I'm aware that for many of you, my faithful readers, the tips below are old hat. (In theory anyway, but if you're like me, you're still fairly imperfect at living all of them out.) But I have new readers here all of the time, so I was hoping you could add your own quick and easy tips in the comments.
So tell us, in the beginning, what was the one thing YOU did that wasn't huge, but made a big difference in your overall health?
I think that those types of tips can help people who are feeling overwhelmed. Here are a few to get things started…
- Strive to eat less processed foods that come in boxes or bags. Some say it like this, “eat foods without a barcode.” In the meantime, become a label reader! Find short labels with words you can pronounce.
Eat local, seasonal, sustainable and organic foods whenever you can, since these have many more nutrients and are safer to eat than what you find at the store. Grow your own food, or know the person who does.- Question everything you've always believed about health and nutrition. Search out the truth and what makes sense, not just what “they” say is right. Then share what you’ve found with others.
- Eat out rarely. Make time for preparing food at home, and remember you can always make meals ahead on the weekends or make quick meals that are still nutritious. Eat as a family around the table as often as possible and share the good and bad about your day with each other. (We call it, “high point, low point”.) Try new recipes and see how you can make them healthier by cutting the sugar a little, eliminating the vegetable oils, etc. (Do you still have corn, canola or soybean oil in your cupboard? Please throw it out and melt some real butter instead!)
- Learn about the teachings of Weston A. Price and attend your local Weston A. Price chapter meetings (NourishingWays.org for my local readers) so you can hang out with others who want to learn more about good health and Real Food. 🙂
Eat local, seasonal, sustainable and organic foods whenever you can, since these have many more nutrients and are safer to eat than what you find at the store. Grow your own food, or know the person who does.Your turn! Share your tips for those who aren't sure where to start as they strive to become healthier in 2012, and thank you!
- Anyone getting back to exercise in 2012? Nothing like new beginnings, huh?
- Or are you working on decreasing the stress in your life this year? Did you know that cod liver oil helps even out your emotions and lower stress?
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Beth says
Look at your family’s eating habits or your personal eating habits and see what one thing will have the most impact. Then, just change that one thing. Get it down and go on to another thing. Some changes are a million times easier than other changes; below are some examples. Also, don’t get discouraged. I started making changes several years ago and still slip and slide on occasion but was feeling pretty good about where we were. Then we moved and my food world went topsy turvy and I almost feel like I’m starting over (sigh). Just keep moving forward. Search Kelly’s site for the rookie tips.
My first change was simply switching to a local store-brand organic peanut butter that was literally only about 30 cents more than regular. At that time my dc ate a lot of peanut butter. That was an easy change (now we soak organic peanuts but that’s another story…). When I stopped buying High Fructose Corn Syrup it was painful and affected soooo many areas of food. I had to start making bread, cut out many convenience foods, and it was very dramatic. Organic tomatoes was another biggie because tomatoes are in a lot of other products so I had to also switch to organic tomato sauce, ketchup, etc. Avoiding excitotoxins was huge. You may want to alternate between big changes and easy changes. It also depends on if other family members are on board. Some changes don’t really affect others such as simply using bone broth to cook rice instead of water; other changes do.
My dc are my biggest cheer leaders and are learning alongside me. After 10 days away from home I’m geared up to make some chicken bone broth, soak some beans, and get after it to round up some healthy, inexpensive meals! I’m also going to start up some sourdough starter and start taking steps to try to get back where we were.
Sorry so long – good thing my computer time is up :).
Sherry England says
Nicole~ if you do have adrenal issues you should only do very gentle exercise. Too much or intense will further tax the adrenals. Nettles infusion is great for adrenals. https://heal-thyself.ning.com/profiles/blogs/nettles-leaf-herbal-infusion
Nicole says
I cut down on carbs and added more protein to my diet in the beginning but it wasn’t until I cut out all grains that I noticed a big improvement in how I felt. I agree too that people should take it slow and implement one thing at a time if they need to.
Staples that help enormously;
Stock
Fats
Amino Acids in supplement form
Pate
Kraut
FCLO
Sun-baking
Enemas (I have come to love them, espcecially if feeling down they lift me immediately)
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
One thing I am still unclear on. How do you know for sure if you have adrenal problems??? I am pretty sure I probably do.
One thing I really need inspiration for is to do regular exercise!!
Brittany k says
All these comments are great, but complicated. For a total newbie, the 1st thing I suggest is to give up soda. Next, fast food. NEXT, high fructose corn syrup, and then you can really start feeling it and start working on things like raw milk and kombucha. Raw milk isn’t going to help much of every glass is followed by a coke, or with a big mac.
