“You are What You Eat”
A quote we often think about, because our mothers and grandmothers may have used it. But does the quote mean the same thing to us and our children, as it did to our grandparents.
My mother and grandmother often reminded me, ‘You are what you eat.’ The principle back then was simple, ‘meat and three veg’, fruit and home baked treats for snacks. Food as late as the seventies, was often seasonal, with minimal storage and transport. We were what we ate.
With the advent of the supermarket, mass storage and rapid transport, today we are offered an often overwhelming choice and variety of foods, some fresh, many others highly processed, ‘quick and easy’ ready to go ingredients and meals, which we are told we must have to cope with, with our busy lifestyles.
Are our cooking skills so bad? Are we that busy and time poor?
The original 19h century quote was made as a testament that ‘the food that one ate had a bearing on what ones state of mind and health was’. True then, true now, we only have to look at our health system, struggling to cope with a range of modern diseases, obesity, allergies, cancers, mental health Issues, and the list goes on.
Dani and my journey into the conscious world of ‘real’ eating began over six years ago. Dani and I believed we led a healthy balanced lifestyle. Running a busy cafe, family and social time, regular exercise, and of course, diet. Living well to the best of our knowledge.
The knowledge required to live well, should have no boundaries, but is often limited by our life experience, those we live and socialise with, and our perception of the cost of living well. A chance meeting one sunny Monday morning exactly six years ago changed our perception, and ultimately our knowledge.
Cyndi O’Meara is the well known director of ‘Changing Habits’ a local Sunshine Coast company. Cyndi’s qualifications not only include a Bachelor of Science, majoring in a Nutrition degree, but has also undertaken Post Graduate studies in Human Anatomy, Pathology, Physiology with Diplomas in Diagnosis and Management of Health Issues. Cyndi is a Health Expert and Lifestyle Coach, her company has grown to be one of the leading information hubs for all things good and real as far as food and lifestyle is concerned.
Dr. Sherrill Sellman is a Doctor of traditional Naturopathy and Natural Health. She is internationally respected, and a dynamic lecturer. Sherill is the author of “Hormone Heresy: What Women Must know about their hormones” and “What Women Must know to protect their daughters from Breast Cancer”. Sherrill is also a Psychotherapist, Health Journalist and Hormone Wellness Coach. She teaches, lectures and consults worldwide.
These women have pretty impressive credentials, and it was with great fortune that they should be having coffee at the same cafe (not ours) as Dani and I! After more than two hours talking all things women and health, we realised that our version of ‘Living Well’ had a long way to go. It was also obvious that we needed to share Cyndi and Sherrill’s amazing knowledge with our daughters, family and friends. Three nights later, more than 80 women were sitting in the cafe mesmerised by all that Sherrill had to say. It was life changing to say the least.
Sherrill’s dietary (protocol) information could be considered by some to be radical. We do not judge those that may choose not think as we do, and I’m not going to go into detail here about the specifics of the protocol. However, both Dani and I can now say that we are healthier (both mentally and physically) and more active than we have ever been, because we feel so well. The protocol provided us with the tools to make informed choices, and pave out the path that we now follow. Cyndi, in true Cyndi style did more research than the norm, and now devotes a great part of Changing Habits to the protocol and helping people like us to change their lives forever. More information can be found on the Changing Habits website.
So here we are, six years later, fit, happy and healthy, with two women we now call our friends. We are fortunate.
I go back to the original statement, “You are What You Eat”.
Keep it simple. Real food. No Sugar and no added Carbohydrates. No processed or packaged meals. This lifestyle can be followed by anyone. We can all read, we can all follow a recipe, thus, we can all make beautiful food for our family and friends. True. No excuses.
Our desire to create a women’s retreat was borne from a passion for women to be able to have what we have. Why not?
My role as cook on the retreat is both exciting and nerve racking at the same time. To be able to prepare meals that can be considered mouthwatering, nutritious and completely natural, is a privilege. How can yummy, crunchy fish and chips followed by cheesecake for dessert be good for you. Easy! Cake for morning tea? Cheese and biscuits for snacks? It is possible.
Our sources of information for the recipes that Dani and I cook with is varied. Any recipe can be used for your evening meal, the wonder and mystery comes in the art of substitution to eliminate those nasties, whilst maintaining flavour and texture. There are also some amazing sites that obviously share the same passion as us, but with more expertise and/or qualifications, that we love to cook from.
As stated before, neither Dani or I are experts in the field of, for the sake of this blog, nutrition. Our information is garnered from our own personal experiences. We know what works and what doesn’t work for both of us. Dani can’t eat almonds, I can. Mixed nuts give me inflammation, Dani has no side effects. Our diets should be based on our own individual needs. What works for one may not work for someone else. It has taken us nearly six years to feel completely comfortable with our food choices. Yes, there are many times when we drop our guard. Life would be boring if you didn’t!
Two of the most symbolic words in food promotion nowadays are “organic” and “natural”. Generally defined, “natural” means “present in or produced by nature” and is not something “altered, treated or disguised”, but rather “faithfully represents nature or life.” “Organic”, in its most abstract sense, means “simple, healthful, and close to nature”. Both words imply a general distrust of chemical engineering and manufacturing processes.
If we are what we eat, are we not closer to “nature” if we incorporate natural and organic foods into our diet? I think so.
Nikki – Be You Escapes