The D Word

Discipline... does it scare you or inspire you? This word seems to be the theme for my life over the past year or two. I know a handful of disciplined people who I’m inspired by... but the word “discipline” itself is not very inspiring. It’s a heavy word full of commitment, work and dedication. You can’t be disciplined without having a commitment to be dedicated to working it through. 

Successful people have one thing in common - they are a disciplined people. They had a goal and worked diligently towards that goal whether it was convenient or inconvenient, hard or easy. They knew that in order to be successful for the long-run, they had to make short term sacrifices. 

Sacrifice. Another scary word. Who likes to deny themselves anything? After all, we deserve to have anything and everything we want when we want it. Right? That’s why our culture is obese, diseased and in debt.

I’ve heard it said that you can either discipline yourself, or let the world do it for you. A year ago I sat down and made a list of areas in my life where I felt out of control. The circumstance was in control of me - not me in control of the circumstance. The list was overwhelming to look at and it was hard to not be so critical of myself. As I reflected on all the things I wanted to change a verse kept running through my mind, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11)

So there I had it... it won’t be pleasant, it will be painful, but I can look forward to a harvest of righteousness and peace. I wanted to beat my body into submission like an athlete in training as Paul talked about in 1 Corinthians. I made a choice to be inspired to take my first step, rather than get overwhelmed by my list of undisciplined areas. A step in the right direction is still a step forward, right?

Discipline is like a muscle that needs to get worked out. In the beginning it’s awkward, the movements don’t feel right, the muscles are sore.... but through daily dedication to work out that muscle; the task becomes less labor-some. It becomes more routine and natural. Like second nature.

If you follow my blog you’ve seen my journey of disciplining my eating habits, disciplining my financial habits (still have a rough road ahead of me on that one I feel), and as of late I’ve begun tackling the discipline of fitness. The last entry I wrote was the day before beginning my 60 Day “Insanity” Challenge. I am now on Day 38! Can you believe it? This self-proclaimed couch potato has kicked that couch to the curb! It’s become my new routine... working out is just a part of what I do, like brushing my teeth or eating three healthy meals a day. Of course I still go through periods of fighting it... but what a reward I’m experiencing from my due diligence of working out despite how I feel.

True discipline is just that. Doing it despite how you feel about it. We are too easy on ourselves... we don’t like to experience pain, we don’t like to be deprived, and so we keep ourselves stuck in our own misery. We hate feeling fat, yet we enjoy the sugar rush and so we cave in. We hate racking up the credit card debt, yet we love the instant gratification of having it NOW. We hate robbing peter to pay paul, yet we rather sit on the couch eating bon bons and complaining about our situation - than getting to work. We’re great complainers. We’re great excuse makers. We’re great about talking about it without going about it. We’re great starters but very few of us are great finishers.

My challenge to you is to join me. Get so sick and tired of being sick and tired that you’re ready to get busy doing something about it. That rut that you find yourself in, it’s time to change it. Decide to make a list today of all the areas you lack discipline... and then select one of those to tackle like a dog on a bone. Commit to see it through. Commit to “work out” that area of weakness. Workout is work; if it were easy it’d be called Easyout.

So as my friend Shaun T says... I’m not here to kill you, I’m here to motivate you. Get fit or get out. Dig deep and go!!!

Hello friends =) It’s been far too long since my last post. It’s always easy to get started with plenty of fresh new thoughts and ideas to share at the beginning of a journey... but then after awhile it seems like that “change” which was so big and scary, just becomes like second nature and you’re left without having anything more to say. That is... until you discover a new area to tackle.

So here I am, it’s January 28th and it’s “thyme for a change” again. It’s crazy to think that just eight months ago I was thirty pounds heavier and not a care in the world for my health or the health of my children. Let me rephrase that -- I certainly CARED that my children were healthy, but I wasn’t actively ensuring their health to the best of my ability. I was happy to feed them the same thing week after week; something processed that most likely came from a box. I was okay with the fact that my kids didn’t like to eat their vegetables because after all, I didn’t like to eat my vegetables either! I’m so thankful all that has changed -- and we’re healthier for it!

As important as food is to our health, so is physical exercise. This is an area that I struggle majorly in! I’d rather sit on the couch, watch the infomercials, and visualize how awesome I would look “if only” I’d actually do it. But to say I want change without taking any action on it, is only lying to myself. I can set a goal and stare at it all I want, but until I take the steps necessary... that goal is just a dream. (You don't happen to know where I could get a giant carnivorous dinosaur do you? =)

It’s “thyme” to stop daydreaming and start DOING!!! Upon my friend Jatana’s encouragement, I bought my "60 Day Insanity Challenge Pack" and can hardly wait to begin! I’ve already tackled half the battle (what I put in my mouth) and now I’m ready to tackle the other half. It's amazing how many creative excuses I can come up with to avoid the gym... "they don't have childcare", "it's too expensive", "it's cold outside", etc. There's something inescapable about turning the DVD player on and hitting play. I can put the baby down for a nap and get my work out done in the comfort of my living room without worrying about people watching me. The genius part of this is the accountability that comes with it! I now have an accountability group on Facebook made up of a couple other moms where we check in daily with pics of our sweaty faces as evidence that we did our work out for the day.

Even more impressive? The protein shake that comes with the Challenge Pack is available in a Vegan formula! I was skeptical at first... assuming there would be things in it that aren't all that great for you, but what I found is it's a solidly plant strong formula -- and SOY FREE! I can't say anything about the way it tastes as it literally just arrived on my doorstep tonight, but I can't wait to try it. You can see a list of the impressive ingredients by clicking here.

I can’t wait to see my results. It might not be pretty the first half of the journey (in fact I guarantee you it wont)... but I’m gonna give it my all. I’m sure I’ll be posting from time to time to share with you all how I’m doing. This post is my way of putting it out there and now you all have my permission to keep me accountable.

How about you? What new and scary challenge are YOU ready to tackle? Have you joined the 21 Day Vegan QuickStart yet? If not, why not? Let me challenge you to stop putting off for tomorrow what you can do today. Whether it's BeachBody, 21 Day QuickStart, Financial Freedom or any other specific goal you have, I encourage you to take the first steps towards getting started and we can celebrate together 21 days... 30 days... 60 days from now!!! Let's get it started!

I will admit that one of my biggest guilty pleasures is the Coconut Curry Vegetables at P.F. Changs. Our family has followed the Dave Ramsey envelope system for quite a long while now and so this is something we definitely budget for. Unfortunately it takes quite a bit of cash out of our "eating out envelope" so when I discovered a way to make a copy-cat version -- I couldn't wait to try it!

Imagine perfectly crispy silken tofu added into stir fried veggies... glazed over with a sweet coconut curry sauce. Throw on a heaping handful of peanuts and your eye balls are rolling to the back of your head ;) (Yes it's that good!).

Here's my copy cat recipe to share with you. I adapted it for my family of 4 and it gave us plenty of leftovers. If you decide to make this dish - please share what you thought of it!

PF CHANGS COCONUT CURRY VEGETABLES - COPY CAT RECIPE

Ingredients: 

2T Olive Oil

12oz Package Silken Tofu

1 Small Onion

1 Small Red Bell Pepper

1 cup Sliced Mushrooms

6 cup Frozen Vegetables (broccoli, carrot & cauliflower)

4tsp Cornstarch

1 cup Peanuts

Coconut-Curry Sauce:

* I doubled this sauce recipe since I made a huge portion of rice and veggies to feed my family of 4. I made 6-8 servings of brown rice which gave us about 2-3 cups left over.

1 cup Coconut Milk

4T Soy Sauce (Tamari)

1tsp Curry Powder

2T Packed Brown Sugar

4tsp Rice Vinegar

Directions:

1. Cube tofu, mix in cornstarch and fry in olive oil until they are brown & crispy
2. Heat frozen vegetables in olive oil or splash of vegetable broth. Once they are warm, add mushrooms, red pepper and onion
3. Add tofu to the vegetables
4. Add the sauce to the pan with veggies. Bring to a simmer, tossing to combine
5. Dissolve the cornstarch in 1 1/2 tbsp of water and add to pan. Stir until the sauce turns glossy (about 10 seconds).
6. Add the peanuts
7. Serve with rice or noodles 

A Personal Area of Conviction

I’m going to stray a bit from my typical posts. I named this blog “Thyme For A Change” because I wanted it to encompass ALL aspects of my life that are in need for change. Though health and nutrition seem to be one of my main focuses on this blog; even more important is the change that must be taking place, constantly, on the inside. We can treat our bodies to the best nutrition and health; but if we neglect our spiritual health we might as well consider it all in vain. As Jesus once said, “Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.”

