Food

As you know, I have been digging and searching and really wrestling with what to put in my and my family's bodies. It is a really hard question to answer these days! Ideally, my husband and I would drop everything and move to a farm to live off of our organic ideals...don't be surprised if we just do this someday, too! But for now, we are smack dab in the middle of a city whose health professionals say, eat meat, don't eat meat, go raw/vegan, raw/vegan is deficient in nutrients, eat organic, conventional is fine and other such paradoxes that make it SO HARD for a mom like me to really understand what to eat.

Here's what I am chewing on for now:

• Whole, fresh foods are ultimately, no doubt the best. There is nothing that comes in a package/box that can truly offer our bodies what it needs. (This also works with my theology! God created this earth with everything in it we need.)
• Sugar is absolutely, no doubt the worst. I call it the White Satan and will one day write a blog post about how truly horrible this stuff is (from its conception in the Caribbean coast that led to the development of the transcontinental human slave trade to its addictive, immune-system depleting status of today). Agave, maple syrup, honey and dates really can replace the white stuff in your life if you're willing to shop smart and bake at home.
• Vegetables will always be the way to go...but meat can play a part, too. I do believe in Proverbs 12:10 (a righteous man has concern for the life of his animal) and in a sustainable method of farming (this is another theological issue for me--we are stewards of the earth and ought to set an example in our care of it) so organic and free range, grass-fed, hormone-free beef and poultry as well as cage-free eggs are always well worth the extra few dollars.

Rory and I never felt (or looked!) better than when we spent two years as raw vegans. We learned a lot during that time (for example, a healthy growing man CAN survive and even thrive off of green leafy vegetables--we stopped referring to lettuce/kale/chard-based meals as salads and coined the phrase "entree of greens" for a more manly twist) and my goal now is to incorporate that knowledge into our meat-friendly diet. My plan and prayer is to be green vegetable-focused using meat to garnish once or twice a week. Main sources of protein will be eggs, beans/legumes balanced with grains and nuts and seeds. We are still learning and still searching, but summer is a great time to focus on fresh foods and salads. With a lot of grace, I think we can do it.

So, the last time we were at Whole Foods I picked up several young thai coconuts (here is a great video showing how to open one at home or feel free to ask a grocer to open them for you--they have always been willing and friendly about this in my experience) and a 5-pound bag of organic carrots. I was craving a Bugs Bunny:

Bugs Bunny

1 coconut, water set aside in a glass and meat scraped out and put in the blender
Juice from 3-5 carrots, washed and trimmed of any yucky parts

Blend all the ingredients together for a delicious, super hydrating beverage and pick-me-up ideal for mornings, evenings and any time! (I have an Omega Juicer that I love but you can spend a little more for something fancier or a little less for something equally juicable.)

(And yes, that is my daughter eating strawberries off of the floor. While we might be picky about WHAT we eat, apparently, we are far less concerned with where we eat it!)