So, this is week 6 (or for the MIGHTY PEACH TEAM week 2) of the Shrinking Days of Summer Challenge. Last week the Peach Team was the shrinkingess team, this week we’re getting into our groove and taking our steps on our long-term journey. 
Plus, we enjoyed the holiday. But, we’re all doing GREAT.
Me, I lost a rocking 1 pound this week. Bringing my total to 10.4 pounds total for my journey. Of course I rocked that boat like nothing’s happened yesterday.
I’ve been following a couple blogs and one really caught my eye this week in her posts here, here, and here. (All three go together which I why I posted them all.) I couldn’t agree with her more. Now, don’t get me wrong, I like processed food as much as the next person. But, I try really hard to limit my processed food. It hasn’t always been the easiest, I grew up on processed food. I do have some packaged things in the cupboard for emergencies. But things taste so much better when they are fresh.
Free-range eggs actually TASTE better.
Organic milk TASTES better.
“Real” Peanut butter – nothing compares
As was mentioned on the other blog, yes real butter has more calories but your body was DESIGNED to process that — it’s REAL food. Sugar comes from a plant that was placed on this earth by our creator — artificial sweetener comes from a laboratory.
A friend recently shared this information with me
In ancient China, people committed suicide by eating a pound of salt. Wow puts processed foods in perspective.
My jaw dropped when I saw that.
Do you know how much sodium is in a Costco frozen chicken breast? 440mg
Do you know how much sodium is in 2 Tbls of BBQ Sauce? 450mg
Do you know how much sodium is in a 1 Cup of Pasta Roni? 930mg
Do you know how much sodium is in 2 Tbls of Kraft Ranch Dressing? 620mg
Do you know how much sodium is in 1 Tbls of Margarine? 90mg
Do you know how much sodium is in 10 Croutons? 350mg
Do you know how much sodium is in a 1 in. slice of French Bread? 345mg
That’s a meal that I’ve had plenty of times, BBQ chicken, with Pasta Roni, a salad with dressing and croutons, and a slice of french bread with margarine.
That meal had 3,225mg of sodium (and I won’t discuss the chips I probably ate before I even had this meal). Not to mention I couldn’t spell, say, or even tell you what 99% of the ingredients in most of those foods are. There’s really something to be said about having a meal where you can say (and spell) every ingredient on your plate.
Anyway, I’ll stop my rant. LOL Plus, I’m getting hungry and want to go get some “real” food. : )
08 July 2009, 5:20 PM
Woohoo! Over a ten pound loss! You rock!! Can’t wait til I can say that.
It’s awesome that you’re learning more about what you eat- I’m trying to use this time to educate myself on what I put in my body, too. It’s interesting but can be scary!
GO TEAM PEACH!
Amy´s last blog ..Wednesday’s Weigh-In
08 July 2009, 6:44 PM
This is why my friend Jen is vegan-she couldn’t stand the crap that she was putting in her body, or how the animals were treated to become food or ingredients for food (you probably don’t want to know what is in marshmallows). I tried the vegan thing for a while (maybe a month), ate no meat for a year and no red meat for 6 months, but with two kids and a husband who wouldn’t touch half of what I prepared, it was just too hard. I wasn’t a very good vegetarian and got pretty fat on my all carb-all the time diet. When we go out (which we will do this weekend) I’ll order whatever she orders and I’ll have almond milk in the morning with my flax seed bagel and natural peanut butter and it will taste awesome.
It’s great that you are trying to become more aware of what you are putting in your body. Some good books if you are interested in knowing what is in your food: Mad Cowboy by Howard F Lyman (about a cattle rancher who turned vegetarian), Skinny Bitch by Freedman and Barnouin (don’t read if you don’t like getting yelled and sworn at), and Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. They are all graphic in some of their descriptions, so reader beware! Mad Cowboy and Fast Food Nation are what Jen recommended I read when I was thinking about trying the vegetarian thing. I still don’t really drink milk and I try to order vegetarian when we go out for dinner, but I probably will never totally commit to a vegetarian, much less vegan, lifestyle. Good luck and great job on your 10 pounds-I can’t wait till I can say that.