Food…it’s a big deal. The creation of food has become a major business here in the US. It’s simply amazing when you stop and think about it. Seriously…you can buy just about anything. Snacks, goodies, treats, prepared meals, raw materials, processed, all natural, conventional, organic….you name it, it’s available. And thanks to the Internet, if it’s not available in your local grocery store or farmer’s market, you can still have it shipped right to your doorstep. You can even buy foods from all over the world and never leave your town. That’s both cool and somewhat scary.

Food isn’t just a business. Just ask someone about their favorite foods, and they instantly become animated and passionate. Food goes far beyond just nutritional and life sustaining means. Food carries with it deep rooted memories and nostalgia. People are very attached to most of the things they eat. Food has become synonymous with religious events and family and cultural traditions just to name a few. The smell of something can instantly transport us back to a time and place from our yesteryears. Think about the food your family ate. It makes your mouth water, yes, but it can also make you long for that time. Food is so intertwined into our almost every experience that it becomes a very emotional topic. And therefore, it makes it extremely difficult to talk to people about nutrition and diet. People, I’ve discovered, have a hard time talking about this topic from a scientific standpoint. If I tell someone that pasta is bad for them, them become defensive and want to know why I’m attacking their sweet little grandmother. Huh? But if you want to educate yourself, you HAVE to be willing to cut the ties between food and emotions. You can love a dish till the day you die, but it won’t necessarily love you back. And that’s not a healthy relationship.

The last year and half has been the most eye opening time in my life. I’ve become aware of food. Where it comes from…what it’s made of…who made it…how it got to me…and most importantly how my body uses it. Be careful if you decide to follow in my lead because the business of agriculture and food production is a rabbit hole….a scary, scary rabbit hole. And once you know, you can’t unknow. But don’t fret; ignorance isn’t bliss in this case. It’s extremely important that you understand what happens to your food both before and after you consume it. Being educated just might save your life…seriously. I would love to see everyone educated on the food system. I would love to save lives. I would love NOTHING more than to help people help themselves and their families lead happy, healthy lives. And if I had one wish in life, I’d love to see a re-haul of America’s food system embracing sustainable, organic, and individual/community practices.

If I could make people understand anything about food, it would be this:

• whatever you think you can’t live without (this doesn’t include meat/veggies), you can! No, really, you can.
• food is an addiction…you can literally become addicted to your food
• it is very much in the realm of possibility to eat healthy foods that are both delicious and affordable
• if you are eating the typical American diet, you are likely killing yourself as well as effecting the genes of future generations
• the government does NOT have your best interests at stake…do not follow the food pyramid
• you can revamp your emotional attachments to food

Oh, that list doesn’t even scratch the surface of all the things I’d like you to know, but it’s some of the most important things to get you started.

If you know me, you know that my husband and I follow a very strict Paleo diet. When I say diet, I don’t mean a the kind that will get me to some short-term goal. No, I instead am referring to the kind one would follow for life like for instance: a cat’s diet is mostly meat. One should eat this way all of the time. It shouldn’t be over when you reach a certain weight or just because you feel better. It’s the way you maintain a healthy, long lifestyle. It should be something you’re passionate about…extremely passionate about.

I am extremely passionate about this way of living. I’m passionate because I know the secret to being healthy isn’t really a secret, and I’m happy to share it with you. But here’s what I’ve learned:

• I can’t approach people about their diet…not even my family because people are emotionally attached, and they get defensive very easily
• I don’t offer what I know until I’m asked, but I’m always available for this subject. I’ll answer questions to no end. And I’m always happy to point you in the direction of lots of amazing resources and research on the topic of nutrition.
• Most people don’t want to be educated. For some insane reason, people actually enjoy being ignorant. It’s one thing to learn and chose to do it anyway, but it’s something entirely different to just chose to ignore it completely.
• Most of the time when people to ask me nutritional questions, they think I’m a lunatic, but at least I know they’ve heard me.

