Seth has always been the healthy eater in this household. Well, when I make healthy things that is. Our whole marriage he has dropped hints, and not so much hints, that we need to eat healthy. I'll admit, I just brushed it off every time. I LIKE MY SWEETS!!! I like my fried foods (corn dogs, scones, etc.) I got my sweet tooth from my dad. He loves him some sweets too :)
Within this last month, I had a switch turn in me that I all the sudden had this desire to eat more whole foods. It was pretty crazy, but here I am now learning the ins and outs of eating more whole foods. Don't get me wrong, I still love my chocolate and the occasional corn dog and In n Out burger and fries and.... :D But our dinners and most lunches these last two weeks have been A LOT healthier than I have always made. I guess it kind of helps also that little girl is still sensitive to dairy so I've been drinking a lot of almond milk and using that in cooking, etc.
I've definitely felt a difference in how my body feels and how much more random energy I have. (meaning, I still only get 3 straight hr stretches at night and when I wake up I am SOO tired but as I go throughout the day, I dont ever really desire to nap and can keep up with Warren :) )
I've been trying a lot of different recipes but I want to know if any of you have any favorite recipes or whole food blogs/sites?? I'm still looking for favorites, I've def found some good ones, but I"m on the the hunt for more!! Spill your secrets!
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deconstructing healing
5 months ago
good for you! do you like sweet potatoes? recently, i've been loving cutting them up like really thick fries, rubbing them in some oil and putting garlic salt on them. oil isn't the most healthy, but sweet pots are. also, why are some apples so soft and no good? i hate buying apples and discovering they're mushy. are they old? i just wondered if you knew. i really like this granola bar recipe:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-granola-bars/ and ... yes ... i like treats too.
I don't have any specific recipes to share but any time I find a recipe I just doctor it up a bit to make it more healthy. Using applesauce in place of oil in baked goods, using whole wheat flour instead of white(I use ALL whole wheat flour in cookies, pancakes, muffins, nearly everything), using brown instead of white rice, and buying whole wheat tortillas are just a few examples. It is amazing how quickly your tastes adjust, and now Dax and I prefer the taste of whole wheat flour and brown rice. Good luck with the transition!
ReplyDeleteCall Risa! She can email you some of her awesome recipes. She has taken healthy eating/cooking to new heights. Risa makes delicious whole wheat bread, rolls, pizza, pancakes, waffles, tortillas, etc. She knows how to make yummy treats without sugar too! I wish I was as good a cook as she is!
ReplyDeleteAaron is definitely the chef in our family, though he has come over to the healthy side since he married me :) He loves the America's Test Kitchen site (and show). They have many free recipes with videos on how to make them, but to get the full site you need to pay an annual fee. It is totally worth it in Aaron's opinion. They are generally very healthy gourmet recipes, except when it comes to baking where they use white flour and sugar and things. But Risa can tell you how to modify recipes to use whole wheat and honey or agave instead. The videos are wonderful because you can see exactly how they did everything, I've learned a lot!
I don't know how adventurous with different taste combinations you are, but if you like to try new things then the New American Plate Cookbook from the American Cancer Society is awesome! I never knew there were so many ways to make veggies even more tasty! The whole point of the cookbook is that the research says that half our plate should be vegetables (like a salad and a cooked veggie), the rest grain and protein. They say that if we eat in that balanced way, we will avoid a lot of problems with disease.
I'll look through my recipes, cookbooks, and pinterest board and send you some more ideas when I get a chance. Cooking healthy is fun! When we make "gourmet" food from scratch, with fresh ingredients (like no cream-of-something soup), it will almost always be healthy anyway. I love the quote, "The food you eat can either be the safest and most powerful kind of medicine or the slowest form of poison." (Ann Wigmore) That is so true and I need to post it on my fridge to remind me to consistently choose healthy foods! And as you said, you can really feel it when you eat healthy, you body is happier and has the energy it needs.
The general principles we try to follow are: lots of veggies and fruits (eat a couple servings every meal), only whole grains (I love my NutriMill by the way), no white sugar or high fructose corn syrup (use Xagave or honey instead), only good oils like olive or coconut (no hydrogenated oils), and lots of water. We are absolutely NOT perfect at this, but it is the standard we strive for. Every time we choose healthy ingredients we are giving our bodies good fuel instead of stressing them out. I think sometimes people get overwhelmed with the idea of healthy eating, but we just need to remember to start somewhere and make little changes and learn as we go. Every little bit helps!
Happy healthy eating! I am excited for you, it feels good to cook healthy food for our families!