It’s easy to make a New Year’s Resolution and feel good about it. It’s a lot harder to actually follow through with that resolve and translate it into action. When changing eating habits there is a learning curve that has to be addressed. It takes some effort to change patterns of behavior around eating food, buying food and preparing food. You have to get over the hurdle of habit and think about doing things a new way. I can assure you that we all have faced those hurdles. I can say that once you get over it, it becomes much easier. But you have to make the effort to execute your plan!
Here are 8 specific actions to take to get you over the hurdle. You may not be able to do all of them, but even if you start with just one or two, you will be taking a giant leap towards better health.
- Replace all vegetable oils (including margarine) with healthy animal fats such as butter, ghee, lard and tallow from pastured animals. For vegetables oils use only coconut oil, organic extra virgin olive oil or sesame oil. (Learn the truth about fats here and here and cholesterol).
- Replace all refined white sugar with natural sweeteners such as raw honey, maple syrup, molasses, stevia, sucanat, rappadura (these last two are forms of unrefined cane sugar which contain minerals). Use sweeteners sparingly.
- Eat more truly nutrient dense foods such as pastured eggs, pastured beef, fish roe, and organ meats like liver.
- Learn how to prepare fermented foods and drinks like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, etc., in order to provide your body with beneficial bacteria. (Stay tuned for my upcoming Fermentation Challenge where you will learn how to make these foods as part of my New Year’s Resolutions).
- Learn how to prepare more healing foods such as bone broths. (Get some recipes for bone broth here).
- Learn how to make homemade condiments such as mayonnaise and salad dressing. Use high quality organic oils whenever you can.
- Remove all soy products from your diet unless they are fermented (like real fermented soy sauce or natto) and use sparingly.
- Eat salt. Use a good sea salt. Your adrenal glands will love you for it!
- Take your cod liver oil. Grandma was right.
Make a goal each month to incorporate at least one of the suggestions into a plan. It works better to tackle one new action at a time.
Where to buy high quality cooking oils.
Where to buy natural sweeteners.
Where to buy fermentation starter cultures.
Where to buy cultured vegetables.
Where to buy sea salt and other spices.
Where to buy coconut products.
For more information about traditional diets and real food check out the Weston Price Foundation website.
Find a local chapter and get involved! Local chapters are great sources for local products and buying directly from a farmer.
Photo Credit
This post is shared at: Fresh Bites Friday, Freak Friday, Friday Food, Living Well Hop, Homestead Barnhop, Melt in Mouth Monday, Monday Mania, Real Food 101, Tuesday Tasty Tidbits, Hearth & Soul Hop, Tasty Tuesday Naptime, Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday 33, Traditional Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, Sustainable Ways, Healthy 2Day, Healthy 2Day, Gluten free Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesday, Whole Food Wednesday, Mommy Club, These Chicks Cooked, Full Plate Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Thriving on Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday
