nutrition part two

so... the transition to change to a traditional diet has begun.

 it would be extremely hard to change instantly overnight. there are no doubt people out there that have done it that way but for my family it is a 'transition'. step by step, little by little.

firstly and probably one of the easiest to things change is dairy. i love dairy products and always have but at times i have eaten very little or none at all for long periods of time, believing they were no good for me. i have come to realise that it is the quality of the dairy that is important. i would consume raw dairy if i could find it (very unlikely in my neck of the woods) or if i owned a cow (seriously considering this for the future). the best dairy we can find is at the supermarket and in south australia we have a wonderful company called paris creek bio dynamic farm that produce pasteurised, non-homogenised milk and milk products. although it is still pasteurised it is the best that we have access to. i make my own yogurt from it, then also use the yogurt and separate it to make fresh cream cheese and whey. i am having trouble finding raw cheese too and have started buying swiss and parmesan cheeses. i am unsure if these are raw (probably depends whether they are made using traditional methods). i have read in the past that these are two of the 'healthier' cheeses. need to do a bit more research on that. 

bone broths. i first started making these nutrient rich broths after reading frugavore by arabella forge. i was intrigued by her claim that bone broth (preferably beef) taken with 3 cloves of garlic and two teaspoons of sea salt would cure any cold or flu that you felt was coming on. i wanted to have some ready just in case so i could try her cure. well since i have been having a fortifying cup of broth nearly everyday since  and i can honestly say i have not had a head cold or flu even when others around me are down with them. i try to use stock or broth in as many dishes as i can.

i drink a small amount of whey each day mixed with water to give my gut some healthy flora.

i have begun to make sourdough bread and have started soaking grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. i think at the moment the only grains that i don't soak are those in the cracker style biscuits and i am looking into making these myself very soon. i have porridge for breakfast most mornings and this is easy to soak overnight. i have managed to convince jess that porridge is great and have weaned her off weet - bix. i have been making crispy nuts and seeds from the recipes in nourishing traditions and found the nuts digest so much easier. one thing i need to get in the habit of doing is sprouting legumes and seeds again. i go through phases of doing this. we have been consuming more wholegrains and more legumes all prepared using soaking methods before cooking.

snacks generally consist of muffins made by soaking flour for 24 hours, crispy nuts, cheese, fresh fruit and dried fruit. i have begun using my dehydrator again to dry fruit as i know their will be no nasty additives used in the process.

we eat a lot of eggs (how could you not when you have nine chickens who you know eat only the best food a chicken can have therefore producing the most prefect nourishing eggs possible). custards, omelets, pancakes, fried, poached, boiled, french toast, the ways to use eggs are endless. for many years we have only consumed free range, organic and pasture raised chicken and lamb and we eat very little beef. i try to include fish at least once a week and i am slowly getting my head around eating liver and have found that i actually like chicken liver.

fermented foods. the only fermented foods i had ever heard about was soy sauce, tofu and miso before i read frugavore and nourishing traditions. i really had no idea about them. this is new territory to me. i have since tried beet kvass, a fermented raisin chutney and today i made sauerkraut. i am really enjoying making these and love the taste of them. there are so many more fermented foods i would like to try.

i have eliminated refined flours, sugars and white rice from our diet as much as possible. actually most processed foods have also been eliminated although we still enjoy the occasional pasta dish (made with spelt or kamut pasta) and home made vegetarian pizza (using wholemeal pita bread as the base).

fats. i find the area of fats to be quite complex and i am still a little uneasy about consuming a lot of saturated fats. i think this comes from so many years of of being told that saturated fats are bad fats. i have been consuming more though in the form of butter, cream, olive and coconut oils and have found that i feel fuller for longer and i am sure i have more energy. according to nourishing traditions "fats from animal and vegetable sources provide a concentrated source of energy in the diet and fats as part of a meal slow down nutrient absorption so that we can go longer without feeling hungry".

nourishing traditions has a section on superfoods which i find very interesting. superfoods being foods that naturally concentrate important nutrients. i have started adding bee pollen and hemp seeds to my diet and would like to add a few more superfoods such as cod liver oil and high vitamin butter oil soon.

i think i have made a good start in the transition towards a traditional diet although i feel like i still have a long way to go and much to learn. 

i don't find it takes a lot more time in the kitchen to eat this way you just need to think ahead to what you are going to eat at the next meal or next day. at this time in my life as a stay at home mum its a good use of my time and energy to concentrate on establishing some new eating and cooking habits that i believe are sustainable and will make our family healthier.