{You Are What You Eat}

{A few weeks back, I read a blog in which the writer tested the notion that fast food was not food, but in fact, a combination of many preservatives and additives mixed very little "real" food. The blogger, suspicious of the fast food industry, bought hamburgers and fries from several extremely popular chains. Each meal was left out, uncovered for weeks. That's right- weeks. Guess what? Not one of the meals molded, rotted, or did...anything. It freaked me out. For. Real.

T and I have virtually stopped shopping in the middle of our neighborhood grocery store. These are the aisles filled with highly-processed, yet sometimes disguised foods. Some with labels claiming to be healthy (low fat, low carb, vitamin fortified, no trans fat, etc.). We used to buy them. Granola bars loaded with all kinds of great things- vitamins, minerals, fiber... And they are so yummy! But I challenge you to do the following: next time you reach for a box of your favorite cereal, breakfast bars, or crackers- flip the box over and look at the list of ingredients. I'll bet that most of them are words that an average shopper cannot pronounce- let alone decipher what exactly they mean!

Although weight loss has been an extremely welcomed side effect of our eating and exercise, we are after something much more important. Most of the top health afflictions in The United States can be traced to the food industry and highly-processed foods.

We haven't had to count calories, or stick to a strict no carbohydrate fad diet. We simply eat real food that can be fully digested and used in healthy ways by our bodies. We make smart choices when presented with options. We aren't doing this to judge or exclude other people. We still want to go to dinner parties and out to dinner with our friends and family, but we are going to look for healthy, real, and raw alternatives over highly-processed, fried, or greasy options.

Additionally, there are a lot of things about the food industry in The United States that we do not support. It seems to be the more we learn, the more we cringe. Why were we choosing to spend money on food that had so many additives and so few regulations? Disgusting.

I continue to use the phrase "highly-processed" because T and I don't claim to stick to a strict non-processed diet. We eat cheese (see a previous post regarding our choice of cheeses) and we drink milk (a single serving per day with breakfast). Both milk and cheese, along with other dairy products, are processed, with the exception of unpasturized milk, which we do not feel comfortable drinking. Use the link below to explore dairy options written by one of our favorite resources---100 Days of Real Food.

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/06/18/cheese-and-other-dairy-products-are-they-processed/

We hope that this a journey that other people will attempt. It isn't about perfection, a number on the scale, or being trendy. It's about living the longest and best life we can. We have a lot left to do and we want to be healthy enough to do it!}

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