One thing I don’t shy away from is attacking business and especially organizations who choose to associate themselves with food products that are bad for you. For instance, if you want to see my blood boil, then show me an organization who is trying to help cure a disease by getting people to eat the very foods that cause it or at best make it worse. For instance, my husband and I ran a race in NYC called Get Your Rear Into Gear. The whole point of the race was to raise money and awareness about a specific cancer. That’s great! There are people who dedicate their lives to such organizations. Wow! And yet, sadly, their biggest sponser was Dunkin’ Donuts! Are you kidding me?!? Dunkin’ Donuts was actually at the end of the race feeding people donuts. I had trouble controlling myself when a lady offered me one. I just ran 4 miles, and I really don’t think eating that is good for me ever but especially after physical exertion.

You get it…I’m serious about what I eat. You have no idea! I’m currently pregnant, and if you think I’m strict about what I eat, you haven’t seen anything yet. It’s sounds crazy and out there. I understand how you think that, but let’s look at it like this. I’m still nostalgic about the foods I grew up on and not many of them are very nutritious. What if my child could become emotionally attached to healthy foods. How amazing to always be able to eat what you crave because what you crave isn’t going to kill you!

I don’t want to control what people eat. I don’t support the government creating laws that ban food products or ingredients. I don’t care if McDonald’s puts a toy in their happy meal. It’s no one’s job but mine alone to control what I put in my body. I don’t need someone, nay I don’t want someone to tell me what’s best for me. I’ll be the judge of that, and you should too!

Yes, I’ll agree that a little cheat here and there will do little in the way of your overall health. However, not cheating will not harm you either. I’m not an idiot. My child will go on to eat a cookie one day. My child will grow up and be out of my sight. I won’t be able to control what they put into their mouths. But I can educate them. Imagine all the places in the world eating and not eating things you can’t understand. If it’s the way you’re raised, then it’s what you know. And if at some point you decide it’s not for you, then you’re free to choose.

Lastly, I’ll leave you with some links to my favorite nutritional experts. These are the people and resources that I believe very strongly in. If you’re ready to learn why I eat the way I eat, then please feel free to learn, learn, learn!

• Mark’s Daily Apple – a blog about primal living (note: this is not a paleo blog, but it’s very close)
• Robb Wolf – a site, book, and podcast that covers all things paleo. This guy really knows his stuff. This is an ever growing recourse that will cover anything you can imagine, and if it doesn’t, just ask the guy, and he’ll answer it!
• CrossFit.com – okay, this is a fitness site, but they strongly push the paleo diet (they also push the zone but I do not stand behind this diet), and there are some resources and forums for the paleo diet
• Paleo Hacks – understand this site and the diet before you go surfing around. This site is simply people asking questions and others answering them. Experts aren’t answering these questions, but it is full of a lot of FAQ’s.
• Paleo Blocks – this is a blog with a lot of recipes. A quick google search will find you many, many more blogs just like these. Blogs like this help you keep your eating/cooking exciting.
• Dr. Cordain – this is THE leading expert in the paleo diet. He has spent countless hours studying nutrition and it’s effects on the human body. I’d call it a must-read.
• Whole 9 – this site is really amazing. They have recipes, articles, and so much more centered on the paleo diet. They even do lectures!

Lastly, let me say that I don’t care what your opinion about the diet is. I didn’t write this post to piss you off. If  you’re getting defensive, you’re just wasting precious energy. If you don’t agree with my opinions, I don’t care. I can’t stress to  you how little I care. And I absolutely will not argue with you about it. So, if you write a negative comment, I won’t respond. I don’t discuss topics with people who already have their mind made up – it’s pointless! I will however, talk with anyone who’s interested. I will talk and answer questions for as long as you can stand it. 🙂 If you’ve seen success with the paleo diet, then I definitely want to hear and see all about it! Share! Thank you for taking the time to read my blog where my opinion counts because….It’s MY blog!