For those of you who don’t know me, I am a follower of Jesus. With that being said this post is coming from a biblical world view of things. I felt led to share my heart despite how difficult it’s going to be to admit my failures. 

Along this journey of discovering who God is and what His purpose is for me while I’m here; I keep being reminded of those who have less than me. I don’t consider myself to be wealthy - in fact I see my family as being very average in terms of economy. However when you compare what we have, to those living in third world countries, we are BEYOND wealthy. Time and time again we are reminded in scripture that God loves the poor. We are instructed to not draw a line in the sand and distinguish between the superiority of the rich man verses the inferiority of the poor man (The book of James has a lot to say about this). The Proverbs are filled with wisdom in how we are to view the rich and poor. The gospels are full of instruction from Jesus’ own lips on how we are to treat our neighbors.

The new commandment He gives to us is to “love the LORD with all your heart, soul and mind” and THEN to “love your neighbor as yourself”. There are many different words for “love” in the greek vocabulary. This particular passage uses the greek word “Agape” which is a sacrificial love. It’s the love that Jesus had for us when He sacrificially gave His life for us on the cross. This is the same type of love that we are called to give to others. Including the hard-to-love people.

God has been doing quite a work on my heart these past few weeks as I’ve been spending time reading about David. God chose him to be King over Israel -- not because of physical stature or what man could see by his eyes; but because of his heart. God said that David had a heart like His. God doesn’t choose to love those who look lovely on the outside... He’s not looking for charisma, beauty, likeability, financial status (rich or poor). “For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Sam 16:7.

I recently watched a movie which I’m not sure whether to give it a recommendation as it was quite crude and grusome - filled with profanity (it's based on a true story by the way). The openning first scenes are the most offensive - but then it’s amazing to watch as this man turns his life to God and becomes renewed. I suppose that’s how life is. Full of crude moments and profanity. That’s who we are without the saving grace of Jesus. We are dead in our tresspasses and the best parts of us are even filthy rags to a perfect God. YET, even while we were dead in our sins and unlovely and undeserving, He came from heaven to be a man like us... live a perfect life... and die for us. Can you imagine dying for someone disgusting and unlovely? But that’s what Jesus did for us. So getting back to the movie ;) This man leaves his life of drunkeness, drugs and evil - and goes on a missions trip to the Sudan. He sees the life these children live... constantly fearing for their lives, literally. God uses this man to fund a gated community to protect as many as he could fit. At one point in the movie he’s in desperate need of more finances so he can purchase a vehicle to rescue more children - he asks for a donation from his wealthy friend who sends him away with $100 and tells him “sorry man, things are real tough.” Tough?! In comparison to WHAT?!!! 

I felt like a knife stabbed me in the gut. I was immediately convicted about the treasures I’m storing up for me here on earth - which is really showing neglect to the poverty stricken people who God loves and died for. Should we merely send missionaries over there to tell them God loves them and be well. Or should we back up those claims with tangible evidence that God loves them. Aren’t Christians called to be His hands and feet? How can we do that if we’re only giving lip service?

My loving husband has the most generous heart!

I’m convicted each time I pick up my Louis Vuitton handbag. Though I have such a sweet memory of my husband surprising me for my birthday by taking me to the store to pick it out... I’m convicted by what the bag represents. I feel like it’s a reflection of my true heart. I am not in any way saying that people who carry around one of these bags (or any other name brand designer item) is wrong; because it’s not the item itself but the heart behind that item. For me, I think I wanted that purse because it represented a certain social class I wanted to be apart of. Perhaps I wanted to look a certain part. I wanted to distinguish myself as someone having “more” from those who don’t. Oh my word can I turn the knife anymore in my gut right now. It’s embarrassing to admit, to put my sin on display this way, but I hope it might inspire others to examine their own hearts.

