Around this time last year, Justin and I got Netflix. Amidst the myriad of movies and television shows, there are also tons of documentaries (which Justin and I both enjoy). And there's a wide variety of food documentaries. Justin and I watched a few of them including Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead, Food Inc., King Corn, and Forks Over Knives. Forks Over Knives probably had the biggest impact on us. The film discussed the processed foods that Americans eat everyday without even being aware of it. They discussed the importance of consuming a plant-based diet and created an awareness of the importance of reading ingredient labels.
After doing quite a bit of research, we decided to make a big change. So on January 1, 2014, we vowed to cut processed foods as much as possible and focus on a plant-based diet. I wanted my house to be a place where Justin and I could be as healthy as possible - no more processed foods or scary chemicals that often come in our cleaning and beauty products we use everyday.
I've been a vegetarian for over 15 years now. I don't eat meat of any kind, so this wasn't as big of a step for me as it was for my carnivore husband. He started out only doing white meat three times a week. This included chicken and fish that we got from reliable sources, such as our local farmer's market or Whole Foods back in Indiana (I REALLY miss that Whole Foods now that we are in Ohio). While he eats meat more than that now, we still only buy meat from local stores or farmers that sustainably farm and don't use hormones or steroids (grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, etc.). I tried to unsuccessfully go vegan, but now include a few natural dairy products in my diet.
So now, a year later in 2015, Justin and I still stick to the resolution we made in 2014. I'm proud that we've stuck with it! It took a lot of work to navigate the whole "healthy lifestyle" process in the midst of all the bad stuff that is available out there, but here are some tips and tricks I learned along the way.
One thing I figured out really fast is that eating healthy is EXPENSIVE and we were (and still are) on a budget. But then I learned something else - it doesn't have to be! When we made the switch, Justin and I were basically only shopping at our local farmer's market and Whole Foods (because all of the healthy options are so readily available and you don't have to go looking for them). The farmer's market wasn't out of our price range, but our Whole Foods grocery bills were getting out of control. We tried shopping at Meijer (which has many all-natural and organic options), but our grocery bills were still too high. So I did some research and found out that Aldi, which is a relative of Trader Joe's, carries many all-natural and organic options at a fraction of the price! Justin and I started doing the majority of our shopping there and have saved so much money in the process while still eating well! (Plus, Aldi cuts down on their plastic bag usage by encouraging customers to bring their own reusable grocery bags!)
The key is to look at ingredient labels. The ingredients they put in our food these days is deplorable. Peanut butter and microwave popcorn, two foods that should be healthy snack alternatives, are made completely unhealthy by the awful preservatives and additives put into the products. My health science professor in college said, "If it has more than seven ingredients, you should be skeptical." I've taken this to heart and ALWAYS read ingredient labels. If it sounds weird or you can't pronounce it, you probably shouldn't be eating it.
So I wanted to share some of my favorite things that help my husband and I stick to our healthy lifestyle plan.
ALL of this stuff was purchased at Aldi! I'm a big fan of their Simply Nature products which are both all-natural and organic, plus the prices are super low. Justin and I are both picky eaters, so trying to come up with healthy meals we both like is often a struggle. I've been told before that I only eat "kid food," which is probably true! Justin eats a lot of brown rice and he is also a fan of quinoa (I know quinoa is supposed to be a staple for vegetarians, but I'm not a big fan). I try to stay away from "fake meat" because I want to limit the amount of soy in my diet, so some of my staples include lentils, whole grain pasta (we stick to only whole grains), and lots of fruits and veggies (Aldi has a great selection and they even have organic). Almonds and other nuts make a great snack, as well. They are usually expensive, but Aldi has them at a great price. Justin also doesn't like eating fruits and veggies raw, but he loves the blended fruit pouches.
More stuff from Aldi. Justin LOVES orange juice, so we always keep a couple cartons on-hand. We've also cut cow's milk from our diet, so we get all-natural almond milk from Aldi (just make sure you get the unsweetened kind since there's a lot of sugar in the other varieties). I love the single-serving applesauce and mandarin orange cups...again, I appreciate kid food!
