My relationship with food and my weight has changed greatly over the years until I have arrived to where I am now with my choices.
I’ve gained quite a bit of weight when I was going through my divorce years ago and then used all kind of methods to try and lose it. I exercised religiously and intensely, I followed different diets, took diet pills, counted calories. You name it, and I probably did it. I’d lose weight, I’d gain weight, but overall, I did lose weight and got to a better place weight-wise. But it wasn’t until I started practicing yoga that I became at peace with my body and maintaining my healthy weight stopped being a struggle. I have also discovered Weston Price Foundation through attending an Herbal Conference. A lot of the teachers there emphasized how important good nutrition is and their advice was very different from Standard American Diet guidelines. That new way of eating seemed to make sense though, and so that’s what I’ve been following for the last maybe 5 years. I’m not a strict adherent to this diet, but this is something I always go to when I’m feeling less than good or if my clothes start fitting a little tighter.
So, what is it in a nutshell?
- No processed foods – if it comes in a box or a can, you probably shouldn’t be eating it.
- No substitutions, imitations, or fat-free anything – this is a full fat diet where healthy fat is your friend, not your enemy.
- Dairy is allowed, with preference given to full-fat, raw dairy from grass-fed, pastured cows. Raw milk is available at Artichoke Farm in Newbury. If you are not up to raw milk, non-homogenized (second best) is available at Appleton Farm in Ipswich.
- All grains, seeds, and nuts should be soaked before cooking. I don’t do this for nuts, but I also don’t eat a lot of them. If it’s a big part of your diet, you should soak and then dry them.
- Fermented foods are a staple, eaten every day (small amounts).
- Bone broth is another staple that you have regularly.
- This is not a raw veggie diet, most vegetables are cooked before eating.
It takes some time to have everything in place and it shouldn’t be an all or nothing approach. Like with any diet, it works best to plan your meals and then it just takes some time to get used to thinking about your meals a bit differently. It doesn’t take a lot of effort for me to put some beans in a bowl with water in the evening and then put them in a crockpot the next day. After they are done, I can add them to my meals much easier. The same with the bone broth – I make it in my crockpot and after it cools, divide into portions and freeze to use later for soup.