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what's in our kitchen?



Most of us aren’t eating enough of the right foods and our bodies are STARVING for nutrients. Many of us are doing what we think is right, but are being fooled by cleaver marketing antics and false health claims.

We may choose to change our diet when seasons change,  our taste change, or the way food reacts in our bodies change. We must be able to change our diets as our needs change.  Don’t be afraid to add in or crowd out foods or try new dishes. Listen to your intuition, what are your cravings trying to tell you? Being open with our diets and not rigid in our beliefs will help you discover what works for YOU. We are unique in our own needs and our needs are always changing as should our diets.

How my diet has changed in the last few years….In 2007, while trying to heal naturally from cystic acne, I began following a clean diet. I switched to organic foods, including chicken, turkey and red meat on occasion. I also eliminated dairy completely and experimented with elimination diets working to discover my food triggers. In 2010, I got serious and turned to a  raw vegan diet. I did that for about 7 months and felt fantastic!! I was pretty close to being 100% raw, with the exception of a few organic condiments. However as the weather changed, I slowly started to add cooked foods. With living in Ontario Canada, eating a diet that is 100% raw can be hard on the body and my body was telling me that it wanted warm cooked foods.

 

I currently enjoy a vegetarian diet full of delicious and nutritious raw and cooked foods. I do enjoy a little bit of dairy, but try to avoid it for the most part.

 

It can be hard to know what to buy when transitioning to a healthier diet. I hope that giving you a peek inside my kitchen will inspire you to try and add new foods to your routine.

 

What you’ll find in the fridge & freezer:

Condiments (mustards, ketchup, hot sauce…)

 

South River Chickpea Miso

Fruits (apples, berries, pears…)

Veggies (lettuce, celery, carrots, brocolli…)

Nuts and seeds (almonds, sunflower, hemp, chia…)

Organic flax or hemp oil, sesame oil

Water Keifer & Probiotics

So Delicious Coconut milk

Liquid flavoured stevia

Local maple syrup

Frozen fruit (berries, mango, bananas…)

Home baked sprouted grain bread

Variety of fresh spouts (alfalfa, lentils, clover, mung, chickpeas…)

What you’ll find in my pantry:

 

Condiments and spices

Eden canned beans (BPA free cans) for when I am short on time

Dry beans for when I have time to soak and cook

Whole grain pasta (kamut, quinoa, spelt, rice, amaranth…)

Nutiva Coconut oil, first cold pressed olive oil, grapeseed oil

Ghee

Braggs Liquid seasoning

Vinegar (balsamic, apple cider, rice, malt)

Local unpasteurized honey

Whole grains (wild rice, brown basamati rice, quinoa, millet…)

Canned tomatoes (home prepared in the fall)

Jar strained tomatoes

Sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, potatoes

Himalayan salt & sole solution

Vitamineral Greens

Super-foods and supplements

Vegan Protein powder (Sunwarrior or Ruth’s)

Organic popcorn (non-gmo)

Raw organic sprouting seeds (mung, alfalfa, clover, wheat berry, sunflower…)

I try to buy organic when ever possible, sometimes the cost is just to much and the quality is just not there. Plus some studies have shown organic produce has more nutrients.

 

Buying local is just as important to me, if not more important. Knowing where and how your food is grown is ideal.