You may remember that I posted last week about an online course from Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Real Food for Rookies. I asked her if she wouldn’t mind answering a few questions for us, and of course she obliged.
Last week I introduced the course, and i told you what an incredible influence and source of knowledge Kelly has been to me over the last year. I’m so excited about this class, and I know Kelly has been burning the candle at both ends, so I really appreciate her taking time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions for us.
1. Tell us where it all began. How did you discover the benefits of going back to a more traditional diet?
In early 2004 when I was in my mid-30′s I started to pack on a few extra pounds. I really wanted to jump on it before it got out of hand, so I decided to try the Southbeach Diet. (I lost 11# in less than 2 weeks, and still think low-carb is the way to go for losing weight, but have since learned about some parts of the Southbeach diet that are really bad.) In the middle of all that, a naturopath friend of mine suggested I check out the www.WestonAPrice.org site. I got on there one morning before the kids woke up and what I read there brought on what I now call my “food conversion“. Our whole lives were about to radically change!
The most difficult part of it all is one that continues to be a struggle at times: our teenager! Thankfully my husband is totally on board, our 3 younger kids don’t know any different, but our teen…HE remembers what he calls “the good old days”! When he complains that there is “nothing here to eat”, though, I try to remember that all kids say that, even if their parents buy junk. Still he eats much better than most teens, even if he complains now and then, and I know in my heart that his much improved diet since I’ve learned more about what I should be feeding my kids has made a difference that he may not appreciate for many years yet.
My husband grew up on a farm, so all the ways our eating has changed isn’t that foreign to him at all. He eats better than I do. (And rarely eats sweets!) He’s also great about helping me in the kitchen and with clean-up, etc. He’s always been super supportive of all this. I told you about our teenager above. The younger 3 all started out pretty young eating Real Food, and while once in a while they’ll complain or not want to eat something, but for the most part they’re great about everything. If they don’t like something I’m very careful to keep it low-key, and usually they come around on that food later.
Oh gosh, that title was a pain to figure out. I went back and forth for a couple weeks shooting ideas out to friends and family and went it came down to it, I talked to my friend, Lyn, and said, “But ‘Kelly the Kitchen Kop’ just sounds so dumb.” She said, “Yeah, but what’s your alternative, some boring name that no one remembers?” So that sealed it. And it was the one that got the most votes.
I decided to start blogging a few years after my food conversion, after I’d researched everything like crazy and my friends were all asking me similar questions about what to eat. When a friend, Sara, suggested the idea of a blog to me, I thought it would be nice to have everything all in one spot to refer people to. Little did I know what I was getting into!
1. Cook your own meals from scratch as much as you can. This doesn’t have to take up your whole life (time-wise) or your whole budget. There are lots of tips and tricks I can’t wait to teach in the class. I’m proof these days especially that it can be done; lately I’ve been working so much on the class, all I have time for are quick dinners, but I’m still able to get Real Food on the table. The main thing to remember is that it can be simple things, it doesn’t have to be a huge elaborate meal. Since it’s summertime that helps too, so I rarely have to come up with side dishes, we just throw some veggies from the garden on the table.
2. Find a source for pastured meats and dairy. Their nutritional benefits are HUGE. They are full of CLA (prevents cancer), omega 3′s (many health benefits, too many to name here), vitamin A, D & K2 (again, too many benefits to name), and more – these build up your immune system and fight illness. That’s why they’re called, “superfoods”.
3. Get you and your kids on Fermented Cod Liver Oil! This is also a source for omega 3′s, vitamins A & D, and many other nutrients. Also a “superfood”!
You’re welcome, Jo-Lynne!
It’s nice to see people who went from junk food to real food. At least I know it’s possible! LOL Hopefully someday I’ll get there, I wish it wasn’t so expensive! It just really and truly does not jive with my budget right now, but we’ve been working on the little things we can. We are eating ALOT more fruits and veggies and I know I feel alot better without all the frozen meals I used to buy and eat.
Alexia, that’s awesome, though. Baby steps are better than no steps!
Thank you for writing about this course and your whole foods journey, Jo-Lynne. It is so encouraging!