12.30.2010

Nourishing Traditions

This Christmas I received a book from my Mama that I have been wanting for several years, Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. Why I just didn't buy it myself, I have no idea, but I now have it n my possession! I've been reading it for the last few days and soaking up all the information and trust me, there is a wealth of it in this baby.

A couple of things that I immediately read about were issues that I've been struggling to change in our family for some time now- breakfast cereals and pasteurized milk. The cereal is just plain convenient. To make myself feel better, because I knew processed cereal was a terrible way to start out the day, I did buy the best one I could find with the least amount of ingredients in it, but I still felt I had to get my children off the stuff. When I read, "Boxed breakfast cereals are made by the extrusion process, in which little shapes and flakes are formed at high temperatures and pressures. extrusion processing destroys many valuable nutrients in grains, causes fragile oils to become rancid and renders certain proteins toxic. For a new generation of hardy children, we must return to the breakfast cereals of our ancestors- soaked gruel and porridges." I knew I was ready to make that change once and for all. Off to the market we went to get some oats, raw milk (more on that in a minute) and yogurt for our breakfast porridge. I soaked the oats, as instructed, overnight in warm water and 2 tablespoons of yogurt. This morning we enjoyed our "cereal free" breakfast and Shane and I thought it was delicious! Max and Alex were not as thrilled but we'll eventually find them something they like.

Raw milk is a change I've been trying to make for several years. The main reason I haven't made the switch is because of the cost. I usually buy a gallon of milk a week. The cost of a gallon of raw milk is at least four times the cost of pasteurized. Yesterday I was reflecting on how I could make it work. I realized that we only use milk for cereal,coffee and the occasional baked good. Well, we're eliminating the cereal, so I think I can finally start buying the raw. It is far superior to pasteurized milk on so many levels. In fact Dr. Mercola says, "I do not recommend drinking pasteurized milk of any kind – ever." If this controversial topic at all interests you, check out http://www.realmilk.com/ which explains things much better than I could ever hope to.

I'm so excited to start practicing this way of eating. I know it will take extra effort and planning but that's alright with me. The book promotes a 50% raw- 50% whole foods diet, which I think is a good balance. I love my raw food staples, namely green smoothies. I believe it is my duty as Mother to feed my children wholesome food that will nourish their bodies and minds. I think with this book I will be much more successful at making that goal a reality.

♥ anne

11 comments :

  1. Another great book is Healing With Whole Foods.
    I love that book,
    And it's got great recipes in it!!

    xx
    JordanMayTwigs.
    <3

    www.jordanmaytwigs.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. That's great to hear! I grew up drinking milk fresh from the cow, enjoying warm cream... I miss it. It is a pity that it's more expensive as you say, but it's certainly worth it. And really, of all things we can spend money on in this life, I think the foods we put in our bodies are definitely worth paying for the good stuff.

    If your kids aren't fans of the new breakfasts, try throwing in some berries (blueberries make everything better in the morning!), or maybe a little real maple syrup if you have any. It's how my mother got me to eat porridge when I was little. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes yes yes!!!! This is such a great book! And raw milk is soooooo good!!! Plus its amazing to make ice cream with! Yum! Best wishes!

    ReplyDelete
  4. wow, you are such an amazing and inspiring mother. this book sounds rad; i hope it comes into the bookery someday!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hope the book brings you many magical cooking adventures! I'll have to look into this cereal and milk idea myself, tis news to me, but wonderful news breeding a change at that. Glad I'm not much of a fan of cereal. Anyhow, good luck to you my dear! Hope all your eating goals go according to the sprout of their idea.
    Peace & love!

    -Ginela ♥

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love Nourishing Traditions, it's been a mainstay for a while around here, and though I don't agree or follow all of its teachings it's definitely a useful resource. I'm just amazed that you can even buy raw milk legally. I remember you mentioning it last summer? It's good stuff. Maybe you could find a cow share in your neighborhood ;)
    I have heard that its not necessarily advisable to consume it when you're pregnant, possibly due to our inferior immunities compared to our ancestors.
    Oh and another option worth considering is definitely goat milk, though procuring it can be hard. It's far better for one's intestine.
    I'm excited to hear more about how your journey is going.
    Lots of love.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love that lil' Shaner's joins you on your dietary adventures! He's such a little trooper.. and thanks for paving the dietary roads for us, cause I love learning from you! PS I got my hand blender for Christmas... let the soups begin! Fun seeing you guys last night- and can't wait to celebrate again tonight!
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yay! Can't wait to chat more in person about this. A couple friends and I are starting a Weston Price/Nourishing Traditions playgroup/meetup in January. We got tired of hijacking all the other playgroups and only ever talking about what we were eating and cooking! I'll let you know when and where we do it and I would love to see you when I get back from Santa Cruz!

    ReplyDelete
  9. This sounds like a book full of interesting info, I'd love to check it out. Thanks for the recommendation and for sharing this exciting new food journey you are embarking on. Good luck, and let us know how it goes :)

    Happy New Year to you and your lovely family Anne!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I second Emily on the Weston Price love. A group is a great way to share info and experiences with other like-minded folks. I can't stick by it 100% but books like Nourishing Traditions can be a real beacon to a healthy way of eating. Let u know which recipes you try out of the book?
    Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Its sound like really awesome foody book I just first time heard about that,I would like to buy it, thanks for regarding very nice post I love it.

    ReplyDelete

thank you so much for stopping by. please feel free to leave a comment! i love reading them :)


anne