Slashing the Grocery Budget

In response to a recent "Biggest Loser" episode that evidently set out a healthy eating budget for $10/person per day, Kelly the Kitchen Kop posed a question to her Facebook followers: If you eat "real" food, how much do you spend on groceries per month?

The responses were fascinating! I read all 84 with emotions that ranged from smug to frustrated to sympathetic. Many readers said they spend about what we do, some spent an outrageous amount of money, and some were exceptionally frugal.

The most frugal readers challenged me. "How do they do it?" I wondered, and it made me think of Lisa Leake (100 Days of Real Food) and her pledge to feed her family of four on only "real" food for 100 days on a very strict budget--$500 a month.

I could feel the need to take on a challenge welling up in me. Can we do it for less than we are already doing it? Are there corners to cut that I'm not already cutting? I already buy some things in bulk, I pretty much only buy organic produce from the Dirty Dozen list, I bake my own bread, watch for sales, buy 1/2 cow at a time...

But...I want to see if we can do it for less. So, here's my goal: We buy groceries twice a month: on the 1st and the 15th. We've already bought for the first of this month, so as I make up the list for the 15th and the 1st of next month, my goal is to cut $50 from each grocery run for a total of $100. (A penny saved is a penny earned, and I'd like to earn an extra $100 this month--how about you?)

So, what can I do to make this happen? I already buy basically only what we need, so cutting down on the amount of food I buy isn't really an option. Here are some other things I'm going to try:

1. I made a bulk foods purchase that I'm going to pick up today (in addition to the foods I was already buying in bulk). I bought several foods in gallons and pounds that will save money in the long run and last us a very, very long time. And yes, I paid for that bulk food out of our grocery budget. (A little bit set aside from the grocery budget for 3 months, to be exact.)

2. We're not going to eat pancakes this month. Boo! But--100% pure maple syrup is not cheap, and this will go quite a ways to help the new budget.

3. I usually buy a pre-packaged healthy snack for my kids to take to the tutorial they attend on Tuesdays. Instead of buying that snack, I'll pop popcorn at home for them to take.

4. I'm going to try for some meatless meals. We love enchiladas and burritos packed with chicken or beef, but I'm going to make them with just pinto beans.

5. I'm going to try extra hard to use my coupons and watch for sales. Generally, coupons don't help a whole lot when you're eating real food, but Kroger sends personalized ones in the mail, and those are often very helpful.

So...let's see how we do! Any tips? What helps you shave money off your monthly grocery budget? Do you think The Biggest Loser was too high when they budgeted $10/person per day? What do you think is realistic?

Peanut Butter Power Bars

I'm a big fan of almond power bars, which are packed with protein and really sustain me. My kids, however, haven't really gotten on the bandwagon. They eat them, sometimes, but will grab for something else if it's available. The other day, however, I stumbled upon a kid-friendly, slightly altered recipe. I decided to make some almond power bars and realized I was out of raw almond butter, and out of the unsweetened baking chocolate I use to make the frosting.

Raw almond butter is super good for you, but it can be very expensive. I buy mine at Trader Joe's and get a fabulous deal, but I can't always just run over to Trader Joe's. It's pretty far away. So, sometimes we make do with all natural peanut butter. No added sugar.

So, the other day, I simply substituted "no sugar added peanut butter" for raw almond butter and melted a bar of dark chocolate for the frosting (containing all natural ingredients--no high fructose corn syrup), and suddenly my kids wanted to eat the bars. I liked the other bars the way they were, and obviously, the other bars are a little healthier, but if substituting a couple of ingredients can make them kid-friendly, then I will do it! Eating these bars is still going to be a lot healthier for my kids than just about any other snack they reach for!

Peanut Butter Power Bars

2 cups raw almonds
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 cup shredded coconut, optional
2 scoops flavored whey protein powder
1/2 cup all natural peanut butter
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup coconut oil
8 drops liquid Stevia
1 Tbsp. vanilla
4 squares of all natural dark chocolate, melted

Directions:
Put almonds, flax meal, shredded coconut, whey powder, almond butter, and salt in a food processor with the S blade. Pulse until the nuts are mostly crushed.
In a small sauce pan, melt coconut oil completely over very low heat. Remove oil from heat; add Stevia and vanilla. Pour this mixture into the food processor, then pulse again until ingredients form a coarse paste.
Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper, then press mixture into the pan. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour, or until hard.
Spread melted chocolate over the bars and chill until hardened. Cut into squares and enjoy!

