You CAN afford it!
Someone recently told me my choice of eating was preferred by them but they simply could not afford to eat organic fruits and vegetables and buy grass-fed meat and organic antibiotic free chicken. I’m sure there are many people out there that feel the same way as my friend. This is why I am led to write this today!
When I first decided to change my way of eating, to take charge of what I was putting into my mouth and to know where and how it came into being, I was skeptical of how we would be able to afford this lifestyle change as well. My husband Scott was not going to move our family out to a farm and let me garden and raise our meat myself! Secretly though I have always been a Little House on the Prairie girl at heart.
Due to acid reflux and a grouchy stomach I sought out relief naturally. I eliminated gluten and dairy from my diet and started to feel better. On Jan 1 2014 I decided to go all in to a major lifestyle change. For me this looked like no processed foods and defiantly no refined sugar! Just eating grass-fed and or antibiotic free meats, pasteurized organic eggs, organic fruits, veggies, healthy oils, nuts and seeds. Using sweeteners that are natural like stevia, maple syrup and local honey. After this change, most people know as a Paleo lifestyle (primal foods) I began to feel healed. I was able to go off of my acid reflux medicine & no irritable bowel symptoms persisted. Bloating and excess stomach fat began to go away as well.
I noticed as I began to shop that I now only shop on the perimeters of the grocery store and during the spring, summer and fall I can almost avoid the grocery store completely and just shop at my local farmers market! By eliminating all the processed breads, cookies, soups, mac n cheese, dressings, ect. I can afford to eat this way! Btw–just because I eat this way does not mean that I cannot enjoy a sweet treat, bread or crackers, I just make them homemade using ingredients like, almond flour, coconut flour, stevia, honey, maple syrup ect. You can also make your own dressings, mayo and ketchup way easier than you would think! This saves your body from unknown “food” and saves you money! If this interests you as a lifestyle change I can recommend a few of my favorite first motivating cookbooks/information books:
Wellfed I & II
Whole30
Sugar Detox
Against the Grain
Practical Paleo
Don’t just accept cultural change and adapt! Take charge of your health and listen to your body

Blessing to you and yours!
~Caroline