You are what you eat!

Eric and I have been doing a lot of research on the types of food we eat, where it's grown, how it's grown, and how to prepare it.  We've also found value in purchasing local and organic from farmers markets rather than at the grocery stores.  For instance, we can buy a week worth of veggies for about $8-12 at the farmer's market that will last us the week, where as one small organic zucchini at the grocery store is easily $2.50 even in season!  We do splurge a little on things like cage free organic fed chicken eggs, hand crafted cheeses, and free range meats, but it's nice to meet the people who raise and make these items, and to know exactly what we are eating.

The more we read, the more we are turned off by processed food.  The more we shopt at the farmer's market, the more frustrating it is to shop at the grocery store.  It's amazing the sugars, fats, and salts added to packaged food.  Eric and I have both noticed a difference in our skin, energy, digestion, headaches, and food intake all for the better.

It took several weeks for us to detox from processed food.  We found ourselves hungry (due to lack of fillers) and craving treats (lack of sweeteners), but now we are more than satisfied with lots of fruits, veggies, lean meats, and homemade carbs.

Yes, this way of life has come with a cost:  we have to plan our meals AFTER we go shopping, which can mean a second trip to the grocery for addition items; we have to be sure to keep our schedule free during farmer's market hours; be realistic with how much we can and will eat no matter how good or cheap it is; be willing to try some new foods

In the end we find it a good trade off.  While many argue that eating this way is more expensive, we've found it to be fairly on par with what we were spending on a mix of fresh and prepared foods, as long as we eat seasonally and at the farmer's market.  No individually wrapped three dollar zucchinis in THIS house!  For $3, I'd rather drink a beer!