natural ramblings

I have been reading into some articles on eliminating (or drastically reducing) sugar intake. From people who truly give it up, there are crazy good benefits! And part of me is very interested in this idea. I need to do some more research to see how much I could truly give up. There’s sugar (and corn or corn products) in EVERYTHING! This would definitely require a lot of planning, and while I love planning – it’s the follow through that I sometimes fail at. Along the theme of yesterday’s post, I am kind of waiting to move first if I wanted to jump start something that drastic. It’s easier to justify when I won’t be wasting the food I currently have. But in the meantime, I am trying to approach food as something that fuels my body, rather than an in-the-moment source of pleasure and boredom buster.

So, tonight for dinner I had planned on making Zucchini Boats for dinner, but was disappointed when I discovered my zucchini had gone bad. So, my first thought was, NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I had no other food besides that damned zucchini! I looked at Luna and thought (aloud) I guess the only option is to go out. I came to my computer to sit down and google Panera Bread’s menu and look at the calories. Now, I eat Panera way too regularly, but I was hoping to find something better than my usual choice (um, have you tried the Fontina Grilled Cheese Sandwich!!?!!?!?). Then, I remembered that food needs to fuel me and I had frozen veggies and rice that I could have instead. And heading back into the kitchen I then remembered I had one avocado and a can of chickpeas. TA-DA. Meal idea!

Avocado, Chickpea, Feta Salad

1 small Avocado – peeled and diced

1/2 can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) – rinsed and drained

Feta to taste

Pepper, Garlic Powder and Lime Juice – to taste

It was delicious and filling!! 

In another attempt to live a less processed life, I decided to make my own laundry detergent. I’ve done this once before probably about a year ago so I still had all the ingredients left. And, as I have about maybe one load left in my expensive-as-crap Gain detergent, I figured it was time to get back into it. I used this “recipe” here. It smells so good, and so does the laundry! 

Also, I am waiting on some items to come into the local organic market so I can make my own face wash recipe! 🙂 And since I had some face breakouts thanks to a cheesy casserole dish I made and ate a couple weeks back, I decided to make my own toner, too: 1 part Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with 2 parts witch hazel. I am not using ACV “with the mother” because I bought whatever Food Lion sells, so I think when I run out I’ll get a better version. Also, you can add in some Lavender Essential Oil, but I didn’t have any on hand. I don’t mind the smell too much, knowing that it’s making my skin feel better!  

It would be nice to eventually phase a lot of the chemical/processed stuff out of my life and make things myself. It’s so much cheaper, too. But like many others I get sucked into the promises of advertisements and celebrity endorsements. I know that it’s difficult, especially since I used to seek out infomercials for skin care and fitness products and try to convince my mom to purchase every single one of them. 

But, no more! I feel good today knowing that I made good choices for food and drank about 12 cups of water to help flush out the bad stuff, too. If I can make every day like this one, I think I’ll be good. Little steps and just remembering to make good choices!