On a Lighter Note...

Okay, I hope I didn't worry anyone with my last post. I got a lot of really sweet (and worrisome) responses from some of you. For that, I'm sorry. I was trying to vent while also conveying some humor, but I guess it was a little too serious for humor to show through. Whoops! Anyway, this one will be a lot more positive - I promise!

I wanted to let all of you know about how my newfound diet is working. I call it my diet because my eating habits really have changed completely! Two Sundays ago, I went with my brother Christian and his wife Lindsay to Whole Foods and Trader Joe's in Nashville. Funds are a little tight this month, so I mainly went to observe and see what these stores had to offer. Whole Foods offers a TON of organic products and also offers meat from sustainable farms (i.e. no antibiotics, no hormones, completely organic, and humanely raised animals). This place was amazing!! A sign was posted stating that they offered close to 200 different organic items. They also had a seafood place, a butcher, and a deli all offering meat I could eat! It was heaven! : ) Okay, not really, but it was so awesome to see all the products you could purchase. They even offered environmentally-friendly household products and organic lotions, soaps, and shampoos. They are a little on the pricey side, but it is a place I could definitely purchase meat at.

Then we went to Trader Joe's. TJ's as most people call it is known for the cheap version of "Whole Paycheck" as Christian called Whole Foods. At TJ's I was able to find deli meat from a company named Applegate Farms. Before going on this shopping trip, I found a list of all brands that offer meat and who of them uses and doesn't use factory farming. Applegate Farms was one that doesn't. So, I was able to pick up some turkey and ham for $3.50 a package - just a little bit more than what I would normally pay for deli meat. I was ecstatic!!

Then, today I went to Kroger and found in the organic and vegetarian aisle frozen products by Applegate Farms and Organic Prarie (another company I can buy meat from). They were a little more expensive than I'm sure Trader Joe's would charge, but it's at Kroger right down the street from me and not 40 minutes away in Nashville, so I think it evens the price out. : ) I could purchase beef patties, sausage, turkey burgers, chicken filets...

So, to lay it all out, I now have 3 different places I can purchase meat from. I'm so happy to know that I can keep this "lifestyle" going! I was worrying about having to join an organic co-op group or having to ship meat to myself from far away companies. However, I now have means to buy meat I will feel good about eating. I also can't wait until Spring because I plan on going to many farmers markets to purchase veggies and fruits.

One last thing - I really have felt some benefits from my new way of eating now that I've been doing this for 2 1/2 weeks. Here they are:
1) I've lost weight. Seriously, 3 pounds so far!
2) Now after eating a meal, I feel refreshed and not overly full. I feel like I just nourished my body instead of pissing it off. : )
3) Finally, before all of this, I had been experiencing stomach issues. I didn't know where they were coming from, but I was really sick there for awhile. Ever since I began this diet, I haven't had a single issue yet.

Kinda crazy what giving your body what it needs can do, huh?