food Archives - Mindfully Written

3 Ways to Save on Organic Food

Food is expensive. Organic foods are really expensive. For some of us, it’s non-negotiable and the cost doesn’t matter. For others (probably most), it’s hard to justify organic when the price is drastically different. Eating well on a budget is totally do-able. Here are three simple ways to save on organic food.

Save on organic foods tip # 1: Shop Bulk

The bulk aisle is a great way to save, especially when it comes to packaging. Not all bulk is cheaper, so pay attention, but for many items, it’s definitely the way to go. Especially check out beans, nuts, legumes and spices. Some stores also have oils, vinegars, honey, nut butters, dried fruit, granola, cereal, candy and other options.

The best thing about bulk is only buying what you need. I like to refill spice jars/containers. I once filled one of those small plastic containers with organic dried basil for less than a dollar. That’s huge savings over buying a new container full. We attempt to refill anything we can – olive oil, almond butter, rice, honey, soy sauce, etc. It’s usually cheaper and cuts down on packaging waste.

Make sure you bring your own containers and weigh them prior to filling. That is called the tare and most places will deduct that weight to make sure you’re only paying for the items you’re purchasing.

Save on organic foods tip #2: Prioritize organic fruits and veggies

While going strictly organic is noble, sometimes it’s just not possible or economical. If you’re doing a combo shopping, with some organic and some conventional, make sure you know the dirty dozen. Every year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) puts out the dirty dozen. These are the 12 items to only buy organic. Some fruits and veggies are treated with different chemicals and the chemicals react differently in them, making some more potentially dangerous than others. Check out the dirty dozen and clean 15 here.

Also look for stuff in between. I’ve seen pesticide-free or natural on labels before. This usually tells you that the farm isn’t certified organic (which is a lengthy and costly legal designation), but practices more sustainable methods. Especially if shopping at farmers markets, talk to the farmer or stand worker to understand their practices. Sometimes conventional doesn’t mean laden with chemicals.

Save on organic foods tip #3: Compare prices

You may not want to drive all over town buying partial groceries at various stores, but sometimes it’s worthwhile to seperate. For example, Costco carries select organic items, such as grass fed beef, natural chicken breasts, lemonade, etc. You will need to weigh the cost of membership against potential savings, but especially for families, this could be a viable option.

For those in smaller towns, check out all the competition. Compare prices and selection at your grocery stores and although part of me feels slimy for even saying it, I hear Walmart has a decent selection as well.

If you have a co-op in your area, ask about what membership means. All co-ops work differently and have different member benefits. We used to belong to a co-op in Minnesota where once a month you could get 10% off all purchases. I would do a bigger shop on those days. The co-op in my town in Colorado has a low yearly membership fee, but if you work a four hour per week volunteer shift, you get 20% off. Considering we do 95% of our shopping there, this discount equals $30 or so a week in savings.

Perhaps the most cost-effective route for you is different. Don’t forget about CSA shares, buying meat directly from farmers and farmer’s markets or growing your own food.

Does this all take a little more time and potentially a little more money? Yes. But is it worth it? That is up to you to decide. Each person’s shopping list and preferences vary, so take these suggestions into account and make the decision that’s best for your family.

Did you find these tips helpful? Share your experience with saving on organic food in the comments.

How to Know if You Have Food Sensitivities

by Amber Erickson

Food sensitivities are mostly portrayed as dramatic allergic reactions, from seafood, nuts or other common allergens, but many of us suffer from food sensitivities and have no idea.

It’s common to hear about gluten intolerance or lactose intolerance nowadays, but understanding just what those sensitivities are and how they impact the body is less discussed. For some, these food sensitivities cause sudden illness, from severe stomach pain, to diarrhea, rashes or other clear, physical signs of the sensitivity. Those people may be lucky because they know of their food sensitivities and have good reason to avoid that food.

For the rest of us, the sensitivity is more subtle. Food sensitivities can be more of a silent ailment, and your health complications could be a result of the sensitivity. And chances are you have no idea. Inflammation is a common bodily response to food sensitivities, but usually we can’t see, feel or understand inflammation, until a heart attack or other inflammation-causing health crisis takes hold. Even then, mainstream medicine will treat the issue, without diving into the underlying cause. Could it be as simple as gluten, dairy or sugar? It could be.

Do you Have Food Sensitivities?