Resolve

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Checking In

Now that the new year is well underway, you've had plenty of time to make (and break!) your resolutions. Your pants may feeling a bit snug due to the delicious Christmas goodies, and you'd rather snuggle up in your warm bed than trudge out to the freezing cold garage to exercise.

Is this you? I must admit, it feels a lot like me!

I don't want to be this person who finds it a challenge to roll out of my warm bed in the morning. I want to pop up, ready and excited for my day. I want to feel energized and healthy because I've made good choices about what to put in my body and when to turn out the lights and get some sleep. I want to set a good example for my kids, and I want to find the time and energy to invest in them.

Right now, though, being that person is a struggle. The familiar taste of those Christmas treats still lingers in my mind. The fleece sheets we got for Christmas (yes, fleece!) are unbelievably snuggly warm and I'm finding it challenging to peel them back and head out for early morning surge training.

I'm kind of stuck.

What are the alternatives, though? I know that if I don't make good choices, I will hurt myself and my family. I'll feel lethargic and cranky. My ability to live my life with vibrance will suffer. I won't be able to do the things I want and need to get done.

No, I won't give up. But I can't do it alone. 

This morning, my family went into 180 Chiropractic and Wellness for our adjustments. Dr. Sweeney was so encouraging. No reprimands for our obvious failures. Instead, a promise that he is praying for us as we continue to fight to make healthy life choices.

I don't know where you are today on your journey to a healthy life--hopefully you're steadily jogging along, keeping a strong pace, but maybe you've taken an unintentional detour and are sitting down for a soda at the Unhealthy Cafe. Maybe you got up this morning, ready to face the world, but by the time you got to work, you'd already stopped for doughnuts.

What one word would you use to describe your journey right now? Successful? Discouraging?   Steady? Failure? Hopeful? Go ahead, think of one. I'll wait. In fact, I'd love it if you'd include your one word in the comments below. 

To be fair, I'll give you mine: Determined.

I'm determined to do this. I'm determined to make healthy choices for myself and my family, because I know we will be stronger, live longer, and have the energy we need to do all of those things we want and need to do: energy to serve at our church, energy to enjoy our friends, energy to teach and write and fold the laundry and clean the house and...well, you get it.

I can't do this alone.

You can't do this alone.

Who will stand with you, gently encourage you, pray for you, and cheer you on as you navigate your way through birthday party cake, office snacks, and alluring fast food signs? Find a friend, a family member, a co-worker--someone--who will walk with you.

This isn't a fad. It isn't a one-month stint. It's a lifestyle. You'll have ups and downs, but if you stick with it, it will be worth it. After all, what's the alternative?

Stove Top Popcorn

My parents have had the same hot air popcorn popper since I was a kid. It still works. A couple of weeks ago, I got to visit them for my brother's wedding, and we had a movie night. Rather than pull out the microwave popcorn, which is terrible for you, my mom pulled out her air popper. It was so much fun!

You know that old saying, "They don't make things like they used to"? Well, I think that's true of hot air poppers. We've gone through two in a year. We've had all sorts of problems. Perhaps it's because we keep buying the less expensive (cheap!) poppers. Perhaps it's because my mom's popper was just simply made better 30 something years ago.

Whatever the reason, we've decided not to buy another one. Our family really likes popcorn, though. It's a whole grain, it's cheap, it's delicious and easy to make, and if you make it yourself, it can actually be healthy!

So, I looked around for some stovetop recipes and I found one I really liked. I want to share it with you. If you have a great hot air popper that works well, that's fabulous! But, if you don't have one, and you want to make some delicious popcorn without all of the nasty ingredients they put in microwave popcorn, try this recipe!