To my Christian sisters - will you join me in praying that God would be at work in our hearts to make us more like Him? That our desires would be correct and that we would strive to be more like Him rather than the world? That we wouldn’t trust our own hearts, because to do so is to be a fool (prov 28:26); but that we would give to the poor out of what we already have; that we would stop hiding our eyes from those who are in greater need (prov 28:27). We don’t need to wait for an abundance in our bank account; we merely need to give out of the abundance of our hearts. Knowing that it is God who gives to us and His desire is to save ALL. 

I hope I haven’t stepped on any toes -- or perhaps I should pray that I do? In any case, my Louis Vuitton will be among the first of items to sell. It’s “thyme” that I be obedient and break down the walls that separate me from others. It’s time that my wallet gives evidence to where my heart and faith really lie.

“Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” - Luke 12:33-34

Myth #5: Soy is Bad!

I saved the most controversial topic in the health and wellness community for last. My goal in this article is to present you with resources based on medical research, not opinion. Therefore, I won't regurgitate what has already been said. Rather, I will point you to doctors that I respect.

As more people begin to make the switch to a plant based diet (or look for milk alternatives), the debate increases about soy and it’s harmful effects on the body, especially for women. I remember my very first week of giving this diet a try my mom and I visited a tiny coffee stand for an iced cold soy latte. When I asked for soy the owner began shaking her head and insisting she would never carry it in her store because she was a nurse and learned how harmful soy is for women. She then began to lecture us on the dangers of soy protein. I found it interesting that she wouldn’t carry soy milk yet carries cows milk which is far worse!

Our family typically drinks Almond Milk to begin with, however since we don’t eat meat we do eat dishes with other forms of protein, soy being one of them. Here's our two favorites:

Tofu - Made from soybeans, water and a curdling agent. It’s high in protein and calcium, and is a great option for baking or making marinades. Tofu is an unfermented soy protein and is essentially important to purchase this item organic and GMO free.

Tempeh - This soy product is originally from Indonesia and is made through a fermentation process which binds soybeans into a cake form, similar to a firm vegetarian burger or patty. Tempeh has a stronger flavor than tofu and is an excellent replacement for meat in most dishes.

(To learn more about other forms of protein, including soy, you can read this excellent post from The Reluctant Onion.)

Soy is it bad for you or not? =)

With all of these great soy products to implement into our family meals, I wanted to do some research on whether the claims of soy being dangerous were true. There are plenty of blogs out there on this subject from various health gurus... but I wanted to get the assurance from a doctor (or two); meet Dr. Barnard & Dr. McDougall!

Both of these Doctors have deemed the soybean as not harmful. In fact, soy-consuming populations of people, like the Asian cultures, have much lower incidences of heart disease, osteoporosis and cancer of the breast and prostate. The true danger zone is not in consuming sensible uses of soy but for those people who are lured into consuming “fake foods” (processed meat alternatives). In fact, soy isolates (found in soy protein powders, soy candy bars, soy chicken patties and soy burgers) has been proven to be just as damaging as animal protein (milk and cheese among the worst). This information, along with the graph below are from Dr. McDougall’s indepth article on the matter. I highly recommend you read it for yourself! I've also included a short clip on Dr. McDougall speaking on this topic:

Dr. Barnard, the President of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, wrote a great article on soy as well. Below are some of the main bullet points; you can read further explanations on each item by reading his article here:

SOY PRODUCTS:

*Reduce cancer risk

*Boost survival in breast cancer patients

*Lowers blood cholesterol

COMMON ATTACKS ON SOY & DR. BARNARD’S RESPONSE:

*GMO foods: They are easy to avoid

*Thyroid Health: Soy products do not affect it

*Minerals: They are well-absorbed

*Protein: It is well-digested

*Fermented or Unfermented Soy: They are both fine

I trust you'll find these articles helpful to you as you do your own research on soy. The main thing to keep in mind is the purpose of your lifestyle change (diet). Assuming that your goal is much like mine, to avoid the overly processed foods and animal proteins, your focus should be on keeping a Plant Based Diet. Key words: PLANT BASED. When people ask if our family is “Vegan” I try to stray from that word as there can be unhealthy vegans who focus more on what they CAN’T eat and find soy immitations of their prior diet. You can be a fat and unhealthy vegan (greasy spoon vegan), trust me! Our focus has always been to affirm what we CAN eat. A Plant Based diet is one which focuses more on eating whole foods like vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts and legumes; and strives to limit or exclude processed items. 

