Leading The Natural Health Revolution
You've seen the film - what now? How to get your family, friends and children as excited about real food as you!
We've had a few questions lately about how to actually put all of this into action - where do you start? How do you get your family on board, especially when your children are used to eating whatever they have been for their whole lives. Dietary changes are an emotional issue for most of us - especially children if they think they are being deprived or tricked or punished!
I grew up eating a 'standard Australian diet' (modelled on the American version) and it was actually me who broke away from that to create a healthier life for myself - my family still thinks I'm crazy - but slowly, surely and gently I've been introducing them to new foods, ideas and recipes and broadening their palettes to appreciate real food. Through my journey I've really learned that our attitude/emotions/beliefs about our food are just as important as the food itself.
If your children see eating raw fruits and vegetables as 'punishment' or something negative they will no doubt rebel against it - that's their job as children!! Even your husband might not be seeing this change as something positive. My gentle suggestion would be transition as slowly as you can - don't cut out things you consider to be unhealthy, but use a method David Wolfe calls 'crowding it out'. Basically still continue your diet as usual, but just ADD things in - don't remove a thing. Add in vegetables - even if its alongside pizza. Add in fruit - even if its alongside pancakes. Both can be perfectly healthy by the way - the key is in wholesome pure ingredients (as I'm sure you know already). Keep adding in the good stuff - eventually it will start to take the place of the bad stuff naturally - you won't need to force anything.
There is no need for anyone to feel deprived or give up the things they love, just make small changes where you can to start. I.e. replace white processed flour with a wholesome flour you grind yourself (if you can) or a store bought wholemeal spelt flour or almond meal for your pancakes - no one will know the difference, and you will know they are getting nutrition along with their yummy breakfast. Still buy your waffles - top them with real maple syrup and fruit and if you eat dairy - enjoy the real (raw) stuff in the form of cream or icecream as a treat for your waffles.
Don't make your goal to be '100% raw' - you might want to head there later, but for most people this is too drastic a change in lifestyle and shock to your body. Of course if you want to go in guns blazing by all means go for it! But if you want to be a little gentler on your body and your family, make it your goal to get your family eating as much REAL food as possible. Real food is not packaged, processed or man made. Real food is how our ancestors and grandparents ate. Real food is not fast food. The best part is that real food tastes amazing and loves your body back!
Definitely increase your raw food intake for your family - add raw foods to your meals and gradually let the portions grow over time as you enjoy and crave them - but let it happen naturally, don't force it. Slowly, gently, kindly - make it a positive addition to meals rather than a punishment or a deprivation.
I think it's really important to try not to create a stigma around food for your children - eating disorders are serious business and new research is showing that the main cause of food relationship problems (bulimia, overeating, etc) could be simply from the body's reaction to restriction (calorie, food type, cravings) and feeling like it's in 'starvation mode'. I personally suffered from bulimia in my late teens/early twenties and have come to know this as true through my personal recovery experience. The more deprived I feel, the stronger the unhealthy relationship with food becomes. If your children are going to eat something you feel worried about, don't stress, just add something good along side it.
Jon Gabriel talks in his amazing book 'The Gabriel Method' (inspiring journey and method for weight loss and self love) about chopping up takeaway pizza slices and putting it on a raw salad and topping it with his favourite dressing when he first started out - the point was that he was getting the live raw foods along with the pizza - he did whatever he needed to do to get the nutrition into himself, that's where it starts! He never felt deprived because he always ate whatever he wanted - he taught his body that it wasn't being 'starved' and over time his body grew to crave healthier choices because they tasted good and make him feel energetic!
Add in nuts and seeds, seaweeds, greens, nourishing bone broths (aka Weston A Price) if you eat meat, raw dairy (again - if you eat it) and all things good that you know you should be eating. Keep adding and adding and adding the good food - don't consciously cut anything out - that will happen on its own.
Kids love dried fruit - which is a big leap above lollies. Air popped popcorn. Home made cookies made with real ingredients. Butter instead of margarine. Still enjoy these treats - make them nourishing and wholesome and bake them with love (most important part) - it doesn't have to be all or nothing. Small steps.
A very wise person (my beautiful cousin) gave me the best nutrition advice I've ever had. Amidst all the competing theories on what is healthy and what is poison for our bodies - sometimes I find myself feeling a little lost. It always comes back to real food. My cousin said "Jess, why don't you just eat as if you were pregnant and responsible for someone elses life? Eat whatever you would eat in that situation." Best. advice. ever.
I hope this helps out. Remember to relax and enjoy your food too :)
Jess Etcell
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Views: 371
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by James Colquhoun on -
What a beautiful post thanks Jess!
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Permalink Reply by Bron on -
Great tips, thank you. I'm currently struggling to get my 2 yr old son to eat raw or even cooked vegetables, but he loves avocado, so I always put that into our salads so that he's eating some of it at least.
I'm hoping soon to start growing some of our own fruits and vegetables, and to get the kids involved in the process. I've heard that if they grow it themselves, they are more interested in eating it.
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Permalink Reply by Kathleen Deggelman on -
Love this post, Jess. Thanks!
