Cleaning up... and making a change

After my month-long bout of the 'plague', I have been taking a good, hard look at my lifestyle. I am normally a very, very healthy person and rarely get sick. I will be the first to admit that I have been living a crazy life lately: not much sleep, a lot of stress, and eating whatever is easiest. I know that these have all been contributors to my 'dip' in health, and have felt very convicted about the things that our family is putting into our bodies. So, Jason and I have been doing a lot of searching, researching, praying, talking and more researching about 'cleaning up' our eating habits. I have just felt incredibly convicted about eating processed food with chemicals and preservatives. For instance... Easy Mac is a staple of Amelia's diet... what the heck is in that powdered stuff??

So, we are going to try and eat "cleaner". More all natural, less processed, more fruits, vegetables and lean meats, less sugars and fats. We have been researching free range/grass fed meats and more foods that don't have preservatives. We aren't going 'all organic', but are going to try are hardest to live 'cleaner'. My first trip to the grocery store last night was an experience. I was shocked how many foods had ingredients on the labels that I couldn't pronounce. As I was shopping I looked at my cart and thought "Boy, my cart looks different... I bet this means that my bill will look different too..." But, it really didn't. Yes, some of the foods I bought cost more than their processed equivalents, but I also wasn't buying chips, oreos, and other 'snacks' that drive up the grocery bill. I came home feeling good about the food I was providing for my family. Heck, I even threw in 2 reusable grocery bags and was shocked how much food I could stuff in them!
So, a couple things we are trying to do to be 'cleaner':
- Trying to buy foods with 'all natural' ingredients
-Using Jessica Seinfeld's "Deceptively Delicious" cookbook (last night was a puree date:-)
- Buying readymade meals from Dinner By Design to make my life easier
- Buying veggie trays to make my life even easier
- Reading the "Clean Eating" magazine... LOVE it
- Buying lean meats without hormones or antibiotics
- And starting to become more knowledgable about what goes into our bodies

Now, I don't plan to pack food with me wherever I go, and know that we won't melt if we have to run through McDonalds. We are going to do what we can do to live the best that we can and honor the bodies that the Lord gave us. We know that this will financially require sacrifices in other areas, but we think it's worth it. I have a lot of learning to do. I know that this lifestyle change will require me to be more organized, plan ahead, and be more purposeful in our meals. But, I'm up for the challenge. Especially if it means that it will help me avoid any future plagues... So, stay tuned for more from life from the clean side.