The easiest way to figure out if you’re sensitive to some common inflammation-causing foods is to do an elimination program (not a diet – we’re talking lifestyle changes here). Many books, online sources and programs offer help in doing elimination programs, but the general idea is to completely remove certain foods from your diet for a set period of time – at least 10 days is preferred. You could eliminate all the most common inflammation-causing foods, including gluten, dairy, sugar, alcohol and red meat, all at once or take them one at a time. The idea is to eliminate the food completely (no cheating!) for the full 10 days or more, and then try eating it again to see how you feel. The problem with doing them all at once is if you’re not careful about reintroducing them, it’s hard to know which food is causing problems. Take the process very slowly – it’ll be worth it to know and understand how you feel when you eat certain things. Then you can choose what to do with the information.

People who try this sort of elimination often find a food or more that they are sensitive to. Again, it’s not dramatic illness, but more subtle feelings of sluggishness, fatigue, stomach pains, poor digestion, inconsistent elimination and trouble sleeping. These symptoms are not to be overlooked. Over time, they could lead to real health troubles because any time there is a symptom like this, it’s the result of something happening in the body, some reaction or inflammation. Inflammation is a health problem. It’s as simple as that and reducing inflammation could be a key to a long, healthy life.

A bonus insight from doing an elimination program is increased body awareness. During the elimination, take time to close your eyes and feel your body. How does it feel with only nutritious foods in it? Are you sleeping better? Do you have more energy? Is the mid-afternoon slump gone? Are you more productive? How does your stomach feel? Are you eliminating regularly? Did you lose weight? Do you feel less bloated?

Making Changes

After doing an elimination and potentially finding a sensitivity or two, now what? That decision is up to you and will have to be a lifestyle change that is appropriate for your lifestyle and family needs. Many people end up doing a 90% thing, where most of the time, they avoid the foods that cause them problems, but have flexibility to enjoy that food on holidays or occasions where it can’t be avoided. Being too strict often isn’t sustainable, so you will have to approach it in a way that makes sense for you. Or maybe you choose to ignore it all together. That is your decision to make.

If you do choose to make lifestyle changes, arm yourself with resources. If it’s gluten, find websites and recipe boards to keep you motivated and on track. If it’s dairy, find non-dairy alternatives to keep you satisfied. If it’s sugar, find more natural solutions such as raw honey. Many recipes can be adapted to fit your needs. And if you’re looking to (or needing to) avoid all these things, look into the Paleo diet. Again, not a diet, but a lifestyle change. Paleo is dairy-free, grain-free and often refined sugar-free. You might have to tweak recipes to fit your needs, but it’s totally do-able. As a general rule, it’s best to avoid anything processed, so although there are great gluten-free breads or pastas, keep those types of meals to a minimum and focus on eating whole foods. Your body and your health will thank you, but it’s definitely not easy!

If this is all making sense to you but you need a more personal example, let me share mine. I did an elimination program recently from Prescribe Nutrition (they are amazing!). It was a 10-day whole foods only program, but they provided so many great do’s and don’ts resources and even an awesome recipe book. My husband and I did the program strictly for two weeks and the change was clearly noticeable. I had more energy, didn’t go looking for sweets midday and the biggest change was I lost weight. I’m talking maybe five pounds in two weeks (with no change in exercise level) and I felt less bloated. My clothes fit better, I felt more fit and had energy for days. I was shocked at how good I felt – hard to describe in many ways, but just plain good and healthy and alive. I’ve determined gluten and dairy are clearly not good for me and it’s hard to say about sugar since it’s often accompanied by gluten and/or dairy, but deep down, I know I should avoid it.

Since then, I’ve slipped off that wagon from time to time. It’s hard to eat only whole foods all day, every day. I’m tempted constantly and really struggle at restaurants or social outings, when my self-discipline is not strong enough to make good decisions. Sometimes I do my best, others I throw it to the curb, but I always face the consequences. I have learned how my body feels with certain foods. Gluten for me is high in my stomach and feels like a squeezing or crampy feeling. It’s not that painful, just uncomfortable and is a clear sign that my body isn’t doing well with what’s in it. Dairy is more noticeable and attacks low, more in the intestines and digestive tract. It’s more painful and causes bloating and gas. Although I don’t always listen, knowing empowers me to make informed decisions.