StacyR says
Switching to raw milk! I switched 4 years ago but it has been the only thing that has made a dramatic difference in my health and in a VERY short time!
Stanley Fishman says
Switching to grassfed and grassfinished meat only. It made a huge difference, and actually enabled my body to rebuild itself and recover from the extensive “incurable” damage that was there.
Teena says
I started with reading labels and not eating or drinking anything with ingredients I couldn’t say or didn’t know (and forgiving myself when I did). Thanks to blogs like this one, I can pretty much find or make a healthy alternative to even the most sinful foods. It is sometimes more expensive and/or more work but in the end it is really worth it, especially when my 2 boys pass on Halloween and Christmas treats because they know “they are full of chemicals and will make you sick”.
KitchenKop says
Smart boys!!!!!! 🙂
Laura says
I quit buying breakfast cereal. We eat other things for breakfast (eggs, pancakes, etc), and occasionally I make my own using the Healthy Home Economist’s Homemade Breakfast Cereal method.
I added Coconut oil to our diets . . . I put a heaping tablespoon in my coffee each morning. I’ve lost 20 pounds, I no longer feel hungry mid morning, and my lips feel softer (no chapping so far this winter). 🙂
We also switched (mostly) to raw milk. We don’t always have enough and have to supplement store bought.
Mary Beth Elderton says
I substitute half the ground meat in most recipes with a similar volume of smashed black beans. This keeps everything we want from the meat–taste, fats, “mouth-feel”–while reducing the actual fat and calories and adding a big serving of fiber. So far I have made many sauces and casseroles–even sloppy joes– and no one can tell the difference on flavor or texture–not even me and I know how I made it.
KitchenKop says
But remember that fat and calories from *pastured* meats are actually good for us. Adding the smashed beans is a good idea for stretching your food budget, though. 🙂
Diane says
Fat, fat, and more fat. I tend to naturally lean toward not-fat foods and it’s taken quite a bit of effort to get myself to tolerate it. Once I did, I noticed it’s made a HUGE difference in my family’s eating habits. We’re satisfied on so much less now.
Keeping the crockpot constantly stocked with broth is a close second. I get “dog bones” from a local butcher for next to nothing. Not grass fed but, combined with chicken carcasses we raise ourselves, it makes for a good broth — and there’s a lot of fat that comes out in that, too. This is one of the ways I’ve “snuck” more fat into our diets. Also, saving fat trimmings from our meats to toss in to cook with the broths. We usually can’t get ourselves to eat fat on the meat but we can drink it more easily in broth.
Oh, and fermented foods! We do (viili) yogurt, kefir, and the like but what has done the most for me is kombucha tea. I used to be a hopeless Dr. Pepper addict but kombucha cured it for me. For whatever reason, it satisfies the same thing in me that soda pop used to. Now, I couldn’t care less if Dr. Pepper was wiped off the face of the earth.
Real Food RD says
really limiting vegetable oils is a pretty easy first step, and can make a HUGE difference in inflammation. Avoiding eating out goes with this, since restaurants are generally using the worst quality oils. I use lots of coconut oil, lard, butter, ghee and olive oil. When I eat out too much I immediately get acne breakouts telling me that inflammation is back!
megan says
I’m stil confused about vegetable oils. Does this include sesame seed oil, grapeseed oil, etc.? Is it best just to use olive oil for dressings and the other higher heat fats (coconut oil, butter, ghee) for cooking? I have a salad dressing I make with toasted sesame seed oil, but I don’t want to use it if it’s causing inflammation. I’m dealing with acne issues right now. Thanks!
KitchenKop says
Hi Megan,
I’d say sesame oil is fine as long as you’re not eating it all the time, due to its high omega 6 content. Avoid grapeseed oil though: https://kellythekitchenkop.com/2009/05/is-grapeseed-oil-a-good-choice-random-reader-question.html.
What you said sounds good (“Is it best just to use olive oil for dressings and the other higher heat fats (coconut oil, butter, ghee) for cooking?”) – but I also use olive oil for not-to-high heat stir-frying and for making homemade mayo. (https://kellythekitchenkop.com/2009/06/homemade-mayonnaise-recipe-that-tastes-great-finally.html)
Hope that helps!
Kelly
megan says
Thanks, Kelly! That helps a lot!
Dorsey says
Instead of using commercial half and half (yuk) in my coffee, I learned from my grandson via Dave Asprey… to use grass fed butter. It sounded so weird that I had to try. Putting that in and using a hand blender creates a final product that looks just like a latte and is rich and satisfying. Sometimes I add a touch of vanilla and cinnamon as well. I find that doing the butter trick keeps me from getting hungry mid morning. It doesn’t taste strange in anyway… it truly is a delicious hot drink.