With this in mind... I hereby deem this myth as...

Myth #4: Plant-Strong Is NOT Budget-Strong

When my family began to consider switching over to a Plant Based Diet one of our greatest concerns was the impact it would have on our pocket book. It's true that eating organic healthy meals at home will cost more than eating fast food or processed microwave dinners; but eating healthy plant-based foods does not need to be more expensive. 

It's unfortunate that the typical family living in America has to worry more about the financial impact rather than the health impact on their lives. Unfortunately, with government subsidies on dairy and meat; the cost comparison will be a bit higher when buying dairy alternatives like Almond Milk or Soy Milk. One thing to keep in mind is the consumer can ultimately change all that. Every time we go to the grocery store we cast a vote with the dollars we spend. Cost is driven by supply and demand; the more people who buy organic non-GMO foods, the quicker the cost of those items will go down. 

Keep in mind that a vegan diet does not have to be charactarized by “replacement foods”. For example, if you're trying to buy soy hotdogs and veggie burgers, the cost will be higher because of all the work that goes into processing those items. The goal of being Plant-Strong is to rid your household of processed foods. Trust me - fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes and nuts are satisfying enough without having to add processed meat-like items to it.

Here are some simple tips to save you money:

• Whenever possible, buy in bulk! 
• Stock up on frozen veggies and frozen fruit
• Stay away from processed foods
• Create a meal plan for the week and then shop strictly from that list
• The Happy Herbivore has a weekly 1200 calorie meal plan you can subscribe to for a small fee
• If you're not concerned about losing weight, you can grab a copy of ours for free (coming soon)

• Be selective on which items you purchase thats “organic”. If you are going to buy pre-packaged processed food... it’s already processed so it’s not necessary to buy it organic. The purpose in buying organic items is to limit the amount of pesticides you're consumming. You’ll want to purchase the “Dirty Dozen” organic as they are known to have higher amounts of pesticides and insecticides which are toxic to the nervous system. The “Clean 15” are those items which has the lowest in pesticides and therefore is not necessary to buy organic. You can see a complete list of the Dirt Dozen and Clean 15 by clicking here. 

• Build your pantry of must-have items
•  As you run low during the week you can add them to your shopping list on a magnetized notepad. My mom over at the Reluctant Onion prepared this awesome list of items to keep on hand at all times. The majority of recipes we cook include these items (except for a rare item or two that I need to purchase that week). You can click here to grab a copy of her list. Beside each item there might be a number next to it as her guideline of how many you should keep on hand to get you through a two week period.                

• Prepare your basic staples ahead of time to save you money AND time:
• Oil-Free Hummus Spread 
• Oil-Free Pesto Sauce
• Un-Cheese Spread
• Cooked Quinoa or Brown Rice
• Vegan Ranch Dressing
• Cut carrot and celery sticks for easy snacking
• (I love to keep these items on hand at all times so it makes meal preparation that much quicker. I use them for dips or as spreads on my sandwhiches. Many of the meals I cook use brown rice or quinoa so I like to have that cooked ahead of time so I just have to grab as needed.)

Below are some simple Meal Suggestions:

Breakfast:

Grapefruit & slice of Peanut Butter Toast

Oatmeal (with banana, chopped nuts, raisins, fresh berries, etc.)

Smoothies (my kids favorite is the “Green Monster”: Kale, frozen berries & orange juice)

Ezekiel English Muffins (I love topping mine with peanut butter and sliced banana)

Lunch:

Left overs from dinner the night before (just double your recipes)

Burritos (filled with black beans and sauteed (frozen) vegetables)

Quinoa with beans, tofu and/or veggies - whatever you have available 

Panini (uncheese spread/hummus/pesto, spinach, bellpeppers, mushrooms)

Dinner:

Black Bean Soup

Ministroni Soup

Navy Bean & Potato Soup

Vegetable Lasagna

Spaghetti & Marinara with a huge green salad

Vegetable Pot Pies

Snacks:

Homemade Chips & Salsa

Hummus & Veggies

Peanuts

Popcorn sprinkled with Nutritional Yeast

Fruit

For additional ideas you might want to check out an article about Rory Freedman, author and subject matter expert. The book is highly offensive based on language but one of the most thorough and best written books on the subject of veganism. Awhile back she took the food stamp challenge; her budget was $33 a week! Read about her experience and tips by clicking here. 

