When I say "whole foods," I don't mean the grocery store

I've been threatening to write a blog on this subject for a long time. Well, I've been threatening to do a lot of things for a long time now ... but that's not my point ... I'm here now, so I'll just get to it.

Whenever the subject of nutrition comes up and I say something about whole foods people assume I'm talking about the grocery store. I'm not. I shop there sometimes, but like every other grocery I've ever been in, I can say that 90% of what they sell can be easily removed from everyone's diet. Here's the rule of thumb: if it comes in a bag, a box or a can, don't eat it. There's more, but that's a good start.

That said, I do love my junk food, but it's an abusive relationship. I eat the things I love - the boxed mac n' cheese, the Ben & Jerry's, tater tots ... mmm ... tater tots ... and seemingly, junk food loves me: I never really gain very much weight. But haha, the joke's on me. For me weight isn't the issue. Instead, when I'm off my whole foods diet and onto the basic American diet (which has and is quickly spreading to the rest of the world), I'm plagued by health issues.

Any of this sound familar: fatigue, sore joints, light-headedness, foggy thinking, mood swings, depression, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, (insert complaint here), the list goes on. Chronic diseases are rampant, and while I'm not a doctor and have no intention of issuing medical advice, I can say without a doubt that anyone experiencing any disease in their body and/or mind cannot hurt themselves by introducing more whole foods into their diet. Try it, your body will surprise you.

And I will now say something else that will upset a lot of people: doctors know almost nothing about nutrition. Do your own research, but stay away from the ridiculous, like: cure your cancer with the cabbage diet! Be smart, okay?

So what are whole foods, you ask. Whole foods are foods that are as close to their natural state as is possible - vegetables, fruits, whole grains, CLEAN meats and animal products. I steer clear of pre-cut and packaged veggies, and when I say clean meats, I mean animals that have lived comfortable lives and been fed their natural diet. Cows are not meant to eat corn and soy. Pigs should not be eating rendered animal parts. Chickens need bugs and greens. There's a lot of info on this subject, you'll have to google it.

This blog will focus mainly on my experiences with whole foods, my search for the right foods and my experiments as I learn to work with them to produce the things I love, but that will love me back with the gift of good health.