Meg’s story (in her own words):
A few years ago when I first became pregnant, I left my typical processed-heavy diet behind and began to eat more “real” natural foods.
Knowing that I was carrying a precious child inside of me really made me focus on my own health, and now that I have two busy toddlers at home I am dedicated to providing them with the most nutrient rich and chemical free diet as I possibly can. Back when I first made this life-changing decision, I dove headfirst into all the research, reading article after article, feeling this spark of excitement building in me.
We have been told our whole lives that things like butter, whole milk, and beef are bad, unhealthy, and even dangerous…. yet things like fake chemically filled margarine, hormone-laden skim milk, and cow-lot grain fed beef, is the norm and even supposedly healthy for us. Well, I then decided to take the plunge and change our entire diet. I started to buy the full fat organic milk, the grass-fed cheeses, and pastured eggs. We ate rich, organic, and raw…. and it was delicious!
The only problem was after a few months I realized that I had gained weight and I really didn’t feel any better than I did before.
Well, the obvious took me a while to actually realize….yes I added these foods in, but I did not take the processed foods out. I would down a few Oreo’s (with my organic milk). Or have a big bowl of Edy’s Ice Cream (with organic raspberries). Processed food was still a huge part of my life! So, my first attempt at eating healthy was a big FAIL!
But now I knew what I was doing wrong. My new goal: NO PROCESSED FOODS and NO FLOUR! Once again, we ate rich, delicious and healthy, but this time everything was homemade, with good quality, natural ingredients. And to my surprise, not only did I start to feel wonderful, have more energy, feel more happy, but I lost about 10 pounds. I was actually eating more to keep weight on! Today, our main motto in our house is “if we want it… we have to make it”.
If we are craving Oreos, well, we will find a good recipe online and try it out…. same goes for crackers, cereal, granola bars, tortilla shells, etc. Pretty much anything is fair game just as long as we are using good, natural, high quality ingredients and of course avoiding processed food in general. This year I took my passion for healthy eating to the net, and started my blog, Fresh Idea Mama (www.freshideamama.com). I just find so much joy in sharing my healthy tips and ideas with others!
You can share YOUR story with Earth Fare’s readers (and win a $50 gift card for yourself) by clicking here.
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More stories like this:
Worldwide Health with Jennifer
Boosting Her Immune System! Allison’s Story
I’m writing to ask that you consider locating a future store in or near Troy, Ohio. It would be wonderful to be able to shop at your store on a more regular basis. If you check out our Troy Main Street program, you’ll see that we have a vibrant downtown, with many shops that would be a nice complement to an Earth Fare.
Thank you for the suggestion, Diane! I’ll be sure to pass it along for you