real life

Pete's mum (Pepe) came to stay for a night and when we are together our wholefood ways go on holiday and we eat food that is not normally on our table. For dinner Pepe bought us fish and chips for a picnic at the beach. River and Sol were very excited because Pepe and Charlie (her dog) were staying, and because we were having 'treats'.

I'm writing about this because I am conscious of wanting to keep it real on this blog. I don't want to give the impression that we eat homemade humus and sprout salad 100% of the time and are holier than thou. I think it is so important not to be dogmatic about anything in our lives, doing so with food can set up patterns of binging and guilt and banning foods from children make them all the more attractive.

On a visit to Dr Gruba he told me about a patient who was so strict with following an elimination diet and not returning to a wide variety of food that she actually created allergies for herself by being so restrictive.

So while Pepe was here we ate white ciabatta with ham and mustard, we took the boys out for an ice cream and in the evening had fish and chips. And today as we waved goodbye, Pete and I looked forward to a wholefood dinner! We enjoyed the moment, our time together and while the food we ate was not our normal fare we didn't gorge on it either because in our experience the further along the wholefood/healthy path we go the more sensitive we are to fried food, refined food, processed food and it doesn't feel good to eat too much, it might taste good at the time but the feeling afterwards not so much.

I was chatting to a friend recently who is a natural health practitioner and eats mainly raw foods, we talked about that if you are very health conscious it is sometimes challenging for those around you and they enjoy pointing out if you stray from your healthy path...eat a chocolate bar, fish and chips, pizza.

The reality is there are many opportunities in life to eat unhealthy, low nutrient food, in fact I'd say it is the dominant culture so if you are forging ahead finding your way with wholefoods and feel like you are going against the tide of processed food advertising and peer pressure from family and friends I think it is fantastic because whether those around you come on board, the fact you are protecting your health and vitality is to be celebrated and you just never know who you are quietly inspiring to change their ways.

"Be the change you want to see in the world"

To sum this up, lay your wholefood foundations, keeping learning, keep noticing how you feel as you make changes and when you occasionally step left or right to fast food or lollies etc; do so with awareness stopping before you overdo it and without guilt or regret knowing that you have built or are building a solid wholefood path to return to.

I hope that is helpful to read. Are guilt and regret around food and eating something you struggle with? Perhaps that can be a goal to let go of them this year and celebrate all that you are doing to eat well and live well. xx

back to the stone age

From now until Christmas, week on week off, I am following Dr Zenon Gruba's version of the Stone Age Elimination Diet. I have written here before about Dr Gruba and the 12 week guided detox program that Pete and I undertook with him last year. We did it because we really subscribe to the theory of - 'why wait to get sick to be well?!' 

Many people wait until they are diagnosed with a chronic illness to improve their diet and lifestyle. I believe that even for people who are in good health and eating a nutritious diet there is always room for refinement. 

It had been 12 months since I last saw Dr Gruba so I went for a follow up visit and basically he gave me the thumbs up for improving my health. To keep me on my path though he recommended I follow his version of the Stone Age Diet. With the emphasis being on eating fresh fruit, vegetables, fish and meat (no pig products) no grains and no dairy there are similarities to the Paleo diet, however in contrast to Paleo ways Gruba's diet includes legumes and potato. (The baked rice in the third picture was not for me but the vegetables were). This article is a good read to cover the for and against Paleo.

Having completed my first week I can say the beauty of the one week on one week off is two fold. For me it makes it very achievable. Having gone 3 months with no sugar, salt, dairy, wheat, fruit, alcohol or caffeine, 7 days is a walk in the veggie garden. The other aspect I am enjoying is it has heightened my awareness to which foods agree with me and which don't. As much as I enjoy a bowl of porridge on a cold morning I have really noticed that if I eat too bigger a bowl I feel like Goldilocks in need of a nap.

I won't bore you too much with the intricacies of my personal observations (because given there are people in the world who only have rice or less to eat I do find bantering on about detoxing etc; to be self indulgent and the need to detox indicative of our culture of excess) but another aspect I like about this diet is the reliance on real food. I was in the veggie garden harvesting greens 3 meals a day compared to one or two meals a day where I would take a leaf or two for a salad sandwich I was picking bunches of greens to cook up and eat with an egg or some kangaroo or to mix in with chickpeas and other veggies. By the fourth day Pete asked me to please go easy on the kale plant. It made me realise that most people eat too few vegetables. 

I commenced last Saturday to coincide the ending of my 7 days with going to a birthday party where I red wine, bread and cheese were back on my menu.

Where are you all at with your real food journeys? I ask because, well because I want to know, but also because eating real food in a processed world requires a certain way of thinking, a commitment to good health and it takes planning. Share your tips and thoughts.