Teena says
How much butter per cup of coffee?
Dorsey says
I use a good tablespoonful. My grandson uses 3 LOL So it is up to your taste and tolerance for fat, I think what I use is perfect as it gives the nice foam, looks light in color like you added cream and isn’t “heavy”. 🙂
Nancy says
Is the butter salted?
Dani says
For me, I would have appreciated someone telling me up front that I won’t be able to make all the needed changes at once-it’s more of a journey than an overnight change. I recommend trying to change one small thing per week, and keep with each change.
For me, I started by soaking my morning oatmeal every night as I prepared dinner. Considering before that, I would usually pick up a Danish or bread at Starbucks, my mornings instantly became more nutritious and warming. It was an easy next step to switch to whole grain everything and soaking it.
I also think newbie’s benefit from beginner classes, where there are forums and lots of feedback, as well as step by step instructions. Real food for Rookies wasn’t out when I started, but I took GNOWFGLINS fundamentals class, and I just continued from there
Jen says
My very first step was changing our fats to good ones . . . then we cut out grains and I felt better . . . then we cut out legumes and I felt even better . . . then I cut out dairy and I felt awesome. I was experimenting with food elimination and re-introduction to figure out what my body didn’t like. That’s really the only way to know. When I cut out grains for a couple of weeks, then introduced them back in, some stomach issues came back. Then I cut legumes and re-introduced them, same thing. Then I cut dairy and re-introduced it and my joints ached like crazy. I didn’t realize any of things were happening until I eliminated them and put them back in. THEN you notice!
megan says
Jen, I’m curious what you eat. Could you give some examples of breakfasts, lunches, and/or dinners that would eliminate all of those things? Thanks!
Jen says
Hi, Megan! I get that question all the time. What’s left are meat, vegetables, fruit, coconut milk, nuts and seeds and all the good fats (including ghee). Basically all foods before the agricultural revolution. I love to saute meat and veggies in a good fat and add whatever spices I’m in the mood for. Sooo easy! Lot’s of soups and stirfries, roasted/grilled meats and veggies, bunless burgers, lettuce wrap tacos. I can’t eat eggs right now but I’m working on the GAPS diet to heal my gut so that will hopefully be an option soon. Basically you can goggle paleo or primal recipes and find all kinds of yummy things. Also, I’ve completely changed my attitude on breakfast – left over soup, meat veggie saute, bacon and fruit, coconut milk smoothie, left over salmon patties made with coconut or almond flour. I don’t feel deprived at all.
megan says
Thanks, Jen, for taking the time to respond. That helps a lot. I’m getting ready to go off of gluten and possibly all grains, so you’ve encouraged me! God bless!
Julie says
Make chicken or beef stock–so easy and economical. And this I just learned yesterday from Sarah at the Healthy Home Economist: Add Gouda Cheese to the diet. Apparently it is a powerhouse of vitamin K2, more so than eggs or any other kind of cheese. There is something about the way it ages where even if the cheese is not raw it still packs a powerful K2 punch.
Sally says
Incorporate coconut oil into your diet and cooking wherever you can. This made a big difference for me in my first steps to becoming healthier.
Teena says
I bought some coconut oil and have been afraid to use it because I thought there was some danger in using too high of a temperature when cooking. I have not had the time to research proper cooking techniques so the jar sits in my cupboard. Any suggestions?
Laura says
This made a big difference for me . . . and when I did so, I lost 20 lbs over the course of a couple months. I add it to my coffee every morning.
Magda says
Coconut oil is very stable so it should be fine in just about any temp. I have roasted with it as high as maybe 400 or 425?? You could definitely sautee with it or bake with it (most baking recipes are 350 to 375).
Donna Bauman says
One baby step is to get in the habit of making STOCK every week. Buy the best chicken you can find… preferably from someone you know who raised the chicken outside with access to pasture, no soy etc but do the best you can and then accept it all the while still always searching for the best sources. Use the feet also in making stock.
Drink some every day and put some sauerkraut juice in it too and drink it like a warm tea.
Karen Marie says
For me, it was visiting the plethora of Farmer’s Markets in my area. Living in PA, I am going through withdrawal now because they have all pretty much shut down until spring. I found sources for grass fed meat, pastured chicken and eggs, raw milk and cheese and any vegetable you could ever want. Also, I now only have olive oil in my pantry and my next basic real food purchase will be some of the olive oil from Chaffin Family Orchards.
I am thankful for all of the tips and tricks I’ve learned here.
