Pilgrim Song: clean eating

I have spent a good portion of my life being sick. I have been to countless doctors, some who believe me and others who didn't waste any time on me. The symptoms are plentiful and generic; frequent fevers, chronic fatigue, sore muscles, achy joints, headaches, the ability to have bronchitis for 9 months straight. You name it.

Well, after a lot of frustration, copays, prescriptions and no answers, I gave up. I gave up on conventional medicine to solve my problems. Instead, I started looking at my habits and the way I was living life.

I first changed my sleeping habits. My body has always needed at least 8 hours of sleep a night. Even as a kid, if I got less, meltdowns would happen. Big meltdowns. As I remember this and specifically remember my mother's threats of "no more sleepovers if I'm going to come home acting like this", I decided to put the amount of sleep I get at night as a priority. I always get 8 hours, and sometimes that means going to bed at 8 or 9pm.

I realized that I eat a LOT. Most of it was not good for me. So I tried to tackle this task. I am stubborn and a little lazy when it comes to changing habits, so I knew that starting small and building was the only way I would be successful.

First, I gave up caffeine for a couple months. It was hard. I had a headache for a month straight. I saw some change, but not enough to figure that that was the only issue.

Next, I eliminated gluten from my diet.

This one was tough, but after a month or so, I noticed big changes. More energy, less achiness and fewer headaches.

After more reading and I was convinced that it wasn't as much about gluten or sugar or caffeine as much as it's about the overly processed stuff. My grandmother raised her children eating bread and butter and mashed potatoes and my dad is one of the most in shape people I know.

Why did he get to eat all of that "crap" (by today's standards) and turn out okay?

Because it wasn't processed.

I'm not talking about buying organic, I'll take it one step farther. I'm talking homemade, home grown, processed only in the home food. I don't usually believe in the "organic" movement. That food touches a lot of hands and conveyor belts and without being there in person, I can't say for sure that it is organic. (There's my trust issue coming out).

I realize that is not a revolutionary post. Clean eating is all the rage right now.

There is the rule of thumb that when grocery shopping, you should stick to the outside perimeter or the store. I abide by this for the most part. And I have noticed the difference. When eating breads and sweets, I eat only ones that have been made by scratch by someone I know.

I believe that the way of previous generations is the way to go in regards to food. Heck, I feel that way about fashion and music as well.

With all of that to say, this is partly where the inspiration for the blog started. I want to have a place to record recipes I have found and take notes about transitioning to a simpler life.

Last year was my first real experience with a garden.

I loved it.

I was working at the restaurant when we decided to tackle the 40 already made boxes that we had in the front of my house (I lived next door).

My dad sometimes kept a garden while my brother and I were growing up. Whether we had a full garden or not, we ALWAYS had cherry tomato plants on the front yard.

I look forward to the planning and organizing and simplicity of it. Gardens are a lot of work, but for now, in the middle of the winter, I choose to live in a dreamland where crop killing stink bugs and weeds don't exist.

Even in the right mood, I find weeding enjoyable. It's a rewarding and gratifying task as the before and after is usually drastic.

Here is a look at the garden we had last year in front of my house. I plan to plant a lot of the same vegetables and herbs this year.