JOURNAL: Steps to Change

Like I keep writing, this blog is about my journey.  No, I'm not there yet, and neither is my family.  My three year-old and I are mostly vegan, my husband is about 50% vegetarian, and we have a 19 year-old omnivore roommate.  If I decided to go 100% raw with my family, I would get locked in the closet while they went out for cheeseburgers and fries!

However, I still take steps toward health and wellness.  Little transitions can make a difference in our health.  Here are some examples of steps we have taken.   

[flickr.com]

 

1. From POP to TEA. My husband almost refuses to drink water.  For a while I was buying him canned pop or 2 liters of pop, then I switched to Kool-Aid (no high fructose corn syrup, no carbonation or caffeine), and recently I switched to fresh brewed ice tea.  Yes, he and our roommate still put sugar in it, but now they don't get the dyes or chemicals from the Kool-Aid packets and the tea has antioxidants, especially when I use a mixture of black and green teas. 
2. From COW'S MILK to WATER.  Speaking of drinks, my son has only had pop 2-3 times in his life, however, we used to give him a lot of cow's milk.  A year ago I switched him to soy milk at bedtime and 100% juice during the day.  Running out of frozen juice a few weeks ago prompted us to start giving him only water during the day. 
3. From "FRUIT" SNACKS to REAL FRUIT SNACKS.  I used to buy my son "fruit" snacks (those jelly candy-like things).  After I stopped buying them, he started asking for bananas and raisins! 
4. From PROCESSED BREAD to FRESH GROUND WHEAT BREAD.  My in-laws gave me a bread machine six years ago.  Since then I think I've only bought store bread (funny we call it that!) less than ten times.  First, I learned the traditional white bread recipe.  Since buying my Vita Mix this spring, I started grinding wheat berries to make my own 100% wheat bread.  I haven't ventured into raw breads yet, but I'm sure it is better for my family to have whole grain bread without the preservatives or sugars.
5. From OPENING A BOX to PEELING, CRACKING EGGS, and MIXING.  I grew up in a home where Hamburger Helper was considered "poison," so I may have been given a head start.  However, after I married and especially after I had our son, I started getting boxed food on sale and throwing it together in a hurry.  Over the past year, I've eliminated most of the processed foods from my family's diet.  Yes, it takes much more time and I still keep Tombstone pizzas in the freezer, but most of the time I make everything from scratch.  My family loves the change.  I save time by using tools like a food processor, my Vita Mix, a crock pot, and my Kitchen Aid.  I also try to make as much as I can ahead of time.
6. From BROWNIES to "WINI" WHEATS CEREAL.  We crave sweets in our family.  For my husband, chocolate is his vice.  I started buying Frosted Mini Wheats (or as my three year-old calls them, "Wini" Wheats) instead of making brownies.  At least they get fiber and less sugar with the cereal!

The rewards from these small changes really add up.  My son rarely gets ill and neither do the rest of us.  I have lost 20 lbs.   I aspire to be 95-100% raw and I hope that my whole family can be vegan someday.  I know that we have a long way to go, but it is great to see the progress that we have made.

What stage are you in with your family?  How have you improved your diet and that of your family?  Do you have any tips to share?