cost cutter? no.. savvy? nope. frugal? cheap? none of the above. im poor. broke. like most single moms i live paycheck to paycheck. i pay the bills and spend whats left entertaining, enriching and (per season change and irreversible growth spurts) dressing my kiddo. we are a healthy, happy and slightly dysfunctional team always ready for whats next. this is whats next.
mamas goin raw. well at least a journey to raw. but its gotta be cheap! and ive got to allowed to ask really silly questions along the way! ive collected lots of little recipes, read a million blogs, bookmarked a handful of inspiring websites, and put a piggy bank on the shelf for a vita-mix. if youve done that too, then we're in this together.
im gonna start by being honest though.. i have some advantages. ive been a vegetarian since donning an 'i dont eat my friends' tee back in high school. there was a time i took to eating white meat, but without giving away too much, lets just say Ive been a steady veggie for over 15 years. second advantage, as a rule, the only thing i eat out of a box or a can is beans. processed food = bad news.
a quick side note. that second advantage was a choice made about 5 years ago. A school counselor suggested to me that my daughter see someone to discuss her overactive mind and restlessness. This was her first year in school, still very young and having advanced one grade already. I knew it would come someday, but not so soon. She is an exceptional child and extremely motivated. a bit emotionally detached and very dramatic. label as you may, but it was a change in diet and schedule that worked (is working) for us. there are patterns that she has, none of which go unnoticed, good and bad. but plenty of patience and overall good eating habits help us keep our calm and stay emotionally available. it may sound too basic or cliche, but cutting out processed foods is the number one way we do that.
So lets start with eating habits. i may be a vegetarian, but im what they call a bad vegetarian. i would call it utilitarian vegetarian. i eat convenient and practical foods.i eat what i can afford and i eat whats on hand. i eat nachos, pasta, baked potatoes, veggie burgers. granted i eat these things piled high with fresh veggies, and balanced proportions but i could do better. i do eat foods and choose grains that have high nutrient levels and i drink almond milk instead of cow milk. im also known to sprinkle fresh ground flax on everything... the problem isnt that im not eating good foods, its that im still eating the wrong foods too. sometimes the problem is im not eating at all. on a busy day i'll skip breakfast, snack for lunch and eat a huge dinner to compensate! i bet you do to! why do we do that? Another habit ive formed is making balanced meals for my daughter and occasionally my boyfriend which include healthy portions of meat and veggies along with a salad. so my dinner consists of ...veggies along with a salad. cutting out the meat doesnt make a healthier meal, it just makes a hungrier mama. i often feel tired and bloated after my plate of veggies. it took a long time to wrap my brain around that one. So not eating enough, not eating enough of the right foods, and just plum not eating have brought me here today. its an old story told, but often in caring for others we forget our own needs. let this serve as a reminder.
No comments:
Post a Comment