Real Food

When I was growing up in the 60’s “real food” and consequently, the benefits of “clean eating,” wasn’t confusing. My morning toast was slathered in butter, not margarine (and certainly not avocado). My mother poured real cream on my breakfast cereal (which did not yet include colors not found in nature). I had “real” grilled cheese sandwiches with thick chunks of cheese. And coming from a home where chips and soda weren’t in our pantry, learning the difference between real and fake food just wasn’t on my radar.

So my interest in this concept began 21 years ago when our son, Doug, developed digestive issues as a baby. I also noticed changes in his behavior after he ate certain foods. After receiving little guidance from “traditional doctors”, I started to research alternative approaches. I spent hours in the the library trying to find patterns that made sense and came across two very provocative books, one by Doris Rapp, MD Is This Your Child? and Why Can’t My Child Behave? by Jane Hersey. 

Both authors pointed to a growing body of research suggesting that environmental toxins had started to contaminate our food. And while many people including my own family thought I was going off “the grid” I began to modify Doug’s diet and pay more attention to the foods we brought into the house. 

No more popsicles laden with food dye, switching from cow’s milk to rice or almond milk, and buying pretzels without gluten were some of the adjustments. Little by little I started to see profound changes in both his digestion and his behavior. And with this discovery I gradually shifted our entire family to almond milk, gluten-free alternatives (which were hard to find back then) and hormone free meats.

So this month, as we continue our commitment to creating “real food” recipes for our slow cookers we want to share some fabulous local resources from our friends at FamilyFarmed.

FamilyFarmed is a Chicago nonprofit dedicated to expanding markets for food produced as locally as possible using sustainable, humane and fair practices. For nearly two decades, the organization, inspired by the vision of founder and president Jim Slama, has worked to help build a better food system that increases supply of Good Food and extends its benefits so there is Good Food on Every Table.

We are excited and proud to be part of their annual Good Food Festival & Conference March 16-18 at UIC Forum (on the University of Illinois at Chicago campus), where local farmers and food artisans will be sampling and selling their goods and sharing their stories. The Good Food Festival on Saturday, March 18, is FamilyFarmed’s big public celebration of the Good Food movement, and for the first time, admission is free! For more information, visit the event website.

And on a personal note, thank you for all of the amazing support we have received by each of you as we enter our next stage of growth on Amazon and our expansion throughout the Midwest in Whole Foods. It takes a village to expand a dream and we are grateful to have such a large one!

Zen Moment

“How would your life be different if…You were conscious about the food you ate, the people you surround yourself with, and the media you watch, listen to, or read? Let today be the day…You pay attention to what you feed your mind, your body, and your life. Create a nourishing environment conducive to your growth and well-being today.” 

― Steve Maraboli, The Power of One