Perfect Popcorn Recipe

adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. grapeseed oil (it has a higher smoke point than olive oil)

1/3 cup popcorn kernels

1 3-quart covered saucepan

2 Tbsp. (or more) of butter, to taste

Salt, to taste

Directions:

Heat the oil in the saucepan over medium-high heat. Place 3-4 popcorn kernels into the oil and cover the pan. When the kernels pop, add the rest of the 1/3 cup of kernels, and shuffle the pan a little so they lie in an even layer. Cover the pan, and remove from heat for 30 seconds. (I just set the timer to make it easier.) According to Simply Recipes, "This method first heats the oil to the right temperature, then waiting 30 seconds brings all of the other kernels to a near-popping temperature so that when they are put back on the stove, they all pop at about the same time."

After the 30 seconds removed from heat, place the pan back on the burner. Gently shake, or shuffle, the pan while it pops to prevent burning. When the popping slows to a couple of seconds between pops, remove the lid and pour the popcorn into a large bowl.

You can then melt your butter right in the same pan where you just cooked your popcorn. Pour the melted butter and salt over your popcorn, and stir (or shake) well to mix. Enjoy!

Bitter Sweet: The Sharp Bite Behind the Sugar High

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This FREE workshop will take place Monday, November 19, at 6:00 p.m.

Where: 180 Chiropractic and Wellness

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Franklin, TN 37067

For more information, or to sign up, contact 180 Chiropractic and Wellness at: 615-595-9063 or check out their website: www.180well.com

School Lunch Ideas

Now that school has been in session for awhile, the whole task of packing lunches is getting old. I only have to do it 2 days a week, and I still struggle with packing the same things over and over. So, I turned to some blog posts I'd read awhile back to re-inspire me. Perhaps they'll give you some ideas, too!

100 Days of Real Food: homemade school lunches

More Homemade School Lunches

Still More Homemade School Lunches

School Lunch Roundup

School Lunch Roundup II

What great ideas do you have about packing healthy school lunches? I'd love to hear them! Please include them in the comments below.

Halloween "Treats"

Am I the only one who walks through the grocery store cringing at the amount of candy lining ENTIRE AISLES for Halloween? Am I the only one who looks at the price and says, "No way am I paying that much      for pure junk!"? Some of these bags of candy top the $10 mark. For a bag of candy!!

I am not going to tell my kids they can't have any candy for Halloween. It's a special occasion. I get it.

I will, however, try to make this night fun for them in some additional ways that don't focus completely on candy. I also want to hand out some alternative treats to the little people who ring my doorbell. We've actually done this quite a bit in the past few years, and the kids really enjoyed getting something different.

If you haven't already gone out and bought your candy stash, here are some alternative "treats" that won't break the bank:

* Glow bracelets.
* Mini tubs of Play Doh.
* Cheap trinkets, like plastic/rubber animals, spider rings, etc.
* Stickers or tattoos
* Pencils
*Check out the party aisles for individual sized bottles of bubbles, cheap toys, etc.

You might also want to check out the book, Redeeming Halloween. It gives some great alternative (and super fun!) ways to celebrate without participating in all the creepiness.

Free Burst Training Class!

Now that cooler weather is here, it's so easy and tempting to fill up on comfort foods, snuggle up inside, and forget about exercise, but keeping your body strong and healthy is super important, especially during the time of year when people tend to get down and sick more.

Burst training is so fast, it doesn't take much time out of your schedule at all. I just do it in my garage first thing in the morning, and then I'm set for my day. If you want to learn more about burst training, or maybe even just get some new tips, check out the free burst training class TONIGHT!

WHAT: Free Burst Training Class
WHERE: 180 Chiropractic and Wellness, 4091 Mallory Lane, Suite 114, Franklin, TN
WHEN: Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, 6:00 p.m.

Pumpkin Bars (and Cream Cheese Frosting!)

Yesterday, I made one of my favorite fall desserts. Make no mistake, while this recipe is less refined and healthier than a lot of desserts, it is still dessert. It is by no means low on the glycemic index. The sugars in it are not the anti nutrient that white sugar is, but they are still natural sugars. So, enjoy this dessert, but in moderation!

