One Year Later

When I started this blog after Thanksgiving last year, I thought for sure the project would be abandoned by now. Happily I continue to pursue all-natural eating.

A few reflections:

1. It's nearly impossible to eat all-natural socially.
I've had little success eating all-natural at a table other than my own. This isn't a knock on friends, it's just a fact of life. Most packaged food purchased at a store has some kind of preservative in it. And most institutions I know who prepare food en masse start with packages. And most people I know can't spend an hour cooking dinner from scratch. In keeping with my original goal, I don't want my healthy eating pursuits to impede healthy community. So, I've become at peace about breaking the rules sporadically at social functions and community dinners. Sometimes I actually can feel the effects of this decision later, because I'm no longer used to eating certain ingredients that are common in most American diets, but I'm okay with this. It's not always about having full control over what you eat. Plus, I know I'm eating all-natural when I'm by myself or cooking for others.

2. I used the "Ingredients, Okay" and "Ingredients, No Way" list a lot less than I thought.
Why? Probably because I'm mostly shopping around the "perimeter" of the grocery store, where the fruits and vegetables, meats, cheeses and dairy items are located. These don't really have a lot of artificial ingredients, or extra ingredients at all.

3. The numbers don't lie.
When I have a chance to crunch the numbers, I'll show you my triglyceride and cholersterol levels last year, versus this year. In spite of eating more butter, eggs, dairy and meat this past year, everything bad that's in the blood...went down!

4. Eating naturally is a great opportunity for creativity and culture.
I feel like a primitive artist when I create my plate. Natural foods have great colors, textures and unique flavors on their own. In the absence of artificial additives, the foods come to life. I've also begun delving into different cultural staples that weren't a part of my upbringing--coconut oil, raw ginger, eggplant, and others.

5. The fridge got a face lift.
What was in my refrigerator at this time last year?
Diet Coke
Sugar Free, Fat Free Yogurt
Margarine
An onion and a green pepper
Sugar Free Ice Cream
Sugar Free, Fat Free Caramel Syrup
Lean Cuisines
Eggs
Shrimp, Ground Beef and Ground Turkey
Corn Tortillas (with preservatives)
Salsa (with preservatives and high-fructose corn syrup)

What is in my refrigerator now?
Coconut Milk
Fizzy Water
Butter
Free-Range Eggs
Eggplant, Onion, Garlic, Celery, Carrots
Pomegranates, Apples, a Mango
Frozen Spinach, Corn,
Shrimp, Ground Beef and Ground Turkey
Organic Sprouted Corn Tortillas
Salsa (no preservatives)

Goals for the Coming Year
1. Drink more water.
2. Eat more raw foods.
3. Rathern than focusing on the negatives (what is this food additive and will it kill me?) Research the health benefits of specific foods and implement them as homeopathic and preventative medicine.