Other Resources:

• Eat Vegan on $4 a Day 
• Plant-Based on a Budget
• Main Street Vegan 
• Vegweb 

With all of these wonderful tips and resources, I have no choice but to deem this myth:

Myth #3: If It's On the Label, It Must Be True!

The following post has been written by my mom, who hosts her own blog as The Reluctant Onion. While we share many of the same views, some are her own. I invite you to learn more about her journey towards a Plant Based diet by visiting her blog at www.thereluctantonion.com

On October 18th of this year, I will be celebrating my one year anniversary following a Plant-Based Diet (Vegan). I find it almost hard to believe that it’s been a year, but even more, that I ever started this journey in the first place.

I was brought up not unlike many of you reading this article. There were a basic set of principles handed down to us by our parents that we followed - usually without question. “Respect Your Elders”, “Fear God”, “Honor Your Country”, “Listen to those in Authority” and so the list goes. It wasn’t until I started having kids that we were encouraged to “Question Authority”. It’s still something that goes against the grain of my upbringing but I am gradually beginning to believe that it is necessary. Especially when it comes to our health.

I, for one, learned too late that the world had changed and I had been so busy living that I failed to notice.

There was a time when I would head to the market and pick up any product off the shelf without ever reading a label, much less be concerned that the food I am about to eat may be harmful to me. Why would I? The USDA approved it, the RDA recommended and my grocer carried it. Yet, as I would learn by exhaustive reading, research and investigation, we really do need to pay attention to what we purchase for consumption. 

This list is not comprehensive but will provide just a few examples of where it might be important to begin thinking for yourself, reading labels and considering other options for where you purchase your food.

Reading Labels - There is an excellent video that I would recommend on this topic. It is hosted by Jeff Novick, MS, RD of the McDougall Group and he gives one simple example of how deceiving food labels really are, especially when it comes to foods that are marketed to us as ‘Health Food’. As consumers, we are guided to consider total calories as a basis for determining the percentage of fat, protein or carbohydrates might be in a can of food. So, we turn the can over and see that the % of fat is 1%. Yet, what we learn is that the basis by which the food manufacturer measures fat is based on volume, not calories. When the canned food is mostly water, the fat is very low by volume. But, as a percentage of calories, it is almost all fat. This requires that we take our time to thoroughly inspect the back of the label to clearly understand what we are consuming. Food manufacturers spend millions of dollars adapting their strategies and marketing messages to confuse consumers. Stay one step ahead of them!

GMO’s - The term GM foods or GMOs (genetically-modified organisms) is most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques. These plants have been modified in the laboratory to enhance desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content. The enhancement of desired traits has traditionally been undertaken through breeding, but conventional plant breeding methods can be very time consuming and are often not very accurate.

There is significant concern by consumers worldwide that our food supply is gradually transitioning towards all GM crops without consumer knowledge. This is especially true in the United States. In Europe, food manufacturers are required to label their foods containing GMO’s. However, in the US, there is no such requirement.

Currently, there is a ballot in California which would require GMO labels on all foods containing them. For more information about this ballot, visit the OCA site. It is my hope that California is successful in passing this legislation so that other states can follow. However, giant biotech firms like Monsanto and Pro-GMO Food Manufacturers are throwing huge money to defeat it. 

Organic v. 100% Natural - It’s pretty amazing to me to see how many products today are labeled “100% Natural” In fact, the back of labels are the legally required information but the front of the label, is often times, the most misleading - and sadly, influential. So what’s the difference between ‘natural’ and ‘organic’?

Isn't "natural food" just as safe and healthy as organic food? Unfortunately, natural does not mean organic and comes with no guarantees. "Natural foods" are often assumed to be foods that are minimally processed and do not contain any hormones, antibiotics or artificial flavors. In the United States, however, neither the FDA nor the USDA has rules or regulations for products labeled "natural." As a result, food manufacturers often place a "natural" label on foods containing heavily processed ingredients.

