Livin' the 'Clean' life...

So it's been a little over a month since we decided to "Go Clean" and things are going really well! It really hasn't been as hard as I thought to avoid eating processed foods, we are eating more fruits and vegetables than we ever have, and are trying many new foods and flavors. I was shocked at how many things contain preservatives and chemicals. Even the 'bakery bread' that looks like it just came out of the oven was loaded with words I couldn't pronounce. The incredible thing is that our grocery bill really has not gone up. I am just buying different things. It depends on where you shop, but 'all natural' and 'organic' foods are becoming so prevalent, that their prices are coming down. For instance, at Meijer the organic canned black beans are only $.06 more than the non-organic, the organic apples are the same price as the non-organic, and the all natural raisin bread was cheaper than the regular version. I still struggle over some things. Meat is an issue because it is very expensive to buy 'free range' or organic. We mostly try to buy meat without hormones or antibiotics (the chicken breasts at Sams are this way, and pretty reasonable). Also, haven't found any 'all natural' cream of ___ soup, so I just have to use what I have for those recipes. Lunch meat is another issue. I have started buying the lunch meat that says "No fillers". At Cub's deli they carry a turkey breast that is produced in Quincy (semi-local) and isn't a perfect sphere like so many others in the case. The meat is actually in the shape of a turkey! And it tastes so different. At Cub I've also started buying whole milk for Amelia from Kilgus farms. It's a local dairy in Fairbury, IL and it's AWESOME. You have to shake the milk before serving to stir up the cream. She LOVES it. For us I either buy the Kilgus skim or the Meijer brand that doesn't have antibiotics or hormones. This new way of life has also encouraged me to cook more... which is a passion of mine. I have to make time for it, but we are saving a lot on take out and eating out. I have also been trying to take more leftovers for lunch, but I do have a weakness for Lean Cuisines. Hey, at least they are preservative free!

The biggest benefit is that the headaches that I have been suffering from daily for almost 10 years (I used to take Ibuprofen as another food group) are virtually gone. And, when I do eat processed food, the headaches come right back. So, for me, that's telling me that this is all worth it.

So, some of the tips that I have learned along the way...
Try not to buy food with ingredients you can't pronounce
No foods with cartoons on the package
To shop mostly on the outside aisles of the supermarket (where most of the fresher all natural foods are)
And, as far as organic, follow the rule of the dirty dozen (the foods with the most pesticides) You can find it at www.ewg.org

So, it's a continual process... but it's working so far. Stay tuned for more from life on the clean side!