My Health Food Journey

Since I was in high school,  I’ve taken an interest in food and the impact it has on our bodies. Learning as much as I possibly could about Nutrition, became important to me. One of the first things I learned that really stuck with me was about trans fats. And how bad it is for our bodies; how they were used almost everywhere, and how the FDA is allowed to lie to us about them being in our foods. The alarming fact is it seems fine with the FDA as long as the amount is just under the "minimum standard." They hide trans fats in foods by putting a "0" on the nutrition label, but if you looked in the ingredient's (which most people do not), you would see "partially hydrogenated oils, which means, trans fat. This is where my nutritional journey started. I was just saddened that our government would hide something like this when we know the effects of eating too much of it could be detrimental to your long term health. 

It was then that I started to really look more into things that society considered "healthy." What was the American Heart Association or Cancer Society saying was healthy to eat? Was red meat really that bad? Are animals really taken care of before they make their way to our plate? I have went from vegan to eating 90% beef only diet within the last 12 years. Even though those are very different lifestyles, the things I learned along the way really shaped me into having the mindset I have today. 

When I was eating a vegan diet, I had to be very careful reading labels so that I was following the lifestyle 100% of the time. That meant I wouldn't even eat items that were "processed in a facility where dairy was used." I lived on this strict diet. I also learned that food companies lie in their marketing. They may advertise that something is vegan, but if it was processed with diary or egg items, it is not vegan due to possible cross contamination. I know this is rare, but you can’t be too careful especially when you’re trying to do something a 100%. 

I also learned more about where my food came from. If you really want to ruin your day, go watch the documentary called "Food Inc.".  It exposes a cow who has the barcode on her belly. It made me not only sick but sad, to think that the food I was eating was coming from animals that were essentially abused, and sick due to the environment. It’s disturbing to think this is happening to animals but it’s also disturbing that humans are eating them. Cruel treatment is one thing, but diseases,  hormones, and antibiotics are another. 

I write all this to say, my vegan journey taught me a lot about where food comes from and the lies that modern society tend to believe....simply because. 

Even though I am no longer vegan, I shop local or I hunt. Either way, I know where my food comes from. I know the meat I eat was treated fairly with ethical standards and wasn't tortured for mass production. 

I read labels like I read a book. I dissect them and research them to make sure I am aware of what I am putting into my body. 

Below are my top 5 tips for heathier shopping:

1. Always read the label

   Always look at the ingredients of the item. If you can't pronounce it or don't know what it is, you should probably do more research on it before putting it into you body. Have you ever seen yellow 6 or red 40 on a label? Do you know what this is? These are synthetic and artificial dyes linked to respiratory and immune issues and cancer. Why do we NEED these in our food?

2. Research words you do not understand

   As mentioned above, if you don't understand it, research it. Who would have known citric acid wasn't just lemon juice, but Aspergillus Mold. Who would have guessed that carmine color was made from the bodies of parasitic insects? I mean, seriously?? Do your research! The EWG database is a great place to start.

3. Don't be fooled by the marketing tactics

   Marketing labels could contain many buzz words to convivence you an item is ok to eat. What exactly does "all natural" or "natural flavors" even mean?? Again, this is where looking at the ingredients come into play. Don't just trust the marketing tactics on a food label. Look how "healthy" these Cheerios look until you see the ingredient label. Always take the extra 5 seconds to look over the ingredients to see if you trust the product.

   

   

4. Stay away from processed foods

   This is something that mostly everyone has heard before, but are you aware of the effect on your body? It could take time to understand the long term effects. It could start with small headaches, allergies, or a joint pain you think came from sitting wrong, but over time it will turn into chronic pain and other health issues if your body is constantly consuming processed foods in the Standard American Diet.

5. Opt for mostly fresh whole foods

   The bottom line, eat more whole foods. Eat grass-fed and pasture raised meats/eggs, in-season fruits and vegetables, preferably from local sources. Grains and nuts/seeds that are organic and non-GMO. You can build so many meals around these simple staple items.

With anything, consistency is key and it is not going to hurt to derail slightly from time to time as long as the majority of the time you are eating healthy. When we go out with friends for a meal or are on a work trip we do eat things outside of our normal "at-home diet". Your body is a miraculous thing so as long as you are treating it well, it will treat you well.