Real Food

Real Food.

“You are what you eat”… isn’t that the saying?

Well, I don’t know if that is entirely the case, however there is an abundance of knowledge available now about food now, isn’t there?  What to eat, the diets to follow…. Be a VEGAN! BE a Carnivore!

This battle has us torn and pulled in different directions as we navigate what we need to do to keep us in our best health.  It’s always beneficial to read the facts and the studies behind nutrition, but the million dollar question is, what do we eat, that keeps us at our healthiest!??

What I have learned from moving away from the city and having the privilege of growing some of our own food, thanks to my amazing husband and his green thumb, is there is something with in us that we have lost. The convenience of food has taken over how we live our daily lives, as we go through the motions of each day on survival mode! With work, kids, life.. Are we eating to survive or or are we eating to live optimally?

Food, like people, has evolved and changed. Convenience has taken the forefront of our lifestyle with food in packages, plastics and bags. Sure, we can be mindful of this but as the years have gone by, have you ever questioned what has happened to our food? Our fruit and vegetables are less nutrient dense, pesticides are at the root of crop growth in the name of money, and we rely on the grocery store at all costs.

When it comes to our health, there are some recent statistics I found regarding Cancer diagnosis in 2023 stating that roughly 2 million people in the US alone will in fact die from it. According to the WHO, Cancers incline alone will increase from 3.7 million in 1975 to 26 million by 2040. That is a whopping 700% rise in cases. It is also increased significantly between 2019-2023. Why is this relevant? For the same reason I ask, why are we so sick?

At some point we all need to ask ourselves, what is going on here?  All chronic diseases are on the rise, and although Science may sell you a solution to your symptoms, shouldn’t we be preventing ourselves from being a Pharma customer in the first place?

Now of course there are other reasons why Cancer is the issue that it is, and there is no one reason that we can blame. But it’s a rude awakening to the world of sick around us, and if we can attempt to change that at the foundation of ourselves, then why not?

In part of our spiritual awakening and connection to our consciousness, it is time we realize the innate responsibility we hold when it comes to our health and making choices that are from an organic source and not choosing to live as blind rats in the city.

It is not normal or healthy for our bread to have a giant ingredients list on the label. We are inundated with chemical overload, and these companies you purchase your frozen lasagnas and other products from, hold no accountability for what they are selling. We blindly purchase these items for the look and convenience, holding faith that our industries and governing bodies in charge do the right thing and only allow us to consume the best. But sorry to tell you, this is just an illusion.

I have divinely received insight on this, this last year.. amongst these big spiritual shifts and ascension that is happening on our planet. To my people…if you know, you know!

But a big part of this is owning my part in what I choose to consume and feed my family. “Focus on your own reality”. Eat the type of food that you could access around you OR grow yourself. Like fruit, veggie gardens, fresh eggs from your backyard, and local meat from your neighbouring farmers. We Have detached ourselves so much from our basic foundation of life, in exchange for unlimited convenience of fast food.

There was a simpler time where our ancestors did all of this as part of their duty to live. And although farming and living 100% off your own land is a massive workload in modern society, there has to be a time when we as people look at our lives and where it is headed.  We are too busy with our heads in our phones, and looking for balance in an unbalanced lifestyle that we are forgetting the simplicity and basics of how we used to live, when we weren’t inundated with chronic disease.

My point here is, to have you think about the bigger picture and become pulled back into to your bodies and claim your right to be in good health. Your body, food and medical decisions are for you to make and understand. Perspective and information are great but at the end of the day it's your life, your choices, and your responsibility to do what is necessary to be authentically happy, educated, and have a body that is with in optimal balance. Aka. “Healthy”.

A starting point to eating and cooking real food is learning that variety and recipes for your meals are limitless and it is incredibly rewarding when you cook from the garden that you made. Growing your own organic produce is not only rewarding but healthier as we skip the pesticides and GMOs. I understand that not everyone has this capability, but even starting small, can go a long way. Whatever it is, just do what you can.

 Tip: always soak your store-bought produce in baking soda. 1 Tbsp

per litre of water. It alkalizes the food and strips the pesticide.

Read labels.

If there are a ton of ingredients on the packages, then forget it. Granola bars should always be limited, and most oats and wheat are full of chemicals with some of the highest pesticide exposure of all food. Kids commercial cereals are also terrible for this. Limit the prepackaged snacks or go organic with a cleaner brand.

You can make your own bread at home which is also a fun activity that kids can be involved in. Source your wheat from an organic farm or choose organic flour from the grocery store.

Meat can also easily be sourced by a local farm, or health food store. This involves doing some research but it's always best to support a small business rather large food stores where you don’t know where the meat is coming from. Animals deserve to live decent lives, and this will be found most often from a good trustworthy farm. An honest farmer will always be proud to show you their animals and discuss how they are fed and raised.

I have always pushed for the 80/20 rule which is an easily attainable way to live in today's society. Striving for 80 percent will go a long way. When I discussed in my first blog here about toxic load, it is important to realize that when our diets and lifestyle contain less harsh chemicals and other unneeded ingredients, our bodies just work better, and our immune systems do a better job.

Some good ol’ fashion family dinner ideas may take a bit of time or planning, but I always feel most proud when I’m feeding myself and children good nourishing food with clean ingredients, and that doesn’t mean you have to take the kid out of a kid! Let them eat their pizza and goodies now and again. You don’t want them to feel isolated by diet, and if 5 days a week you have cooked them a good meal, then that’s winning to me.