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Permalink Reply by Courtney Maskell on -
thank you thank you THANK YOU! This was fabulous to read, and so inspiring. I love your take on that, because too many people are forcing themselves to cut out the things they love... no WONDER they end up endulging in it- who wants to do THAT???! I really appreciate you sharing that personal experience too. So glad you came out on top and so educated about food! x
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Permalink Reply by betsy blessing on
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Fabulous advice, thank you so much. This will work for all of us, not just the kids or other people we care about. You and me too !! I've been working this tactic on myself without conscious thought, - I certainly do eat a lot of my foods raw. I've been on 'real foods' diet for quite a while, and yes, a lot of foods have just fallen away out of thought, out of desire. Altho, I don't think of it in terms of a 'diet' - just REAL food. Raw food is simply refreshing in all ways !!
Thanks Jess, for sharing your gifted writing to pass on to us, so eloquently. knowledge we can all use to bring health to those we love!
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Permalink Reply by Tara Keehn on -
I appreciate this post. It's easy to want to go gangbusters and then be disappointed when change doesn't stick. Small steps do create vast improvements, and are easier to talk children into!
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Permalink Reply by Megan Huber on -
Very true about introducing people to a healthier lifestyle "slowly" and "gently." My husband and I are very conscious about what we eat, supplements we take, and the products that we use in our home (non toxic). We own a Shaklee business because our lives have changed due to their products and our lifestyle - but sometimes I find it very difficult to make ppl aware of the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle full of processed, sugary, and fast foods. It's almost as if people don't want to be proven wrong so they just continue on a dismal path towards preventable diseases that are suffocating our health care. It is so refreshing to find a community of like minded people who simply want to educate others about creating healthier lifestyles one family at a time!
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Permalink Reply by Marco from Italy on -
thank you jess!!!!! that was sooo clear to me, and also your cousin's advice I think is excellent!!
the only problem for me is that I'm a "all or nothing" person, then the slow process of adaptation which you talked about is almost more difficult to me than drastically change all my habits...
especially because I would like to see results, and if I don't see them, I get demoralized... (and in a slow process you can't see so clear results...)
there is only one thing I would like to tell you:
in the food matter's dvd they said you should consume at least 51% of raw food (so not coocked) to have the benefits they said (for exemple to avoid Leukocytosis), and looks like they suggest you to totally avoid other type of diet; then you said that you suggest to begin with few raw food, even on the pizza (more than 40 °C); it looks quite in contrast to me, but I also think that you mean that for beginning, "something is better that nothing", and then you will slowly lead yourself into a mainly raw diet, right?
thank you Jess for all your great articles, really USEFUL!!!!
I need somebody like you who tells me all these things that the dvd didn't tell!! (like the fact of more than one (vegetarian) type of good diets allowed, in your answer inside the other post)
Marco
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Permalink Reply by Jess Etcell on -
Hi Marco,
I completely understand - especially when you feel passionate about something - you want to go for it! That's great, use that motivation to make some positive new directions.
The suggestion to add raw food to pizza is definitely to start eating some nutrient dense live food. At the beginning it doesn't matter in what quantity - it's better than nothing! Obviously still eating things which aren't right for your body, but just adding raw food isn't the optimal way to achieve health, but we all know this. Although it is better than just eating unhealthy food alone!
Have a great week!
Jess @ Food Matters
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Permalink Reply by Jasselle P. on -
This was a wonderful post, I just joined this community and am loving catching up on all the great things to read.
I am young (24) and am making the switch to raw slowly but surely. Advice like this is a real confidence booster because I am so passionate about real food and treating myself well, and it is posing very difficult to eat mostly raw. Especially when you're a poor, "just out of college" student! Anyways, thanks for the kind words and tips!
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Permalink Reply by Jess Etcell on
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Hi Jasselle - thanks for the lovely message and welcome to the community!
I completely understand - I operate on a budget too.
These might help:
- http://www.foodmatters.tv/_webapp_302982/10_Tips_for_Buying_Organic...
- http://www.foodmatters.tv/_webapp_195143/How_To_Eat_Organic_On_A_Bu...
Aside from this I would suggest sticking to the basics, unfortunately to eat healthily on a budget you need to prepare most (if not all) of your food from home and from scratch. Avoid things in tins, cans and packets - stick to the fresh food and butcher sections - fresh fruit and vegetables supplemented with foods that suit your body including fish, eggs, meat, raw dairy (if you can find it), nuts, seeds, wholegrains should be the foundation of your diet.
When cutting costs avoid things like health bars, gluten free specialist products, protein powders, supplements (aside from a good multi vitamin) and anything else that doesn't grow in the ground, get picked off a tree or is slaughtered humanely. This is the cheapest way to eat healthily. Go back to basics.
Enjoy :)Jess @ Food Matters
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Permalink Reply by Marco from Italy on
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Jasselle P. said:This was a wonderful post, I just joined this community and am loving catching up on all the great things to read.
I am young (24) and am making the switch to raw slowly but surely. Advice like this is a real confidence booster because I am so passionate about real food and treating myself well, and it is posing very difficult to eat mostly raw. Especially when you're a poor, "just out of college" student! Anyways, thanks for the kind words and tips!
Hi jasselle, and welcome (even if I didn't already start eating raw food at all..... :-( ),
I only answer to your post because I can't resist to say: how can you have money problems eating raw, when also in the documentary said that is cheaper than any other food??
bye
marco
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