First of all this is for my benefit because I need to see it writing down. I have decided to start my journey on whole foods and a 30 Day Challenge called Love Your Greens. It seems that every time I start to write something or find a direction for this blog I get turned down another path and then another and then the Internet goes down. I can't seem to be consistent in any of my challenges or to even write here as if it were a diary or a dear friend. But I think I have found something that has me fired up- at last!
I have been in a constant struggle between buying cheap food and buying healthy food. I thought maybe JUST maybe I could find a "healthy" medium. Well I wouldn't exactly say I failed or succeeded, but I did come to a conclusion- I would rather our families' money go toward healthy food now rather than medication and pharmaceutical companies in the future. My family history has me pegged for Type 2 diabetes and I have some how always felt that I would die of heart disease. Plus I work with a lady in Preschool Sunday School who has Type 2 Diabetes and I saw her feet. Let me just say I will pray extra hard for her and if I can prevent that from happening to me I will (though she seems to think it just "happened" to her- like there was no way to prevent it- though I also shouldn't judge because I don't know her complete situation, but I digress).
Right now I am honestly not too concerned with my weight. I know I weigh too much and my BMI is 28 so not the best. I am more concerned with health and nutrition. I have thought and thought and thought about exercising and I just can't let the guilt keep getting to me. I have physical urticaria- translation I get hives when I exercise. My histamines go crazy when I do any repetitive physical activity. This is a whole story in and of itself, but the fact is I have to plan my exercises very specifically because I have to take a pill before I exercise at least an hour before or I will want to scratch my skin off. In my season of life I just can't get exercise in. If I try for the morning the noise wakes the baby. If I try at night or in the evening I miss much needed chores and time with my husband. If I try to do it when I have "free" time that better be a lot of free time so my allergy pill has time to kick in. All that to say I am focusing on cleaning up my diet next I will try to add in exercise but that probably won't happen until my youngest is 2 1/2 or so.
Another reason I thought I should take this on is because I am not formally homeschooling and my personality type or just me in general needs someone to teach or to learn from or a project. Nutrition has become a huge part of my life because every pregnancy has come back with positive tests of gestational diabetes. I think my first step into this was using the Eat This, Not That book, which has had updates every year since I first read it. I used it has a basic guideline for shopping but not much beyond that until I watched Food Inc did I seriously start to question things. Plus my endless Internet searches that led me here, here, and here- these are just the ones in front of me, I am sure there are many more I could dig up. This has been an on and off journey for about 4 1/2- 5 years I am now making it formal.
I am willing to make the time and financial sacrifice it will take to be healthy. I am not going to go all RiddleLove on you (though at times those meal plans look amazing). Trust me- I am as real as it gets. I don't soak my grains. I can't make my own whey. I don't own a grinding stone to grind wheat berries into flour. My husband is a youth pastor. Our family lives on less than $2,000 a month- praise God it comes with a house (so money doesn't go straight to rent). I am on WIC and have currently applied for food stamps. I go to the food bank when things are extra tight, which often ends up being about every 3 months. I am a real person trying to use what I have been given. I wanted to show you I am not snob, I am not trying to sell anything. I want people to see they can change too if they want or just inspire those who are working hard for better food choices and education. It hurts me a little that I have sign up my child for free lunches at school knowing that a lot of the choices are not the best, but that is where we are and I am praying for some change to come to the food industry.
The challenge doesn't officially start till May, but we were so low on groceries and since we are taking FPU classes (another thing I could potential blog about) we have a small wiggle room for the food budget. I wanted to see what I will spend on this challenge and say how I am feeling. This was the ingredient list for the first week:
Week 1 (Days 1-7)
3 C liquid of choice (almond milk, coconut water, milk, etc.)
6 oz 100% apple juice
6-12 C greens of your choice
1-2 C kale
4 bananas
1 orange
1 lime
1 bunch of green grapes (wash and freeze these)
1 small container raspberries
1 pineapple (cut, cube, and freeze or buy ones already done for you)
1 lb strawberries (freeze these if you have a high-powered blender)
1 C fruit of choice (strawberries, oranges, pears, pineapple, apples, etc.)
1 inch of ginger root
1 small avocado
optional: 1 bunch cilantro
2 Tbsp raw cashews AND ¼ C cashews or almonds
Sweetener of choice (honey, dates, agave, stevia, etc.)
Ice
Here is the run down. I am using water that is FREE. I also have to add, unless it is bought by accident, which does happen when I am not careful, none of these are Organic that I am aware of, but I figure it is better to do this challenge and clean out my eating habits than to do nothing at at all, right?
Apple Juice- I bought the concentrate because it just happened to be convenient Roth's $1.88
Spinach- Rainbow Foods aka Grocery Outlet $1.99 (I am not sure of the size but it was a big bag)
Kale- Grocery Outlet $2.99
Bananas- now this was a crazy find, in our neighborhood we have what is called an Economy Grocery store for items that are past expiration dates but SOMETIMES also sell decent produce. I promise not ALL the bananas were black. They were just a little spotty. I flash froze them right away. They will work for sure. I got 3 bunches for .55 a pound. The receipt is really very hard to read so I am not sure of the total. Next time I will try to pay more attention so I will guess. A bunch of bananas is usually around 2.5-3 lbs. I am going to say $4.12 on 15 bananas (there may have been a few more or few less my kids tore into a couple right after we got home and before I could count them). I think I have enough bananas for the whole months worth or at least pretty close.
Oranges- also at the Economy Grocery but I forget the price so I will use the price I got a bag of some at Safeway as well for $3.88 (a Usave coupon)
Lime- Economy Grocery .50
Green Grapes- Safeway (ouch) $7.22
Raspberries- Roth's (this one hurts not just because they are expensive but because I have a raspberry bush but they are not in season right now and I ran out of all the ones I froze) $5.99 for a tiny container
Pineapple- Economy Grocery I decided to just use canned even though that may be frowned upon. .65 a can- I think. Let's just say $2.00.
Strawberries- Safeway $2.99 BOGO (2 lb. total) so that or oranges can be used for my extra fruit
Ginger Root- did not get that, just going to skip that this go around and if I have some powder stuff I will throw it in
Avocado- .50 at Grocery Outlet
I did get a small packet of almonds at the EG for .85. I did not get cilantro or coconut oil.
Honey- $3.69 (wish I could get this naturally and organic but alas it was at Safeway)
TOTAL: $38.25
So I guess it looks like close to an extra $40 weekly to add to grocery budget. God can do miracles! Let's do this!
I don't want to forget to give a shout out to Unconventional Kitchen. They are the ones putting on the challenge. It will be great. I can't wait to see what will happen. My daughter, Ariana, is really excited about it, too.