Goals for 2012: I need to figure out what to do with that 5 gallon pail of beef tallow from US Wellness Meats; I need to stop using refined white sugar, but sweetener choices confuse me (and some I’ve tried I just don’t like) and I need to kick my carb habit…I do LOVE good bread, pasta, potatoes…you get the picture. Oh well, baby steps!
Happy New Year!
Mary says
For me, it was to make a conscious choice to “think vegetables” at every meal. I would say to myself, “what vegetables can I add to this meal to make it more healthy?” Like at breakfast, I always try to add a vegetable to my eggs or as a side. That was the one food group missing in my diet when I began my health journey.
AmandaLP says
Pastured eggs cooked in grass fed butter. It was a lot easier for me to switch to pastured eggs, grass fed dairy and meats than it is switching to organic foods. Pastured animals are healthier, but the organic switch is because I am now afraid of what is in my non organic stuff 🙂
Also, My approach is to take it one step at a time. Focus on one priority for you for a whole, then choose another one to work on. Know that all the awesome blogs that we read are not written by perfect people, but that they are writing through their experiences. 🙂
Sherry England says
Also, if you have adrenal issues to do very gentle exercise and not overdue it.Eliminate caffeine and drink nettles to heal the adrenals and you have to heal the gut as to not stress the adrenals.
Sherry England says
I have found that caffeine causes a magnesium deficiency and dairy causes inflammation throughout the body.I eliminated most dairy except butter and have seen a huge difference. I also feel better when I eliminate grain.Wheat inflames the gut lining. I have also found a love for nettles through Heal Thyself ning and a load of other great information including a video on the magnesium there. https://heal-thyself.ning.com/video/signs-and-symptoms-of and nettles infusions https://heal-thyself.ning.com/profiles/blogs/nettles-leaf-herbal-infusion
Paula says
Finally finding out that its dairy that is causing my hypoglycemia 🙁 and that I need huge amounts of Vitamin D. Way more then I ever thought!
And also that I was very deficient in Magnesium. These three things have held me back, and I had no idea.
So now I look forward to a better and more energy filled New Year.
KitchenKop says
Paula, maybe you could share how you finally figured this out. I think many need help knowing HOW to find out WHAT is going on with them. Do you have suggestions for this?
Thanks!
Kelly
Paula says
Bumbling around in the dark?
My advice is, if you are still not getting better, then start eliminating foods one at a time until you find the one causing the issues.
Dairy is a bad idea if you have a leaky gut, and it matters not if its raw or fermented. Its still going to cause trouble.
Paula says
Kelly, I will put together a more concise comment a little later 😉
Paula says
I think its very important for everyone to understand that just switching to real food is not a magic potion that will solve all health ills.
This will be true for a certain percentage, but for most, there is gut damage, food allergies and vitamin deficiencies that will be lurking in most peoples bodies.
I went gluten free over two years ago without having a clue that I was allergic to it. I found out two weeks later when I ate some, and got knocked on my backside with extreme fatigue and joint and muscle pain.
It took another year to find that I had adrenal fatigue, so I am still a long ways from full healing from that. It takes years!
Just a few weeks ago, I implemented Lunception to get my cycles back on track. I crashed badly this fall, so its taking heroic efforts to get back on track.
I did finally remember that dry lips are not a winter dry air issue, but actually a vitamin D deficiency, so I have added Twin Labs D Dots to my FCLO regamin with excellent results.
Annmarie has posted a number of times on Magnesium, so we purchased the big tub of magnesium chloride and last week we made the spray and both my husband and I have been using it with surprising results. The extreme dry scales on his feet healed fully in 12 hours, and both of us are sleeping through the night now.
The other problem I have never been able to shake is hypoglycemia. Nothing would get rid of it.
After our adopted baby presented with a definite cow milk/dairy allergy (raw) (she had been on goat milk until the goats dried up this fall), I made the switch off dairy as well, to make feeding her simpler.
Low and behold, my hypoglycemia vanished.
We are waiting for our goats to freshen again in April, and then the baby can switch back to goat milk from the meat formula, and I am also looking forward to seeing if I can drink it as well.
This is the very short version, so if anyone has questions, feel free to ask.
Dorsey says
Where can I learn more about this magnesium spray and usage? This sounds like something that I need to know more about. Thanks in advance
Paula says
http://www.cheeseslave.com and search magnesium. there are 2 posts.
Julie says
Kelly,
Several of my friends wrote how they got started:
https://realfoodlittlerock.blogspot.com/search?q=small+beginnings
about a year later, they wrote their next baby steps – as new year’s resolutions
https://realfoodlittlerock.blogspot.com/search/label/2011%20resolutions