What about organic? Organic is the most heavily regulated food system. Only organic guarantees no toxic synthetic pesticides, toxic synthetic herbicides, or chemical NPK fertilizers are used in production, and no antibiotics or growth hormones are given to animals. Organic producers and processors also are subject to rigorous announced - and unannounced - certification inspections by third-party inspectors to ensure that they are producing and processing organic products in a manner you and your family can trust.

Low in Sugar - Careful reading of labels is necessary to know how much added sugar you are getting. Sometimes there will be small amounts of many types of sugars, so none of them end up being in the the first few ingredients of the label. Other times, sugar masquerades as apparently more “healthy” ingredients, such as honey, rice syrup, or even “organic dehydrated cane juice”. These are sugar. Sometimes fruit juice concentrates will be used, which sound wholesome, but usually the juices chosen, such as white grape, apple, and pear juices, are among the least nutritious of the juices. By the time they are “concentrated”, very little remains but the sugar. 

Here is a list of some of the possible code words for “sugar” which may appear on a label. Hint: the words “syrup”, “sweetener”, and anything ending in “ose” can usually be assumed to be “sugar”. If the label says “no added sugars”, it should not contain any of the following, although the food could contain naturally-occurring sugars (such as lactose in milk).

• Barley Malt Syrup
• Corn sweetener
• Corn syrup, or corn syrup solids
• Dehydrated Cane Juice
• Dextrin
• Dextrose
• Fructose
• Fruit juice concentrate
• Glucose
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Honey
• Invert sugar
• Lactose
• Maltodextrin
• Malt syrup
• Maltose
• Maple syrup
• Molasses
• Raw sugar
• Rice Syrup
• Saccharose
• Sorghum or sorghum syrup
• Sucrose
• Syrup
• Treacle
• Turbinado Sugar
• Xylose

Cage Free, Free Range, Grain Fed, Humanely Grown and other nonsense - This last topic is the one that is the most difficult for me to talk about. As I mentioned, I started this journey almost a year ago and, initially, it was solely for health benefits - and they have been many! Yet, as I began the process of opening my eyes to many of the problems with our factory farming and food manufacturing processes, this journey became something more. Something that I wasn’t prepared for. 

I have lived most of my adult life as a politically conservative, Bible believing Christian. (I’m still one of those today, by the way) and the thought of questioning the government I had sworn allegiance to was not in my realm of experience. Additionally, I had unwittingly become part of a group (Veganism) that is perceived to be very liberal politically and perhaps even intolerant of most traditional Christian views.

Yet, I have found exactly the opposite to be true - and this is where this blog article has the possibility to become potentially offensive to some readers-so please hang in there with me. 

My journey to health through adopting a plant-based, vegan diet has opened up a world of living the most authentically Christian experience I could have imagined. My view towards God, His creation and all of life and the living has expanded. I am learning to exercise true compassion for the first time. I am being challenged in my thinking and my faith around every corner and yet, my faith has never been stronger.

My intent in sharing this is not to share every detail of my journey, but to encourage you to consider that Vegan’s are not all weird, they are not all liberal, they are not all athiest or ‘new age’. In fact, this community of which I am now a grateful part are some of the most thoughtful, caring and compassionate people I have EVER, met (Christian circles included).

To this end, the marketing messages we have been ‘fed’ regarding how animals have been treated or raised in the production of our food are all meant to hide the insidious truth of how our food is actually processed. Most of us are perfectly happy to accept the lovely pictures of spacious farms and smiling animals on the packages of our food (like the California cows) - the thought of anything different would be just too much to bear. The truth is, it is too much to bear.

So, I invite you to investigate this myth on your own. There are numerous books, websites and documentaries on the topic and I’m confident Tori can recommend some of her favorites. There is one, however, that drives the point home clearer than others. However, it is not for the faint at heart. It is gruesome, horrific, shocking and sadly, true. You will be changed after you watch it. It’s impossible to be confronted with what has happened on our watch without being prompted to change something.

The documentary is called “Earthlings”. You can rent it at the store, on Apple TV or it’s free on the filmmakers website. Please do not watch this with young children in the home and exercise discretion with anyone else who may respond negatively to graphic images.

It is my sincere hope that we would all re-think the way we eat, the foods we eat and the messages we are being given by an industry that is primarily concerned with hiding the brutal realities of what this industry has become and protecting the bottom line.

With all of that being said... Tori and I deem this myth...