I was raised to think that fatty foods will make you fat and rice cakes are a low calorie health food. I suppose rice cakes are good for dieting and keeping weight under control, but now I view them more as a vehicle for consuming other more nutrient dense foods like hummus or nut butter. Luckily fruits and vegetables were staples in my house growing up, but not all oranges are created equal, and orange juice is not the same as orange fruit. Discovering authors such as Weston A. Price and Natasha Campbell McBride completely changed my way of thinking about food. The book, Real Food by Nina Plank shaped the way I thought about pregnancy food and nutrition.
If it's a processed food it has been voided of nutrients. Understanding the meaning of nutrient dense food is the best thing you can do for your body. When I first started to read more about food and using food to fuel your body, I discovered that my beloved breakfast cereal wasn’t much better than skipping breakfast all together. The following describes what being Earth Fed means to me:
Its feeding my children food that will provide the nutrients they need to grow and thrive.
Nutrient dense foods contain a high level of vitamins and minerals in proportion to calories, examples include meat and vegetables. Grass fed meats from pastured animals and organically raised vegetables, contain more nutrients than conventionally raised varieties. Do you know the difference between a homegrown tomato in July, and a store bought one in December? It has the same name, but its really not the same product. The color, the smell, and of course the flavor between the two tomatoes is evidence that the nutrient density is not the same. We opt for the most nutrient dense foods available. This means eating foods in season as much as possible, and eating more animal products during the winter months. EFM sources ingredients from organic and sustainable farm practices. The strawberry whey is amazing because the organic, freeze dried strawberries are the real thing. This company cares about the ingredients in their products, and I have come to trust the quality of EFM products. Eating nutrient dense foods also means avoiding empty calories like cereal, granola bars, chips, soft drinks, fruit juice, and candy. It’s not that treats are the enemy, but treats lose their meaning if they are offered every day. I can run a few errands with my kids and they might be offered three lollipops in one day, and that is simply not acceptable. While there have been some tantrums because they the sweets, but at ages three and six, they are pretty used to me declining the lollipop on their behalf.
It’s managing behavior with high calorie and high protein foods.
Fats are not the enemy. My kids thrive off of bacon, butter, and other fatty foods. Protein, and carbs are important, but good fats can go missing from a child’s diet if we don’t incorporate them on a regular basis. Kids get cranky when they are tired and hungry. Eating a high fat and high protein diet, means less hunger and more energy. Behavior and attitude can be dictated by food. When kids (and adults) are very hungry they crave sugary treats because the body craves immediate calories. High fat foods help to stabilize blood sugar and mood. Raw milk (unpasteurized whole milk) is a staple in my family's diet. With a balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fat, raw milk is considered a health food, not just a cereal topping.
It’s limiting sugar because the brain operates completely differently on sugary food.
The crash is real and it’s hard. Dealing with kids when they are cranky is no fun, and sugar makes kids hyper and later cranky. Earth Fed Muscle protein is sweetened with stevia. A protein shake made with EFM whey and raw milk contains only the natural sugars found in milk, and fruit (for strawberry and banana flavors). The body takes longer to digest natural sugars leaving kids feeling full longer and less crazy. Less crazy kids makes being a mom easier!
Caitlin is a mom of two with one on the way. Follow her journey on instagram @traditionalfoodsmodernlife