’m cringing because yours is.

You know what, though? I’ve realized that it’s not my place to pass judgment on what you’re feeding your child because your child doesn’t belong to me. I understand that you as a parent have made choices that you feel are the best thing for your family. I trust that you as a parent love your child just as much as I love mine and that you’re doing what you feel is best for them. And while I’m not proud to admit I sometimes form internal judgments (admit it, we all do) I realize it’s not within my rights to let those judgments slip outside my consciousness.
The way that I feed my child is not a problem. The REAL problem is that you have a problem with something that’s NOT your problem. Yes, you with your judgmental eyes, snippy comments, and unwanted opinions. YOU are forcing social stigmas on my child and I do have a problem with that. If you as the grown-up were to simply accept what my child was eating, so would your kids and so would my daughter. In short: you’re the one reinforcing that my child is different. And yes, maybe she is different, but so is your child. Why is that concept so difficult to comprehend? Different is equal, not necessarily better or worse.

As parents, I hope we can agree that if we want to raise a generation of compassionate and accepting individuals than we need to be teaching our kids those lessons now. We need to remember that the issue is bigger than your opinions about what I feed my child.

And while we’re at it, I’ll feed my kid and you feed yours, okay?

Feel free to share your thoughts and feelings on the matter.

Many Blessings,

Jen 

Giving Up Processed and Low Fat Foods

Since October or November I have been reading up on this radical idea  to eat only 'real' food.  Some people might call it 'clean' eating.  Or even 'non-processed'.

It started with watching Food, Inc awhile back.  This movie takes a deep look as to where the food in our supermarkets come from.  That was the first veil lifted.  It really opened our eyes to things we never thought much about.

Then I started reading a blog called 100 Days of Real Food where a family of 4 challenged themselves to eat only real food for 100 days.  That lifted another veil on our views of 'healthy' food.

Next I read Food Rules.  I LOVE this book.  I started reading this book wen my husband got in the shower one day and by time he was done, so was I.  I thought it would be all mumbo jumbo-ish with science but quite the opposite.  It gives simple, practical(as in, 'Duh, why didn't I ever think of that') rules on what we should be eating.  It isn't some diet fad, its common sense.  I want to buy it and give  it to every person I know.

We started making making some switches in December.  We chose more foods that are in it's natural state( not a box of food like substances that is laden with chemicals I can't even pronounce and have no idea what it is.)  And in January we jumped in with both feet.  We have had some hits and misses for sure.  Some meals or snacks have been a hit, others induced gagging. ;)


So how exactly have our eating habits changed at home?

1. We only eat whole grains( pasta, rice, grains, bread, etc).  White flour has had all the nutrients stripped out so your body sees it as sugar.  Click on  'whole grains' above to get a more indepth look at how whole wheat goes to white flour and why.

2.We stay away from products with ingredients I can't pronounce( which are chemicals linked to tumors and illness), along with some I can but are still bad(high fructose corn syrup, 'natural flavors', etc).  If I wouldn't normally find the ingredient in my pantry then I I try not to buy a product with that in it. 

3. That means a lot more fresh fruit( some frozen) and veggies.  And we have never been veggie people, so that was super scary for all of us.  But we are doing good and really branching out =)  Who knew snowpeas in ranch were yummy!

4. We are also buying organic( no pesticides, herbicides, growth hormones, antibiotics, GMO's, grass fed cows, etc). That includes dairy products since, just as in human breast milk, what goes into the bodies can be passed through the milk. It cost more to buy organic but we are buying less.  Strangely enough, when you eat real food, it fills you up faster!! So less is actually needed =) If you can't buy everything organic( and there are some things I do not, then check out the top 13 things you should buy organic.

There have been proven links between pesticides and cancers and birth defects. Why are we trusting a company that made Agent Orange to put chemicals on our food supply??  See what even years after using Agent Orange has done to children in Vietnam.  

5. We also have cut out refined sugar.  We use more natural sources like honey and pure maple syrup as a substitute.  Sugar is ok every now and then but sugar is just in EVERYTHING now a days.  And large amounts at that.  I have no idea why we have a diabetes epidemic ;)

That was scary for me because I LOVE sweets!  But my palate has been refined now.  It's kind of like I took it back to the baseline.  Things I am sure would have tasted blah to me now has the perfect sweetness( or saltiness).  I use to only be able to eat a grilled cheese with chips.  I decided to break the rules one day and have some chips with my sandwich.  I spat them out.  I felt like a deer licking a salt lick!  Crazy.  When I eat refined sugar now, I instantly feel dizzy and usually get sick to my stomach.  Just one cookie will do that to me, where as before I could eat 6 at a time with no effect. And be wary of sugar substitutes.

6. And get this, I use to eat low fat or fat free everything.  Now I eat full fat stuff after reading this http://deliciouslyorganic.net/hashed-browns/  and http://deliciouslyorganic.net/creamed-kale-and-eggs-recipe/.  If you struggle with high cholesterol this is a must read!!  Mind blowing.

And since I cut out white flour, highly processed foods and refined sugar 10 weeks ago, I have lost 11-12 pounds.  7 of those pounds were in the 1st week! I swear was eating 'healthy' before.  And I have only done my 20 minute work out about 5 times during these past 10 weeks.  At the age of 33, it had become hard for me to lose weight by changing my eating habits alone.  My metabolism just slooooowed down.  But as I said, I have lost 11-12 pounds, eating what I always considered 'fatty foods'.  That goes against everything I have been taught. 

That means whole milk, butter and full fat dairy too(yikes!).  Most packaged foods that are low fat or fat free substitute other chemicals in to make up for that fat loss.  I am personally more scared of chemicals that cause cancers in rats than of a few more fat grams. 

7. I stopped reading the nutrition label.  The only thing I look at now is the ingredients label.    

8. We eat all the junk food we want...as long as it is made at home from scratch.  Making homemade french fries is a little more time consuming than swinging by he local drive thru.  Hence, you will likely eat french fries less often.  But even at that, when you make 'junk food' at home, you can control the ingredient you are putting into it and how it is being made.  Much better than what you buy in the stores or at fast food places.

Ok sorry, I could go on forever about all this because there are so many different facets.  It is truly a lifestyle switch.  For me it is mainly about not giving cancer or disease causing chemicals to my children.  I would never hand them a cigarette because it can cause cancer and lots of illnesses later in life. So why would I let them eat things with pesticides, additives,preservatives,GMO's, etc that are also linked to cancer and diseases?  

The kids were a little resistant to our eating habit change but after i explained it to them like that they totally got it.  

If you are still not sure where to start but are thinking about trying to cut out some highly processed foods go here for some basic tips.  There is even a 10 day challenge you can try.  Personally I think ten days is harder than say, 30 because in 10 days you are still figuring a lot out.

And let me say, if you feed your kids processed foods, I do not think bad of you!  I have fed my kids pudding cups, granola bars, etc for years because they were healthier snacks. And they are healthier compared to a bag of chips(according to the nutrition label)! 

 I just can't un-know what I now know and had to make the change for our family.  I would never want my kids to get ill later in life and wonder if I caused it by what I fed our family.  I couldn't live with that.  Maybe they would never get sick, but what if they would??  They could get sick for many reasons with out cause but at least I could find comfort in saying I did everything I knew how to in order to prevent it.

I'll have more posts about how my meal planning has changed and what tips and sources I use to help spend minimal time in the kitchen( since we have cut out those convenient boxed items).

Many Blessings,

The Mama