c-cooking: consciousness

Food for thought...

Processed foods, you never know what goes into them. It seems these days, that one can never be sure of what is safe or unsafe to eat. Some of the most seemingly safe foods that people feed to their children are filled with hidden dangers. While I appreciate the convenience of many prepared foods, are the health risks worth the time it takes to make a well-balanced meal? When shopping for food, there is a plethora of choices. How to make the right ones? There are also plenty of resources with accessible information, and although there may not be truth in everything you see and read, but if the same conclusions come again and again, there must be something to think about. The messages of all these eye-opening food documentaries and books reveal information that will allow any viewer to make conscious decisions in food choices.The messages of all these eye-opening food documentaries and books reveal information that will allow any viewer to make conscious decisions in food choices.

By making conscious choices, you can not only take charge of your own health, but also change the health of the environment. The most recent independent documentary "Cowspiracy" primarily focuses on revealing the effort the beef industry takes to cover up of what is a the most serious threat to the Earth's environment. It's gotten to the point where these issues are really too important to ignore.

Before you start despairing, this isn't about having to cook all the time (although that's a good thing to do), nor is it necessarily about supporting animal rights and becoming vegan. It's about being aware of what the Big Food corporations are doing, and how they are spreading the diabetes/obesity (diabesity) pandemic throughout the world by manufacturing cheap, addictive, low-nutrient, fake foods. It's about being knowledgeable about your food choices. It's really just about eating REAL FOOD.

Real food doesn't have to be those trendy, exotic, and expensive "superfoods". Go back to basics, buy in bulk, find local, small farm sources, and even grow some of your own food (even if it's just a little.) Pressed for time? Prepare foods in advance, and in larger quantities so that there is still the convenience of always being able to grab or throw together something healthy to eat.

Real Food is:

Fresh, seasonal, local and/or organic – Not genetically modified or sprayed heavily with pesticides, or gases to ripen during shipment.
A whole ingredient, like nuts, fruits and vegetables (local or organic is preferable.)
Meat – Humanely raised, pasture-raised (eaten in moderation.)
Seafood – Wild-caught (eaten in moderation.)
Dairy products – Organic, whole, unsweetened and pasture-raised.
Anything without a nutrition label – If it does, it should be minimally processed with 5 ingredients or less, and all words your should recognize, like whole grains (brown rice, steel-cut oats, nuts, seeds, popcorn, etc.)
Natural sweeteners – Honey, Maple syrup, dates

It's not so hard to make the Real Food change, it's a matter of taking that first step to WANT to take charge of what you are eating. Still daunted? I can help you each step of the way! ;) Contact me to schedule a free 50-minute Health History consultation to determine how we can work together to develop a program that best suits you, to help you eat better and to get you on the path to feeling your best.

Organic

While sometimes it is not always feasible, organic foods are considerably better – better for you, better tasting, better for the environment. When there is a high fat-content, usually all the toxins are retained in the fats, so to be safe from hormones antibiotics or any other unnatural feeding effects, try to go organic with dairy products and meat. more info...>>

"THE DIRTY DOZEN" Conventionally grown fruits and vegetables with high levels of pesticides.	"THE CLEAN 15" Conventionally grown fruits and vegetables with the lowest-pesticide residue.

• Apples	• Asparagus
• Blueberries	• Avocado
• Celery	• Cabbage
• Cherry tomatoes	• Cantaloupe (rock melon)
• Cucumbers / summer squash	• Corn
• Grapes (imported)	• Eggplant (aubergine)
• Kale / Collard greens	• Grapefruit
• Lettuce	• Kiwi
• Peaches / Nectarines	• Mango
• Peppers (Bell & hot)	• Mushrooms
• Potatoes	• Onions
• Spinach	• Papaya
• Strawberries	• Pineapples
Go ORGANIC!!	• Sweet Peas
	• Sweet Potatoes

Controversial foods

(that you may not know about)

Canned tomatoes / tomato sauce. BPA is s chemical used to line the inside of cans. Because tomatoes have such a high acidity level, this causes the chemical to leech into the sauce. Consumption can have effects on growing children and cause other internal disorders.
more info...>>
Substitute with sauce in glass jars, in boxes, or, of course, fresh tomatoes

Canola oil (an acronym for Canada oil) is made from the rapeseed plant, which is cheap and easy to grow. Rape is an industrial oil used as an insect repellent, lubricant, fuel, soap and synthetic rubber base and as a illuminate for color pages in magazines. Natural rapeseed oil is poisonous to humans and animals, so it is genetically modified for human consumption.
more info... >>
Substitute with olive oil or sunflower oil

Corn syrup is processed from low-grade corn and loaded with toxins, is found in candies, sodas and tons of consumer goods from ketchup to cereals. The fructose found in corn syrup has been reputed to be one of the causes of increased obesity and heart disease.
more info... >>
Substitute with Lyle's Golden Syrup or a simple sugar syrup

Margarine contains trans fats which are created through hydrogenation – the process used to solidify liquid vegetable oil. Our bodies cannot break down trans fats, thus increasing cancer risks and heart disease.

more info...>>
Substitute with butter, Earth Balance non-hydrogenated natural shortening or sunflower oil

Milk/Dairy is the possible cause of low energy and sinus and digestive problems. In fact, 75% of the world's population are lactose intolerant.

more info...>>
Substitute your calcium intake with foods such as dark green leafy vegetables, sesame tahini, seaweed and sardines or salmon with bones. Milk options include almond milk and rice milk.

Unfermented Soy such as edamame, tofu, soy milk (cheese, ice cream and yogurt) and ....
can lead to thyroid, digestion and hormonal problems.
more info...>>
Substitute with lima beans, tempeh, almond milk, sorbet

Wheat/Gluten is a major cause of celiac disease, obesity, diabetes, depression and cancer, among other illnesses. It is in so many foods, is highly addictive, but has little nutritional value due to over-processing of the flour, and your body doesn't have the ability to digest the gluten protein.

more info...>>
Substitute baking flours with brown rice, buckwheat, gluten-free oats, millet, quinoa and sorghum. Otherwise, just stick to fruits and vegetables, nuts and grass-fed meat.

Portions

You don't need an excess of food to have a wholesome meal. It is the ingredients and the variety of ingredients that make a well-balanced diet. Here is a great reference for portion sizes.