After doing a complete overhaul of my diet and lifestyle almost two years ago, now, I encountered a lot of questions and even some skepticism. Several remarks included, either "That's awfully time-consuming." or "Isn't that pretty expensive?" Both are true, and valid concerns/questions. When I started, I knew I needed to do something and figured if I didn't see any benefit, difference, or cost effectiveness, I could always stop. Pretty simple...but, like I said, I HAD to try something. I had no energy. I noticed swelling in places I shouldn't as a 26 year old woman..like my ankles, feet, and hands. My anxiety was through the roof; and, to be quite frank, I was suffering from depression that I couldn't seem to pull myself from, not even with the help of medications. Now, granted, all of this coincided with post-par tum. Emotions and hormones are raging, and it's already a difficult phase of life. Simply put, I needed help in more ways than nutrition, but thought that would be a good place to start.
I knew I needed something more permanent than "hot trend," fad diets that I'd tried previously and quit after a week or two when my cravings overthrew my self-deprivation. So I thought I would start simple. I would read ingredient labels, research what ingredients are used for and what they were made from, and completely cut out highly-processed/ preservative-stuffed food items. This, obviously, took research and studying. Being I learn best through direct instruction, I looked to Youtube videos from the most credible sources I could find. Bobby Parrish with Flavcity was introduced to me by a very close friend who'd already embarked on her whole food journey. Not only did he point out what ingredients were trash, he also explains why and takes you on grocery hauls with him to help you sift through ingredient labels in the store.
After a while, I began to quickly learn what labels passed and what didn't. I had stocked my pantry with whole food baking and cooking essentials, and it became second-hand...much like any other diet. When you're used to cooking and baking a certain way, it becomes no big deal.
So with that little background...I'll get into some of the frequently asked questions I get as a whole foodie in a small, rural, Indiana town.
Question 1: Is it really worth the time, money, and effort you have to put into it?
The number one drawback that keeps people from going to a whole food diet, from personal experience, is the cost and time. Here's the way I look at it. Just like anything else, if it's important to you, you'll make time and sacrifices for it. Bottom line. I guess it comes from being my father's daughter. He constantly drilled into us as we were growing up and competing barrel horses that if we cared enough, we'd make it happen. We'd come up with excuses as to why we couldn't ride or that we were tired or had too much homework to do..but, at the end of the day, if you want to be good at something, you get over yourself and do what you need to do. When it came show time, the only person I had to blame for being ill-prepared was myself. My health and nutrition are important to me, so the time and cost it takes to do that is a small sacrifice I make to feel well. If I'm not well and performing at the top of my game, then I can't be the mother I want to be for my son, and that's unacceptable to me...because being a mom is pretty awesome...not to mention important.
As for the cost, I look at it like this. If I continue to consume highly-processed and preserved foods, I am at a higher risk for heart disease, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, degenerative joint disease, cancer, etc. As a healthcare provider, I know, firsthand, that treating these diseases is not cheap. I either pay now to preserve my health, or later for the consequences of my actions.
Question 2: Does anything you make taste good?
YESSSS!! I absolutely LOVE the food I make and so does my two-year-old son. However, it was not always like this. Detox is REAL. haha I remember feeling very deprived, probably the first month of practicing whole foods. I was addicted to sugar, MSG, and "natural flavors" (which are not natural at all, but I digress). Once I finally broke through the wall of detox, there was a WORLD of flavors I'd been missing out on. I wasn't able to actually taste the flavors of spices, veggies, or other whole ingredients because I'd been feeding my brain a chemical that told it I needed more of it and only it. Carrots and peppers were satisfyingly sweet. I found new favorite foods and ingredients like mushrooms, avocados, sweet potatoes, and onions! I'm telling you, my palate came alive! Ryan, my husband, has been a hard critic to cook for..but there's SEVERAL recipes I've made that he loves and approves. I'm not saying it was easy, and there's definitely a process to it, but I'm SO glad I did it.
Question 3: Why don't you just eat a cheat meal once in a while? It's not the end of the world.
This is a personal preference, made based on the fact that I know myself too well. For me, I don't really do "cheat" meals or completely stray from whole foods. First reason is, I view what I do as a lifestyle...there's no real "cheating" to a lifestyle. I have treats and goodies that are made with whole ingredients that I can indulge and feel satisfied. I don't feel like I'm "missing out" or depriving myself. That's the beauty of whole foods. The possibilities are endless, and even an apple with natural peanut butter tastes like a decadent treat. I believe, over the last two years, I've eaten processed foods two or three times. I don't feel well afterwards, and I'm sluggish. Each time, I felt a decrease in personal performance throughout my workouts. My endurance wasn't the same, and I felt weak. Not a good feeling...especially with my OCD tendencies as it relates to my workouts. That being said, I choose not to partake.
Question 4 (the final one, I promise): What benefits have you seen from this lifestyle?
I think I've touched on this a little in the previous questions, so I'll keep it short. It is because of my journey and results that I'm so passionate about our cattle and our practices. I can't emphasize enough, the importance of KNOWING your FOOD! My husband and I put our whole heart and soul into our cattle to produce a product that we not only feel is a superior product for our family to eat, but for your family as well. There are so many benefits to this lifestyle, but I'll bullet point a few for you...
I have more energy.
I'm sick less and for a shorter amount of time
I have less inflammation
I've lost (over the course of two years) 55 pounds
I've gain muscle definition that I've never seen my body have before
My skin is clearer
My anxiety/depression has been managed with no s/s in over 8 months
Overall better mood
Quicker muscle recovery post-workout
Perhaps, most importantly, I'm HAPPIER!
If you'd like to start your journey with a whole food lifestyle and want some help, or even just a friend to talk with about it, please get a hold of me. There's nothing I like more than discussing nutrition, where our food comes from and whole foods...just ask my very uninterested husband!
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