Healthy Swaps Part 1: Food
Things I have switched in our home as we try to make healthy choices!
I am not a doctor or an expert. I am simply sharing things I have found to work for our family and lifestyle in this season.
A Brief Glimpse Into My Health Journey
I have always had a sensitive stomach. When I was a freshman in college, my stomach issues got pretty bad - probably a combination of stress, lack of sleep, and poor eating choices.
It was during this time that I decided to take better care of myself and make more informed choices when it came to my health. I started doing research, reading books, and finding other resources that would equip me to make healthier decisions.
I believe it is up to you to take charge of your own health. Doctors are wonderful, but you know your body best. God designed our bodies in a magnificent way, and I believe we have so much intuition when it comes to our health.
Here are some easy swaps and changes I have made in an effort to live a healthier life. This journey is ever-evolving and probably never-ending. But I truly believe things make a difference. I hope they can help you too!
A non-exhaustive list…
Choose grass-fed/finished beef - We started buying this in the last year, and I really do feel like it tastes better. I also feel better knowing the meat I am eating is cleaner and higher in nutrients.
Choose organic meat in general - I really want to avoid any added antibiotics or hormones, and buying organic meat is one way I try to accomplish that! Sometimes it’s not the animal being given these things, but the plants that the animals eat.
Choose organic pasture raised eggs - These are the expensive eggs. I know. But phrases like pasture raised, free range, and cage free are regulated terms. These eggs also taste so much better and have more nutrients than other eggs. If they are truly nature’s multivitamin, then you want it to be high quality!
Avoid artificial sweeteners AND tons of added sugar - We try not to buy anything that has fake sugars in it, such as erythritol, aspartame, sucralose, etc. If you need a sweetener in something, try a whole food instead such as honey, maple syrup, stevia, monk fruit, or even coconut sugar! In general, we also just try to stay away from a ton of sugar. If I am baking, I have found coconut sugar to be a great alternative, and I always use less than the recipe calls for!
Avoid seed oils - Seed oils are oils such as canola, sunflower, grapeseed, safflower, and peanut oil. These oils are highly processed and cause inflammation in our bodies. We choose to buy oils such as coconut, olive, and avocado instead. If you are trying to avoid seed oils, keep in mind that they can be an ingredient in lots of things - dairy free milks, creamers, dressings, etc. We like the primal kitchen brand for dressings and other sauces that do not contain seed oils!
Avoid processed foods in general - This is a hard one, especially living in America. One trick is to shop in mostly the outer edge of the grocery store. This is where they keep baked goods, produce, meat, dairy, and other less processed foods. Stick to whole foods whenever possible!
Buy (some) organic produce - Whether or not I buy organic produce varies from week to week depending on the budget, where I am shopping, and how we are eating something, but generally, this is my rule of thumb: Anything we are going to eat the outside of, I buy it organic. This includes things like peppers, apples, grapes, etc. Whenever possible, we try to buy local too! Things like bananas and avocados that have a thick outer peel that you do not eat, I tend to not buy organic. You can also check out the EWG’s dirty dozen and clean fifteen each year to inform your choices.
Choose smoothie bowls instead of ice cream - This is a very specific swap we have made, but I feel like it is worth mentioning! My stomach is sensitive to dairy, so for a while I would just buy the non-dairy alternative ice creams at the store. However, these often do not have the best ingredients. While I still do that every once in a while for a treat, we try to make smoothie bowls as dessert instead. I will plan to share the recipe in a post soon!
Drink alternatives to soda such as Olipop, Zevia, and Kombucha - I have never been a big soda drinker of any kind. But my husband loves a good CheerWine or Dr. Pepper. However, we know these are not the healthiest option for our bodies! I like to buy him Olipops or Zevias as soda alternatives. We also love Kombucha for a fizzy drink, and it is full of probiotics for a healthy gut!
Read labels - One of the biggest changes I have made is that when I grocery shop, I read the labels and check the ingredients! I encourage you to do this too, especially if you never have! You could even just go through your pantry right now and look at what is in the food you typically buy. It is amazing how much junk is in a lot of the food on the shelves at the grocery store.
And that is it! Thank you for reading! I hope you found a few easy swaps you can make as you work towards living a healthier life.
Please subscribe and stick around so you do not miss part 2, where I will be sharing personal care and cleaning swaps we have made in our home, as well as lifestyle changes! Talk to you next week.
Take care,
Caroline