cleaning it up in 2014.

It’s January 20th and I’m happy to report we’re KILLING IT with leafy green salads and vitamin c and extra fiber.  In fact, just last week Andrew and I completed a 5 day cleanse where I may or may not have seriously considered eating my own hand.  But we successfully completed the cleanse, PRAISE THE LORD.

I’ve had a bit of a nutritional reawakening this month that I thought I’d share as this has always been my soapbox forum to blab about my thoughts on food, nutrition and budgeting. I’ll get into the specifics below but the jest of it is this:  I’ve always thought I live and eat pretty clean because I cook most food from scratch and avoid processed foods…but I’m learning there’s so much more I can do to live clean.

Now please don’t get me wrong if I’m losing you:  I realize it’s important to take one step at a time; in case you think I’m a wacky conspiracy therorist, I’ll tell you I’m taking baby steps here, implementing one change a month.  I also realize this is a super sensitive topic for some people as we’re all doing the best we can to raise ourselves and our kids healthy.  It’s also more expensive to live healthy (and WHY IS THAT?).  I totally get it.

So with that, here’s what we’re doing to live a little more cleanly…

Increase Monthly Budget by $50 and Incorporate More Organics

I’ve increased our monthly grocery budget from $400 to $450, and here’s what I’ve managed to include for the $50 increase: 

1.  Dirty Dozen Fruits and Veggies

I used to buy from the Dirty Dozen list only if the organic options were available on sale.  Not anymore.  Now I’m only buying them organically.  Period.  That means apples, imported grapes (and raisins), peaches, bell peppers, berries, pears, spinach, lettuce and kale are now organic.  But I don’t feel as worried about the Clean 15, or items like mushrooms, sweet potatoes, eggplant, asparagus, mango, avocado, pineapple, onions and whole corn so these are still just fine for us, non-organic.  I’ve budgeted about $10 more per week for organic produce.

I have started purchasing corn products organically because of GMOs, which I’ll touch on below.

2.  Free Range, Organic Eggs

Those pesky pesticides might pass from chicken to eggs, and we eat and cook with a lot of eggs.  The organic eggs come from birds that eat organic food and aren’t pumped up with growth hormones or dosed with antibiotics.

I’ve found 2 dozen organic, free-range eggs for $7.25 at Costco.  I’ve been spending about $2 per dozen a week so I figure it’s about $6.25 more a month to eat organic eggs.

3.  Coffee

Coffee crops are some of the most chemically treated crops in the world, and considering I drink coffee EVERY DAY, sometimes several times a day, I figure I’ll skip the pesticide residue and opt for organic.  I’ve found organic coffee (it’s not my favorite for a bold flavor but it gets the job done) at Trader Joes for $6.99/lb.  That’s about $4 more per month for organic coffee.

4.  Bye Bye Refined Sugar

I’ve been reading a lot about how sugar just might just be contributing to our society’s obesity and disease problem.  And there’s just no escaping sugar – it’s in everything!  So we’re ditching refined white and brown sugar and instead I’m using honey, agave, maple syrup and the herb stevia, which are also higher alkaline and therefore better for balancing out the body’s ph levels.  This is going to make baking more challenging, but I’ll share new recipes I like here.

5.  Non-GMO Corn

You guys, I don’t know for sure what’s up with GMOs (genetically modified organisms) but the potential health risks just scare me and I’m not excited about putting genetically altered food into my body.  Because of that, I’m buying organic corn products (not whole corn but items like cornmeal, cereals containing corn, chips, etc.) whenever possible.  This hasn’t affected our diet so much as we don’t eat a ton of corn but I do pop my own popcorn and we eat corn tortillas so I’m switching to organic or other alternatives.

6.  More Vegetarian Meals

I simply can’t afford to eat organic meat, so we’re switching up our meals to be more plant-based and to include less meat.  Whereas before I would make meat (protein) the centerpiece of the meal, we are now eating more hearty salads, soups, rice pasta dishes, beans and lentils than ever before, and enjoying meat just a couple times per week.

I’ve reallocated the money I had been spending on meat to more fresh fruits and veggies, nuts and non-refined sugars.

7.  Cleanse and Detox

I’ve been learning a lot about cleansing and detoxing, so Andrew and I are going to try doing a cleanse/detox regularly throughout the year.  So far we’ve tried this kitchari cleanse along with a detox supplement kit from our local Sprouts but we are also planning on taking more Spirulina (a “superfood” algea that helps detox the body).  More to come on that…

Any advice for me or things that work for you, while sticking to a budget?  I’d love your tips for clean living!