If you’re looking to do an elimination program, I’m happy to provide support and resources. Post in the comments if you plan to make changes and what you found out!

{Photo by mconnors}

The Scary Truth About Sugar

by Amber Erickson

Sugar. Our favorite treat comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, from sodas and ice cream to cakes, cookies and candies. We all know the common sources of sugar. We know when we’re eating sugar…or do we?

The problem with sugar is that nowadays, it’s in everything. And if you’re not careful, your sugar intake will be sky-high, leaving you wondering why you can’t shed those last few pounds (despite plentiful exercise) or your doctor is warning you of pre-diabetes. But I don’t eat that much sugar, you say. The amount of sugar you’re actually ingesting could come as a shock. Let’s break it down.

First of all, what’s the risk, right? Sugar, often known for it’s ability to create cavities and obesity, is more than that. It’s a substance that creates inflammation and inflammation creates problems all over the body, from stomach aches to heart attacks. Sugar isn’t just a yummy food additive, it’s addictive, toxic and downright bad for us. Eating sugar is just like anything else, you get to choose how you want to live your life. But, if you’re concerned about health and wellness, exercise regularly and aim to live the healthiest life you can, ditch the sugar. All of it.

What is Sugar?

For our purposes, we’re talking about added sugars, not the stuff found in fruit and other natural sources. We’re talking about the stuff found on ingredient lists under the guise of sugar, cane sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), evaporated cane juice, fructose, maltose, malt syrup, honey, molasses and fruit juice concentrate. We’re mostly talking about refined sugars, which means they are processed.

Where Sugar Hides

Sugar hides in some of the strangest places – in foods that have no need for sugar in them. If you’re wanting to minimize or eliminate sugar from your diet, be prepared to spend some time in the store, reading labels and looking for better alternatives.

This article was the motivation for this blog because I believe most people don’t think to look for sugar in all these places. One of my biggest pet peeves is pasta sauce. I shop at a co-op, a tiny co-op at that, so all real estate is prime and usually, only one or two options exist. However, there are six or so pasta sauces, all of them with sugar in them. How frustrating is this?

If you don’t want to read the article, the eight sources of refined sugar are:

Barbeque sauce
Nutrition bars
Tomato sauce
Flavored yogurt
Fruit juice
Grown-up breakfast cereal
Vitamin drinks
Muffins

Any surprising items on that list?

The tricky part here is that you might think these kinds of refined, added sugars only come in unhealthy foods, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Just because it says organic or natural doesn’t mean it’s healthy. The general rule is anytime something is processed, it could have some sugar added to it. And just because it’s organic doesn’t mean it’s good for you.

Better Alternatives to Refined Sugars

Cutting down on sugar comes two-fold. You could either focus your attention on the things we know are loaded with sugar (desserts, drinks, etc.) or focus your attention on the hidden culprits (processed or canned foods, carbohydrates, etc.). Ideally, let’s do both! But let’s be realistic, sugar is addictive and cutting it from your diet is not going to be easy. Choose the route that is easiest for you to stick to. Spend some time with that transition and slowly try to cut back on other sources of sugar. Any little bit will help your body (and mind) function better and who knows, you could see dramatic changes.

If you love sweet stuff and loathe the idea of cutting out refined sugars from your diet, especially sodas and pastries, look for alternatives. The internet is a great resource for finding recipes. Love banana bread? Find a version without sugar. You will learn to love the subtle sweetness of the fruit and other natural ingredients. Honey, molasses, coconut sugar, stevia and fruit are amazing sweeteners, with some practice and the right recipes, you can learn to live without sugar. That’s not to say we all don’t fall of the wagon from time to time, but getting off sugar is hard and it is a process.

The benefits of getting off sugar are potentially bigger than I’m going to get into, but from personal experience, I can say going sugar-free for two weeks left me feeling lighter (I lost 5+ pounds), slimmer and more energetic. I didn’t have the mid-afternoon crash and after just a few days, I didn’t have many cravings.

It’s less about food restriction and more about taking control of your health. It’s not about being extreme, it’s about making choices about what you put into your body. It’s about breaking old habits and mindless patterns and choosing to nurture your body – your health.

Have you tried reducing sugar? How’d it go? Or are you thinking about trying but need some help? Post your thoughts, experiences and concerns in the comments.

{Photo: jazzijava}