So, here is some great meal ideas for your family. I don’t believe in extreme diets or fads. I believe in eating Real food, Meat, fish, garden fresh produce, nuts and seeds, bread and oils. All in their own type of moderation.

 Dinner

Real food dinner ideas, thriving for a complete meal for kids. When I think of a complete meal, I think of a main protein source and then some sort of carbohydrate and vegetable.

• Soups and stews;

• Chicken, breast, thighs, with sweet potato and vegetable side;

• Salads, predominantly in the summer accompanied by a Meat source for adequate protein and digestiom;

• Organic quinoa or brown rice pasta – especially for kids who are picky. Homemade tomato sauce is so easy to make. Add meat balls with blended veggies inside for a complete meal;

• Burgers with homemade bun and sliced veggies on the side;

• Shepards pie;

• Meat loaf with vegetables added;

• Atlantic salmon and other fish, with potatoes and salad;

• Chicken fingers with homemade breadcrumbs;

• Don’t underestimate potatoes. I cook with them often and are naturally gluten and wheat free since they are a vegetable. They are rich in the antioxidant vitamin C and carry electrolytes. Many years ago, potatoes were a lifesaving food as they prevented scurvy. Sweet potatoes are even better and help with inflammation, blood sugar and immune boosting prebiotic fibre. 

Breakfast

• Kids muffins with organic flour. Carrot, zucchini, berries, nuts;

• Buckwheat pancakes;

• Regular pancakes with added veg or fruit;

• Eggs made so many ways;

• Organic sausages;

• Homemade hash browns or breakfast potatoes;

• Berry and veggie smoothies (summer);

• Toast with almond butter and hemp seeds. If your kids don’t like almond butter, mix it with a little bit of hazelnut butter. My kid thinks hemp seeds are chocolate sprinkles and load them on. Win;

• Fruit salad;

• Organic oatmeal.

Lunch

Is the easiest really because it’s where you can use leftovers, and snacks.

Some kind of healthy seed cracker and hummus are a regular for us, along with fruit, or meat and cheese for the kids. I don’t use a lot of cheese, it's not something I believe carry any real nutritional value to us besides protein and can carry more harm than good. Ie. Inflammation and constipation.

I do like organic goat milk instead, for kids, however, I don’t like the idea of forbidding any particular food group in children. Unless they are sensitive to it, they will do best with variety. They require the calories and fat for optimal health and growth.

• Breads like sour dough, good source of prebiotics and easy to digest. Homemade breads, bagels, for kids!

• Anything with hummus;

• Eggs;

• Protein muffins or left over pancakes. Good for school lunches;

• Yogurt parfaits with low sugar protein yogurt;

• Veggies and dip;

• Wraps;

• Avocado sides. Anytime I’m out of ideas of what to serve on the side of anything for my kids. I do avocado. They are so good for you carrying potassium, magnesium, folate and fibre as well as very good fats and vitamin E;

• Snack platters. Cut up fruit, vegetables, almond butter or hummus dip with rice crackers, turkey slices, or pita breads sliced for dipping. Variety of things they can choose from. Adding things, they love distracts from the things they may not like;

So, in giving you these opinions of mine it is not about extreme living and depriving yourself of the food you like. It’s about a new perspective of information that provides you the knowledge to make the right choices. The way society is living right now in general is just not working for us. It is up to us to be accountable for the part we play in our sickness and the foundation of this starts with what we are consuming.

If you strive for cooking even 5 out of 7 days a week, if that is not your norm, it can make a tremendous impact because you can control what goes in. All these fast-food restaurants are so full of preservatives and chemicals because their business would not survive with a budget for clean ingredients and would certainly no longer be considered “fast”.

When you do not cook your food yourself and don’t know where it comes from, you are putting yourself at risk for consuming the unknown and giving your personal power away for the sake of convenience and our need to indulge. But the good news is, we can do something about it.

 Tips for staying accountable with your meals

• Shop locally;

• Meal plan weekly or longer;

• Learn to cook, try new recipes, and bake! Breads muffins and homemade snacks can replace so many toxic ingredients you would give your children with their snacks otherwise;

• Experiment with meal ideas;

• Make your own fast food. Have some easy Meals aside that you can always make when you would usually get takeout. For kids, chicken nugget or spaghetti are very easy to make versions that are more nutritious;

• Keep up with your protein and include it as the foundation of all your meals. Once you decide what the protein is going to be it’s then just adding the sides;

• Find some 1 pot meal recipes, for a complete meal. Which includes your meat, carb and veg. 1 pot lasagna, pastas, stews and soups can all be done this way;

Ultimately, I understand how difficult it can be to find balance and time to cook. Everyone has to do what works for their lives. The goal here is to keep you more involved in your kitchen, and less reliant on convenience, frozen meals, restaurants and foods that we know aren’t good for us!

Tip: Absolutely anything that involves using a microwave is also a NO Go!

At last, I sincerely hope that this inspires you to take a look at your meals and lifestyle around food and see the importance REAL food has in your life!

With a little education and effort, you too can be cooking most of your meals, while enjoying the comfort in knowing that you are CAPABLE of taking charge of your health..and at the same time, owning the satisfaction in knowing that your family are reaping the benefits!