Pumpkin Bars
adapted from Taste of Home's Quick Cooking

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup sucanant, rapadura, or other less refined sugar
1 cup honey
1 cup olive oil
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 and 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. cloves

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, blend together the pumpkin, sugar, honey, oil, eggs, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients, then add the dry ingredients, a little at a time, to the wet mixture. Pour batter into a greased 10x15 baking pan and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. After cooling, spread some cream cheese frosting over the bars. You can also shave some dark chocolate onto the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
from the Bread Beckers, Inc.

Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. honey
2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
In a small mixing bowl, whip together the cream cheese, honey, and vanilla. Spread on the pumpkin bars. This will make a thin layer. If you like an extra thick layer of frosting, double this recipe.

Homemade "Ramen Noodles"

There is nothing fancy about this post, or this recipe. It's literally one of the simplest things I have ever thrown together, but with the weather cooling off, and colds and other lovely illnesses bound to strike, I thought someone might find it helpful.

In the past, ramen noodles were the dish of choice in our home whenever someone was recovering from a stomach bug, had a cold, or for any other excuse. I can't, in good conscience, give them to my family anymore when they're under the weather (which, thankfully, is a lot less nowadays!). I want to give them something that's really easy on their stomach, but not filled with a lot of junk, especially when the goal is to get them well!

So, last summer, when one of my kids had a nasty virus and wanted something soft and bland to eat, I simply pulled some homemade chicken broth out of my freezer, warmed it up on the stove, and added some 100% whole wheat spaghetti noodles. I let them cook until they were soft, and that's it!

I brought her the bowl, not sure what to expect her reaction to be, and she loved it! Of course, homemade chicken noodle soup would've been a fantastic thing to give her, but truthfully, she still wasn't feeling very well and just wanted some noodles. I was thrilled to have found such an easy substitute for ramen noodles.

What comfort foods do you like to feed your kids when they are under the weather? Have you found any healthy alternatives? I'd love to hear about them! Please include your ideas in the comments below!

Taco Seasoning

I posted a recipe on Wednesday for wheat-free tortillas. If you're going to go to the trouble of making your own tortillas, which is totally worth it, don't wreck a delicious, healthy supper by using a processed packet of taco seasoning! Most of the time, these packets contain white sugar and/or bleached flour, along with other processed ingredients we're trying to avoid.

Making your own taco seasoning is a piece of cake. Instead of ripping open the packet, you simply pop open the top on a few spices and toss them in. My family has never been able to tell the difference, and I feel a lot better about what I'm serving them. I have a friend who likes to pull out all of her spices and make lots of little baggies of seasoning at one time so that when she's cooking, she just needs to dump the baggies of pre-mixed spices into her pan.

Homemade Taco Seasoningadapted from Maximized Living Nutrition Plans

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2-3/4 cup water

Directions:
Brown the ground beef over medium heat, then add the spices and water, and mix together. If there is a lot of fat after browning the beef, drain some of it first. Turn the heat to high until the water boils (this should happen very quickly), then turn down to medium and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the mixture reaches your desired consistency.

Slow Cooker Refried Beans

www.flickr.com, photo by ~

Have you ever checked the ingredients label on a can of refried beans? Most of them contain a lot more than you bargained for. You can certainly find refried beans that contain only beans and water, but not at every store, and you're going to pay a lot more for them. Since finding this recipe for homemade refried beans, I have not bought a single can of refried beans at the store.

www.flickr.com, photo by goodiesfirst

This is one of those fail-proof recipes. Let me list some reasons why I love these refried beans in comparison to canned:

1. They are so much cheaper. I even buy the organic  pinto beans (in bulk at Whole Foods) and still spend less.
2. They taste better. These refried beans remind me of the ones I used to eat at a little family-run Mexican place in Fort Worth.
3. They are better for you. You know exactly what's going in your mashed up beans and can avoid hydrogenated oils, sugars, and other ingredients you just plain don't need in refried beans.
4. My kids get to experience the process of making real food in their home. They're making the connection between hard pinto beans and the delicious, creamy refried beans they spread on their tortillas.

I have a giant slow cooker, and I often double this recipe and then freeze the refried beans in small and medium containers. I just pull them out and reheat them when we want burritos. Note: The amounts on the spices are approximations. Feel free to adjust according to your taste. I usually just shake them in without even measuring, and they still taste fabulous, every time. The only exception is that sometimes I need to add a little more salt after mixing them together.

