Weekly and Yearly Budget

Everyone has a budget....or you should.  However most people don't realize that your grocery budget should be priority.  Here is a little sample of what I do.....

My weekly budget is between $100-$150 for food(minus meat that I buy in bulk) Most every meal and snack/ treat is made or eaten at home.  We eat 99% organic,  RARELY eat out(that is a HUGE wallet buster and it never sits well with us either).

Protein Supplements...do we need them.

Protein Powder, bars, shakes......Do we need them?  You decide....but I say NO!

Protein is used for every cell in our body, it is used to build and repair muscle tissue during rapid growth periods and extreme exercise.  The majority of Americans consume excess protein through the food they eat(Most Factory Farmed meats that are VERY unhealthy).  If you eat a real food diet or are transitioning to a real food diet, and exercise a few times a week, extra protein protein powder, shakes and bars are wasted money being flushed down the toilet(literally).  Most all are GMO filled, fake protein, and have oxidized cholesterol just to name a few of the bad things.

Modern Medicine and TMI.....

So I thought I’d share some information that I learned from my trip to a local ER.  Let me give you a bit of history first.  I am not knocking modern medicine at all, they are great for emergency situation, but sometimes Dr’s are missing the bigger picture.

Using Intuition and Traditional foods

Using parent intuition you DO know what to do when it comes to feeding you and your family.  Think about food and its value.  Food should be alive and living and full of bacteria.

Common non traditional foods for households: there are to many to list individually but use your imagination:

Reasons my 7 year old is about to have a melt down

Courtesy of xoclate

I laughed so hard at a wonderful blog post about ‘reasons my 3 year old might be freaking out.’  I could totally relate to my 3 year old and it made me think about my 7 year old.  All kids have their moments....So enjoy and share your melt downs.....

Eating REAL food on Vacation

To start out, Real food eating takes time and preparation. Usually people don’t want to do that when they are on vacation. However, our family is not used to eating out and I don’t want to spend $30 or more for mediocre restaurants, wait in long lines or deal with hungry kids. I would much rather eat in our room, so my family can eat Real food. I am here to show you that real food (for the most part) is easy and can be done on vacation.

We went on a 9 hour trip to the Smokeys.

- First make sure you get a room with a kitchen (mine was not any bigger than a small bathroom) with an oven and fridge.
- Bring your crock pot!
- Make a list of dinners and second meals
- Stock your coolers and bags with real food and snacks
- If needed, stop at store before getting to location and get fresh fruit, and more snacks.

Here is what we did. Keep in mind that I needed quick foods, but also healthy and something kids would eat.
Before I left, I packed one package of organic no sulfates hotdogs(my kids only get these on vacation), 1 whole Frozen chicken, 1 package of ground beef, 1 gallon raw milk, 1/2 gallon raw chocolate milk, bag organic coffee, organic boxed mac and cheese, 1 loaf of sprouted bread, 2 sticks of butter, jar of organic pasta sauce, 1/2 pound bacon, 1 1/2 dozen eggs, 5 potatoes, carrots, rice, 1 lemon,organic pasta noodles, raisins, applesauce, organic ketchup, organic cheese sticks, almond butter and jelly, tuna, organic crackers, cheddar bunnies.   It sound like a lot, but we came back with very little! We stopped before the condo and got a large bag of organic apples, and 3 bags of pre-cut organic broccoli and cauliflower and a box of gluten free cereal, organic salsa and organic blue corn chips.

Is it REAL Food?

We have gotten away from what we know about Real Food.  The first grocery store was not around until the 1940’s, before that time our ancestors had to grow, maintain, harvest, barter or forage for food.  Most families had chickens, for eggs and eating (they were easy to harvest in your backyard). All families, had gardens.  Some families had cows for milking and other animals to eat. There were no cereal boxes, pop-tarts, candy, frozen dinners, low fat or fat free milk, sugar free jelly, chicken nuggets that were shaped like dinosaurs or yogurt in a tube.  There were vegetables that were seasonal, eggs and milk daily (raw and unpasteurized-GASP), healthy grass fed animals that were on pasture (not stuck standing knee deep in manure force fed corn and soy)  You get the picture, it was a ‘farm’ that you can only imagine now.
Most food today is not what we consider ‘Real Food’  boxes upon boxes of pale, lifeless food that never rots or spoils.  The average food travels 1,500 miles before it reaches your plate.  Around 80% of the antibiotics used today are on animals that are kept in confinement and sick.  Most CAFO animals are constantly given a low dose of the antibiotics to keep them healthy enough to gain weight before slaughter.  The fact is, that they are making the animals (and those who consume them) worse. Antibiotic resistant superbugs are all over the place and we can’t kill them.  It is because of the amount to drugs given to animals at such a low dose, builds up a resistance. Eventually there will be a breakdown.  Superbugs, salmonella, e-coli 01571 and other nasties.

PESTICIDES KILL LIVING THINGS! The average child get five or more servings of pesticide residues in their Food and Water DAILY! This is five too many. Toxins are stored in fat cells-the brain is 60% fat.  There is a huge correlation with the amount of toxins stored in our bodies (specifically brain) and the amount of brain related disorders that are prevalent in our youth today. ADD, ADHD, Autism, sleep disorders, bi-polar, schizophrenia, emotional disturbances, and a host of other learning disabilities and disorders.

We have to get back to our true roots and learn what ‘real food’ is about. Real food rots and spoils, it has a short shelf life because it is alive and full of Beneficial Bacterial that MOST AMERICANS are LACKING!!! Real food is what our ancestors ate.  Who, by the way, were not diseased, sick or unhealthy. They ate seasonal vegetables and fruits, lots of REAL FAT (like butter, cream, whole milk, cheese and yogurt) Pastured and properly fed animals (cows were designed to eat GRASS, not grain. Cows that eat grain have a much higher incidence of e-coli and their levels of unhealthy fats are off the charts).

So what do you do?

• To find Real food go to localharvest.org and other pages like mine that share recipes, tips and information about REAL FOOD.
• Find your local farmers market and ask questions. Find sources for local meat, milk, and cheese if available.  
• Start a garden (even if it is a small one)
• Learn to cook
• READ FOOD LABELS, and buy ORGANIC when possible (if not local)
• If you are lucky enough to have your grandparents (or parents) still alive....go and have a conversation about what kinds of food they ate and ask for recipes. You’ll be surprised what you learn.  
• Most of all take time to realize that food and all its parts is ESSENTIAL to HEALTH!