What It Is I'm Doing

Some have wondered--what exactly do you mean, traditional foods? Some have asked, what's the point, where are you going with this?

Well, with all the hustle and bustle surrounding food these days, it seems that sometimes it's difficult to come up with the best choices. It's almost as though everyone's read Michael Pollan, and everyone's seen Food Inc., and for heaven's sake every second commercial is making free use of the word "sustainable." But how many have actually changed their eating habits? It's almost as though we've been oversaturated, and rather than responding to these challenges, we're backing away.

Perhaps "traditional" foods wasn't quite the right title to give this. I don't plan on hunting my own meals, although if presented the opportunity I'd like the chance to kill a chicken. I don't wish to exclude dairy, or beer (dear goodness!) or coffee (double dear goodness!) because those are relatively recent additions to the diet. However, it does mean a conscious decision to decrease white sugar intake, as it's a fairly new phenomenon.

But what I want are meals without cellophane. Keep your plastic and your packagings, please. I don't want it from a box or from a tray. In addition, I don't want things added--none of this "calcium-fortified" or "added iron". And finally, in this age of fat-obssessiveness, I don't want things taken away. My milk is whole (and raw, more on that next week!), my yogurt is whole-milk, my cheese is not low-fat.

Finally, I want my food to be sourced as locally as possible. My garden is thriving, but it's difficult when I spend so much time going back and forth across the lake. Plus, um, it's summer right now. Those tomatoes won't last long. But what about organic? For me, it's better to be local than be organic. Besides the fact that many small, local farmers simply can't afford the cost of certification, I would rather cut down on the environmental costs inherent in trucking in a kiwi (or worse, an apple) from New Zealand.

In general, the concept of this test is to see that if, by eating foods that I cook and combine myself, that are as close to the ways nature intended as possible, if I can shed the excess weight I've carried for years, and to become a healthier person.

To do this I:
*Will eat meat only if I know how it was raised
*Will allow myself only two "quick-purchase" meals per week (I hope to cut this back to one after a few months)
*Will buy as many fruits, veggies, meats, and dairy from farmers markets as possible
*Will buy fruits and veggies in season
*Will seek out recipes that use honey, agave, or other natural sweeteners rather than cane sugar
*Will not consciously consume high fructose corn syrup or genetically modified foods
*Will find ways of using heritage grains, including spelt, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, amaranth, and kamut

Exception: I will be a gracious guest. If someone cooks for me, or invites me to a party, I will eat what is given to me.

I hope that this helps to clarify what it is that I'm doing. If you have questions, feel free to ask, whether in person, through email, or in the comments. And thanks, thanks so much to all those who have offered support and encouragement, commiseration and advice.

Now I just need a catchy name...