Slow Cooker Refried Beans
adapted from 100 Days of Real Food

Ingredients:
2 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cumin
Approx. 6 cups of water

Directions:
Dump the beans into your slow cooker, then add the spices and water. Cook on high for 8 hours or overnight (your kitchen will smell fabulous!). Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beans to a food processor (using the "S" blade). Add a little of the water as well. Mix for a few seconds, and then add additional water until the beans get to your desired consistency.

Join 180 Chiro for Dinner!

DATE: Monday, October 15th

TIME: 6:00 pmWHERE:

 

 3021 Mallory Lane, Franklin, TN 37067

Check out Dr. Sweeney's Personal Invitation!

Join our sponsor, 180 Chiropractic and Wellness, for dinner, while learning new ways to maximize your implementation of the 5 Essentials into your life! This is an exciting opportunity to bring friends and family who need to hear the truth about health. The care we deliver in our clinics changes lives, and we want to reach as many people as possible.

Help us make a difference in the lives of the people who matter most to you.

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Thank you for being part of our family at 180º Chiropractic & Wellness!

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615-595-9063

Tortillas with No Wheat

I regularly make my own whole wheat tortillas, but since we try to limit how much wheat we eat, sometimes I also make tortillas without any wheat. Instead of just using gluten-free flour, these tortillas have a completely different recipe. They don't taste the same as the tortillas we're all used to, but they're very good. They're actually a welcome change and add a lot of fun to taco night. They're not super strong, so you may want to consider eating them with a fork.

Wheat-Free Tortillas
adapted from Mark Sisson's Mark's Daily Apple

Ingredients:
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. water
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp lime juice
2 Tbsp. coconut flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. chili powder

Directions:
If you've ever made your own whole wheat tortillas, these are a breeze in comparison! Mix together the dry ingredients in one bowl, and the wet ingredients in another. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, whisking. Add about 1/4 cup of batter to a hot skillet coated with olive oil (keep it just below medium to avoid the oil overheating and smoking). Tilt the pan so that the batter spreads out. Cook the tortilla uncovered for 1 minute, then cover the pan for 1 minute. Flip the tortilla and cook uncovered for 2 more minutes. That's it!

Muffin Monday: Pumpkin Bread and Muffins

www.flickr.com, photo by rox sm

When I was in college, I spent about 8 months in Ketchikan, Alaska, living with Pam and Harry Gibson. They are such a sweet family, and I still miss them. Harry regularly made banana bread and pumpkin bread, and it was delicious! We would come home from church and gorge ourselves on it (or at least, I did. Perhaps the bread disappeared faster when I was living there!).

I still love making and eating pumpkin flavored goodies this time of year! There's just something invigorating about dropping temperatures, crisp mornings, colorful trees, and the smell of pumpkin baking. My recipe isn't Harry's, but it brings back fond memories of time spent at the Gibson's, and of Harry's amazing pumpkin bread!
There's nothing like cooking up your own pumpkin and using its puree for your pumpkin goodies, but sometimes we buy the canned pumpkin as well. If you do this, just check the ingredients. There should be nothing added--just pumpkin.


Pumpkin Breadadapted from 100 Days of Real Food

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup grapeseed or olive oil
1/2 cup honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree

Directions:
Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Set aside. Mix all of the wet ingredients together in another bowl. Gradually, add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and combine. Do not overmix. Pour into a greased loaf pan (I grease mine with olive oil) and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes. If you'd rather make muffins, pour the batter into 12 muffin cups and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

A Crust for Many Occasions

On her blog, 100 Days of Real Food, Lisa Leake has a pizza pocket recipe that my family absolutely loves. We eat pizza pockets for lunch almost every week. You can check out that recipe here.

I've also discovered that this wonderful pizza pocket crust recipe can be used as a substitute for a lot of other types of crusts. This was a wonderful discovery, and opened up a lot of new recipe possibilities for us. It even made some of our old recipes possible again.

