A most important label

I told the huz, I’m purging the house of  *toxic* foods. They’ll either be use up, donated, or tossed.  I’ve been pretty diligent about HFCS, and to a point nitrites & nitrates.  However, changes are coming in from all directions. I need to purge the toxic and bring in the ‘pure’ (aka healthy & safer).  It’s not just food i’m doing this with, but also my dinnerware. For the last 11 years, I’ve consistently had plastic & melamine dishes. (for short stints of time I’ve had glass/ceramic but ended up giving them away as i didn’t like them)

I’ve soon to have on order a cool Fiesta ware set of  multiple colors. Each family member chose a color. It’s bright, fun, funky, and totally me! I will also be buying matching Flatware as my oldest son has managed to lose 90% of my spoons. Not just the teaspoons, but the tablespoons as well! So, once the new dinnerware set comes in, it’s bye bye to all the plastic & melamine ware.

Since my kids were little, I’ve cooked from scratch about 75-80% of the time. In more recent years, that has increased to 85-90% of the time. Now, because of this, my kids will actually balk at most of the overly processed meals from a box, because they ‘taste funny’ or ‘have a weird texture’. I’m really glad for this, but Sometimes, mom needs a break KWIM? However, my frozen go-to meals will still be in my freezer, but they’ll be from the organic section now. Pizza, fish sticks, you know the stuff that involves almost no work but setting a timer and heating an oven?

Quite frankly the last few shopping trips I’ve made have been an educational experience (and a bit scary too). I learned that all regularly shelved canned soups have MSG in them. After seeing this I walked back to the organic section, read the label and found it was worth the 30 cents extra a box to know what i’m eating, to recognize all ingredients and to not further poison my family with MSG. I also learned that there’s a host of chemicals in my family’s favorite bacon product. So guess what i’m not buying from the regular grocery store anymore? yep bacon. Overall, I managed to only marginally spend more on fresh, non-processed foods, and a lot more organic purchases.  I’ll be honest. The grocery bill hurt, but being healthy, less medicated, and feeling better all around is worth it.

It will also be made known to other care takers for my kids, that NO processed foods allowed, NO fast foods, and NO foods with HFCS or Nitrates/nitrites.  All our bodies are gonna go through a slow detox. (and some of us will have to make it through some 4yo meltdowns) IF they have a hard time abiding then i’ll have to not let them visit much. They don’t and wont have to deal with the detox when they return home. The behaviors that have to be stopped & corrected.

I challenge you to educate yourself and begin the switch to GMO Free

GMO crops are scary, and in the long run are doing horrible things to the environment, food chain, and your body.  Many of the world’s countries have banned crops & foods containing them. GMO = Genetically Modified Organism or perhaps you’ve seen it this way GE(O) = Genetically Engineered (Organism). These foods aren’t good for you. If you read a list of ingredients and you don’t recognize them, you can’t pronounce them, your body doesn’t need them. Food Dyes are just as toxic and those HAVE been proven to be carcinogenic. Many do cause children with learning disabilities to fare worse.

You may think “Well the FDA says it’s “Safe” to eat”. I would like to counter with this,  Have you been paying attention AT ALL to the political news? I’ll be the first to say I don’t pay full attention, but where the health of my family is concerned I have been a whole lot more. Monsanto the biggest manufacturer of GMO foods is now holding a seat on the FDA. This should have you beyond pissed off. Money Talks. So of course they’re gonna buy the results and tell you it’s safe. It’s all a crock of shit. Years of exposure are causing higher and higher instances of disease & illness all around. 100 years ago, these issues didn’t exist. The taint in our food supply needs to stop. You have a voice. How you spend your money on food is your voice. What you tell other people about your food habits is your voice. Share well searched information. Make truly informed choices.

Change CAN HAPPEN. Remember the Disney story A Bug’s Life? Where the ants rose up against the grasshoppers at the end once they realized they were stronger? That’s the American People and what we can accomplish, when we band together against Big Ag, Big Business, and the Government. WE DECIDE not them. WE put them in office, we CAN take them out. YOU have to realize YOU DO have the power to affect change! Start Local. That’s where your changes will have the most impact. Support the farmer’s markets. Support local farms. Buy from local food co-ops. Literally put your money where your mouth is!

Share with me what you are doing to create a healthier family and local economy. I would like to know!