These are some of my Kroger buys. Kroger has really expanded their all-natural and organic food selection. Whatever I can't buy at Aldi, I get at Kroger. Justin loves cereal and oatmeal, so I pick those up for him in the natural section at Kroger. Their Simple Truth brand is great and they make all kinds of natural soups and sauces. The Back to Nature brand sweets and snacks are also great if you have a sweet tooth - all the taste but none of the bad ingredients!
Annie's products are my favorite. I buy most of these at Kroger, as well, but Target has a great selection. Salad dressings and boxed macaroni and cheese are usually FULL of artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives, but Annie's brand provides these products naturally and organically (just be aware of the sodium content of some of them!). These are a few of the Annie's products I have on hand, but we've also had pizza rolls, bagel bites, the Velveeta equivalent of macaroni and cheese, and more from Annie's. I can eat a lot of the same foods I've always loved but without any of the added nasty stuff.
These are a few of my favorite all-natural condiment picks. Annie's ketchup, vegan chipotle mayonnaise (Justin's favorite), all-natural grape jelly (to go with my all-natural peanut butter), and vegan butter (made with vegetable oils).
My drink of choice - unsweetened iced tea. Go for the Pure Leaf brand; it's the only one I've been able to find that doesn't have any added colors, flavors, or preservatives.
Justin is a huge tea drinker, as well. These are from Aldi and Kroger.
Popcorn is my all-time favorite snack, but after reading about the "chemicals" in microwave popcorn, we make our own with a popcorn maker. It's a wonderful whole grain snack! We make it with coconut oil. Coconut oil is an amazing and healthy substitute for butter - plus you can even use it as conditioner for your hair!
Whole grain wheat flour from Kroger and organic cane sugar from Aldi for baking.
All-natural frozen fruits (Justin loves to make smoothies) and veggies from Aldi.
I love these all-natural frozen pizzas from Aldi for a quick dinner night.
This is whole wheat bread from the Simple Truth line at Kroger. No high fructose corn syrup or preservatives! Eat it fast or stick it in the freezer since it will go bad quicker.
I tried VERY hard to go vegan at the beginning of last year, but I couldn't give up my ice cream. At least I found this all-natural Turkey Hill brand at Kroger. It makes for a tasty treat every once in awhile.
Van's brand waffles were always one of my favorite things to get at Whole Foods, and now Kroger has them! Pair these with pure maple syrup from Aldi! (Note: I'm not into the whole "gluten free" fad. I accidentally picked up the gluten free version of these waffles).
In an effort to rid our house of unnecessary chemicals and to be more environmentally aware, I've also tried to switch to all-natural cleaning and beauty products. Here are a few of my favorites.
I have read WAY too many studies about the links between breast cancer and parabens in deodorants and aluminum in antiperspirants. About six months ago, I made the switch to Tom's of Maine deodorant. It smells great and I can rest easy knowing that I'm not putting unnecessary toxins into my body.
Dishwasher tabs I get at Walmart and Method brand cleaning products from Target. I also love Meyer's Clean Day products from Target, but Method's products are a bit cheaper.
This is my favorite dish soap in the whole world. It's plant derived and radish scented. I LOVE the smell.
Over the past year, I've tried to find a way to enjoy exercising more since going to a gym isn't my favorite thing. I love biking, but it's hard to do that in the winter in the Midwest, so I bought a yoga mat and started learning yoga at home (I use doyogawithme.com). I've had four surgeries on my hand and now have a titanium plate, three screws, and a rod fusing my joint together, so yoga isn't always the easiest thing for me (downward facing dog is a NO). But I adapt the yoga sessions for my physical restrictions and I always feel great afterward.
I also talked with my doctor about vitamin supplements since there are so many out there and it's hard to know which ones to choose, if any. My doctor suggested a daily multivitamin, a B vitamin complex, and Vitamin C during cold and flu season. (Getting my husband to take vitamins isn't always easy, but I try my best!) Walmart is usually my go-to store for vitamins.
So these are a few of the changes Justin and I have implemented over the past year. If you haven't seen any of those Netflix documentaries I mentioned earlier, you should! And do your own research, as well. Our grocery stores are full of refined sugars, preservatives, artificial flavors and colors, and more. Making positive changes doesn't have to be expensive or difficult!
I'm also in the process of learning about doTerra essential oils. It's one of my goals for 2015!
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