Some uses for this crust:

1. Thin pizza crust. If you bake the crust for a few minutes at 425 before adding the toppings, you'll get a crispier crust. If you add toppings first and then bake, your crust will be softer.

2. Crescent rolls. I have several recipes that call for crescent rolls to be the outer crust. Instead of buying a can of these rolls, I mix up a recipe of the pizza pocket crust and roll it out thin.

3. Pot pies. I love making pot pie recipes, or any recipe that requires a crust on top. This pizza pocket recipe makes a nice, thick crust. Roll it out pretty thin, because it will puff up when baking.

4. Pigs in a blanket. I really miss this breakfast, but I can re-create it (sort of!) by rolling out this crust, cutting it into small pieces, and then rolling up small slices of Applegate hot dogs in it.

Hold onto this crust recipe and use it the next time you come across a recipe that call for crescent rolls, or another unhealthy crust!

Pizza Pocket Crust

Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
2 tsp. quick rise yeast
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cups 100% whole wheat flour

Directions:
Add the yeast to the water, stir briefly, and let set for a few minutes. Mix in the salt and olive oil, then add the flour. You can mix this by hand pretty easily, but you can also pour the ingredients into your food processor when it's time to add the flour. Use the "s" blade to mix up for a few seconds, then place in a large greased bowl. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let sit for at least 30 minutes. If making pizza crust, let rise until double. For some other crusts, you may want to just let it rise a little, then go ahead and make your crust. When I make the pizza pockets, I only let it rise a little.

Finding Recipes

So, where does a family go to find quality recipes that don't use a bunch of refined ingredients, harmful oils, and sugars? Today, I want to share with you my list of "go-to" places where I search to find great recipes for our families.

1. Maximized Living blog: I don't like everything on here--some recipes, I don't like at all, but I have definitely found some jewels that have become staples around here.

2. Mark's Daily Apple: There is a plethora of information on this website! I don't agree with all of the philosophies and beliefs of the author, but he does have some great recipes and information.

3. 100 Days of Real Food: If you're going gluten free, this is probably not the website for you--she uses a lot of 100% whole wheat flour in her recipes, but she has found a lot of homemade alternatives to food we used to rely on buying packaged. She also has a lot of kid-friendly recipes, and she avoids refined foods and bad oils.

4. Simply Sugar and Gluten Free: Simply said. Check it out!

5. Healing Cuisine with Elise: I just discovered this website. Great recipes!

In addition to these great websites, I've found some great cookbooks that have helped a ton:

Simply Sugar and Gluten Free by Amy Green

The Bread Beckers, Inc. (available at www.breadbeckers.com)

Maximized Living Nutrition Plans (available at 180 Chiro or other Maximized Living providers)

Cruise Ship or Nursing Home? (also available at 180 Chiro or other Maximized Living providers)

In addition to these great resources, I've also gained several great recipes from 180 Chiro's Recipe Nights. These are free events where you can sample several recipes, gain valuable information about making better nutritional choices, and take home some new recipes to try!

The next Recipe Night is Monday, Oct. 1, 6:00 p.m. at 180 Chiro (4091 Mallory Lane, Suite 114, Franklin, TN). My family will be there, and I hope you will join us for some delicious food and beneficial information!

Please contact 180 Chiro at 615-595-9063 or info@180chiro.com for more information, or to sign up!

An Emotional Journey

So, how would a family who's used to eating boxed lasagna, Kraft mac and cheese, and all things packaged, make the huge transition to eating real food--foods that help your body heal, rather than make it more susceptible to illness?

It's an overwhelming task! I specifically remember the mental and emotional journey I made on this process:

1. Are you kidding me? When Dale first came home with the book, Cruise Ship or Nursing Home, I immediately, without even pausing, said, No Way. Heck, no. Not in your wildest dreams, no thank you, NO. I have enough on my plate without trying to figure out a whole new way of eating, I don't want to give up these foods, our budget is already tight, etc. etc. etc.

2. Unfortunately, this makes way too much sense to ignore. Somehow, and I'm still not sure how, Dale convinced me to go to one of the free events at 180 Chiropractic and Wellness. While listening to Dr. Sweeney and Dr. Gebhardt, I realized that everything they said made sense. I still did not want to do this, but I was starting to believe that maybe they weren't nuts, at least!

