Thanks for visiting my blog! I'm Amanda. I'm passionate about wellness and all things health related. I'm eager to share what I've learned and blog about my journey of becoming as healthy as I can be.
I haven't always been concerned with my health. After almost seven years of higher education, I found myself exhausted, overweight and not feeling good. I didn't know what to do, but I started with eating whole foods. I eliminated things that came in packages as this is not real food. This is food-like substances that have been created by food scientists and our bodies don't know what to do with it. Calories are made up and do not matter. If you eat whole foods you'll be fine. I lost 30 pounds and didn't count a calorie. I also read this great book by Michael Pollan called Food Rules. Check it out and read it and your life will get better! There are lots of other great resources, but this one is super simple and easy to understand. Probably my favorite rule is that if your grandparents haven't heard of it or you can't pronounce it, don't put it in your body.
I try to eat as organically as possible. It isn't always possible and I can't always afford it, but I do the best I can. I just don't think ingesting chemicals can possibly be good for us. More importantly, I try to eat locally whenever possible. I like supporting local farmers and it makes me feel good about what I'm eating. This year, I joined a CSA for the first time through the Clemson University Student Organic Farm. I love it. It is challenging, rewarding and exciting. I love to eat local, fresh, seasonal food! As a society we've gotten away from eating seasonally and I think it's sad. Before making this change, I had no idea what was in season or even that food grew in seasons. The food in the grocery store comes from thousands of miles away and isn't fresh or as nutritious. I also started my own garden. It's great!
I don't eat meat. I don't remember exactly why I became vegetarian initially, but the thought of eating dead animals is repulsive to me. The production of meet is not good for the environment, so now it is as much an issue of sustainability for me. While my husband argues that we have evolved to eat meat, I do not agree. We are eating way too much meat as a society and it has contributed to the rise in health problems in my opinion. Back in the day, families may have had one cow to eat on for months at a time. Meat is not supposed to be as readily available as it is. It's killing us and our environment. I think a plant based diet is so much better for us! I do eat seafood if I know where it came from and that it is from a sustainable source.
I also don't eat gluten. While I don't have Celiacs disease (as far as I know), when I eliminated it as part of a detox diet I immediately felt better. I have struggled with stomach problems for years, and this is the first time I have not had issues for as long as I can remember. It's been life changing.
The main thing I try to keep in mind is to consider if what I'm eating or using is something that we would have consumed a long time ago. If it's unnatural, I try to avoid it. I hope you'll join me for this journey of learning how to cook whole foods and become more mindful of my health!
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