The Produce Box

                                    

The Produce Box is one of several farm-to-door produce companies in the Triangle area.  We have been a member of a similar business for several years and love it.  As a member you receive a weekly email, listing produce availability for the week, where you select from several box options.  Your produce is harvested fresh from local North Carolina farms, then delivered to your door.  Skip a week, or multiple weeks, whenever you want.  Doesn't get any easier than that, to support local farms and incorporate more plant foods into your diet!  I am taking on a (teeny tiny) job as a Neighborhood Coordinator for The Produce Box, for the West Cary area, so look for me in my pink Eat Your Veggies shirt! 


Make today matter-
dawn

Where Do I Start? Follow-up...

I'd like to introduce you to Mallory, from The Andrews' Family.  Mallory is a sweet girl I grew up with.  I had the privilege of tutoring and babysitting Mallory and her siblings back in high school/college.  I always loved her sweet family that really loved Jesus.  Well, now she's all grown up and is also passionate about making informed, healthy choices for her family.  She wrote this fantastic post about the road to health, that ties in well with our Where Do I Start? post, and I am thrilled to share it with you.  Do What You Can, When You Can.

Happy green eats-
Dawn

Where Do I Start?

One person at a time is becoming aware of the mess we have gotten ourselves in, as a modern nation of convenience, with our highly processed, refined diets.  We have both been overwhelmed and humbled, at the enormous interest in our diets.  We have been spending time fielding questions, responding to emails and phone calls, as one by one, friends and family say they want a change.  Because so many of our readers may be just starting their journey, we thought it was a good time to address a few things.


A very common beginner's reaction, is to feel overwhelmed:  'But, High Fructose Corn Syrup (& sugar) is in everything!  I don't have time to cook from scratch!  I don't have time to relearn how to cook!  My husband is NOT onboard!  My kids only eat 3 foods!'  It is normal to feel overwhelmed.  There is a huge learning curve to eating healthfully.  We cook what we know and for many of us, we cook what we knew as a child.  We also buy what we know.  It takes time and patience and a conscience effort to SLOW DOWN!


We are both 1-2 years into this, and we are still learning!  In some ways, there is indeed a sense of urgency, as we look at the rate that obesity and serious diseases are climbing in our country.  It's time for a change and it needs to be soon.   Many of you have responded with a fire lit under you and are ready to dive in headfirst.  For a small few, that method will work.  But for most, that type of 180 has the potential to backfire over time.  Getting healthy and revamping your diet does not have to be an all or nothing endeavor. This is after all a JOURNEY!


What are some simple ways to begin?


*Read a book.  Educate yourself.  KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!  Once we saw statistics, proven data, and started to truly educate ourselves on what we eat, we could no longer continue down the same path.
*Learn to read ingredients, NOT the nutrition label.  Our eyes are easily drawn to calories and fat grams but you need to be more concerned about what is in the food!  If it has more than 3-5 ingredients, we usually don't buy it.  If we can't pronounce the ingredient, we put it back on the shelf.
*Meatless Mondays!  Make one dinner each week a meatless, unprocessed meal.  Why not start with Monday and join others around the country -  Meatless Mondays!
*Begin serving fruit & veggies intentionally.  When you grocery shop, go ahead and cut, peel, and chop the fruits & veggies so they will be easily accessible. 
*Eat greens (kale, collards, turnips, broccoli, spinach, etc.) several times a week.  Put them in salads, smoothies, and soups.  Eat them raw.  These are some of the most nutrient dense foods that exist, giving you the most bang for your buck.
*Eliminate or drastically reduce sugar intake.  READ labels.  Sugar is in practically everything! 
*Choose brown rice, whole wheat pasta/flour/bread, over white.  White foods are simple carbohydrates and are nutritionally empty.  Eating white grains, is like eating sugar.
*Invest in a reuseable water cup.  Then take it everywhere with you!  Drink, drink, drink.  It is so good for you, more than you know.  Becoming a big water drinker can and will become a habit, if you invest the energy.
*Eliminate soda and other non-nutritional beverages.  Soda=sugar.  Water, water, water is where it's at.   
*Exercise.  Get off the sofa and move the incredible body God gave you!  Get your heart pumping. 
*Keep a bag of nutritious snacks in your car.  This can help prevent the hungry urge to stop for fast food. 


For most people, it works best to start small.  Make changes slowly at a pace that is sustainable for you.  The goal is for these changes to be FOR LIFE.  Take the time that you need to relearn what you know about food.  We are so proud of you and we want to see you succeed!


Glad to be a part of your journey-


Dawn & LeAnne

Rip's Big Bowl

This is one of my favorite breakfasts!  I don't know why, but the combination of ingredients is just spectacular.  In fact, it's so good, I have craved it mid-afternoon and had it as a snack.  I always make sure I have grapefruit when making this, but sometimes I add half a sliced banana also.  My favorite milk to serve with is unsweetened almond milk.  If you find you love Rip's Big Bowl, you can make a big batch of it to store in an airtight container (minus the fresh fruits and non-dairy milk, of course) to save prep time.

Rip's Big Bowl
(from The Engine 2 Diet Book)
1/4 c. old-fashioned oats
1/4 c. Grape-Nuts
1/4 c. bite-size shredded wheat (WF and Trader Joe's wheat squares do not contain sugar or other added ingredients)
1/4 c. Uncle Sam Cereal (can also be found at WF and TJ)
1 T. ground flaxseed
2 T. raisins
1/2 handful chopped walnuts
1 banana, sliced
1 kiwi, sliced
1 grapefruit, segments removed
3/4 c. milk substitute of choice

Toss all ingredients except the grapefruit and milk substitute into a bowl.  Add grapefruit segments to top of the bowl and squeeze in the grapefruit juice.  Top the bowl with milk substitute.  Any other fresh or frozen fruit can be added or substituted as well, such as peaches, cherries, mangoes, blueberries, or red grapes.

Happy green eats-
Dawn