3. We have to do this. Just to be fair, I sat down and read the book. Honestly, I was looking for holes in their theories. I wanted to be able to point out why they were wrong and how crazy this whole Maximized Living food program was. As I read, however, I became more and more convinced that they were right. Once I had the information, I couldn't not  change.

4. Frustration. Have you been reading labels? Remember the first time you went into the store, armed with your list of sugars and bad oils to avoid? The list really isn't that long, but those enemy ingredients are stuffed into nearly everything! No matter what I picked up, it was packed with sugars and hydrogenated oils. The list of what we could eat dropped dramatically. Surely, these Maximized Living people were expecting too much.

5. Fear. After trying to eat through most of the junk in our pantry before giving it up, (after all, we didn't want to be wasteful!) we finally cleaned out the rest, leaving only our new, acceptable foods in there. Terror churned through my stomach as I would open our cupboards and pantry and see a bag of flaxseed, several bags of nuts, and some tomato paste. The emptiness was terrifying. Were we really doing the right thing? Would we have enough to eat? (The refrigerator, on the other hand, was loaded down with fresh, natural food.)

6. Anger. Once we accepted that the Maximized Living plan wasn't insanity, I became angry at the way the American people have been duped. It took an enormous amount of effort to free ourselves from the traditional, acceptable American cuisine, but up until Dale walked through the doors of 180 Chiro, we had been clueless. Many, many people were still out there, buying foods that appear healthy, and yet are loaded down with hidden sugars and harmful oils. People are still buying into the "low fat" options, and busy families with tight budgets aren't presented with healthy options. Everything processed and packaged is harmful to them, and no one is telling them!

7. Acceptance. Finally, I had to realize that horrible food choices surround us--that's the way it's going to be. All we can do is continue to make good choices, avoid the bad ones, and share with others, through this blog, through 180 Chiro's free classes, and through word of mouth, that making healthier choices is difficult, but worth it.

Can you relate? What emotions have you experienced? Include them in the comments below!

Whole Foods Tour

I'm a cheapskate, um, I mean, value shopper. If given the choice between a less expensive item or a higher quality one, I will choose cheap over quality almost every time. This is not always the best choice and has resulted in many poor purchases over the years, but nevertheless, it's the way I roll. I am learning, albeit slowly, that sometimes cheap isn't better.

Take, for example, grocery stores. I don't like Wal Mart. Never have. However, I shop there all the time because they tend to have the cheapest prices. A little over a year ago, I had never set foot in Whole Foods, or any other healthy store, because I mistakenly believed they were too expensive, and that my "Great Value" choices were always the way to go.

That's before I started reading labels. And avoiding sugar. After attending a nutrition class at 180 Chiropractic and Wellness, my husband and I took a deep breath, and ventured inside the world of Whole Foods for the first time.

The first thing I noticed was that it even smelled different than regular grocery stores! As we looked around, we discovered that some items were higher priced. We could buy the exact same thing at Wal Mart or another grocery store for less. We passed by those items. However, Whole Foods had something the other stores didn't have: healthy, organic, and natural store brand items! Their store brand items were quite a bit cheaper than the name brand choices at other stores. Shopping at Whole Foods actually saved us quite a bit of money on several items!

I regularly shop at Whole Foods now, but I always compare prices. I'm not going to pay extra for an item that I can get at Wal Mart, but I love saving money on their bulk grains, beans, and spices, as well as taking advantage of their store brand items.

Whole Foods is not paying me a cent to say this about them: it's just my opinion. I do want to encourage you, if you are trying to make healthier choices, but are afraid that shopping at Whole Foods will break the bank, to just take a stroll through there. Read the labels. Compare ingredients. Compare prices. Check out the bulk section.

If you feel overwhelmed by this prospect, consider tagging along with 180 Chiro Monday evening as they take a tour through Whole Foods. Ask questions, get some directions, check out your options. 

If you're interested in taking this free tour of the Franklin, TN Whole Foods store next Monday, Sept. 24th at 6:00 p.m., please contact 180 Chiro at 615-595-9063 or info@180chiro.com.