“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.”

         The French philosopher and gourmand Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin wrote those famous words back in 1825. I had heard various renditions of the quote, and never really took any of it to heart. How in the world can what one eats portray who one is? It just didn’t make any sense to me. Food was food and that was that. Flash to today and the meaning is really starting to sink in.

         I’ve never been one to really care about the ingredients of foods I’ve eaten. Sure, I went through several dieting fads here and there where I would read a label to check serving sizes and calorie content, but that was the extent of my concern over what I was putting into my body. As long as it fit into my daily calorie budget, I was buying. I’m not quite sure when this switch to actual ingredient concerns happened. I suppose it might have been around the time I started becoming more conscious of what was in my cleaning and personal hygiene products.

One day I overheard on the news talk of SLS, or sodium lauryl sulfate. This science project is an ingredient that makes products get bubbly and sudsy, and apparently it was in hand soap, shampoo, and even toothpaste! Now, the sodium LAURYL/LAUREL sulfate isn’t the worst contender. It can be irritating to the skin, yes. But its evil twin sodium laureth sulfate is the real felon here. Scientists decided to alter sodium lauryl sulfate so that it was no longer irritating. This new compound, laureth sulfate, has been linked to cancer! And it’s in practically everything it seems, such as the aforementioned hand soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and it is even in baby shampoo. Can you believe it? So, I set out on a mission.

I started making our own liquid hand soap by grating a bar of Dr Bronner’s soap, adding the shavings to a gallon of boiling water, stirring until it all dissolved, and then letting it set for 24-48 hours to allow it to congeal into a liquid hand soap consistency. I add essential oils and gylcerin to the mix (glycerin helps prevent the soap from globbing up in your soap dispenser). I use Dr Bronner’s baby mild bar soap to make liquid soap for my toddler’s baths using that same process. I re-evaluated my toothpaste and mouthwash and after discovering it was all laden with sulfates, I started purchasing Desert Essence’s natural tee trea oil paste and rinse. I started buying Tom’s of Maine roll-on liquid crystal deodorant, and stashed my old powder white sticks deep in a drawer to be used for emergencies only. I still use my cheap-o shampoo that has nasty sulfates, but I am working on finding a replacement for that. I did try the “no poo” approach, but I just couldn’t get into it (using diluted baking soda for hair wash, and diluted apple cider vinegar for rinse). We use bar soaps for body wash now, instead of their liquid counterparts. I’m still figuring all of that out, though, as I’m not sure the shower bar soaps we are purchasing are truly safe. But, I hope it’s a step in the right direction.

        

In my mission to detoxify our home, I also started making our own spot cleaner for the carpet using water, vinegar, and baking soda. It works like a charm every time! Toddler stains are no longer a match for me! I also stopped buying the solution recommended for our carpet shampooer and started using hot water, white vinegar, baking soda and essential oils in the machine. Our carpet has never been softer or cleaner after shampooing. I did make our own laundry detergent for a few months, as well, but I missed the scent that lingered on our clothes after using store-bought detergents, so we are still on that bad boy train.

I haven’t parted with my beloved Lysol wipes, and there are still store-bought cleaners that we use for various purposes. It’s all about taking baby steps and simply becoming more conscious about what you’re purchasing and using around your home. And I believe that realization is what opened my eyes to what I was putting into my body. And the realization came just in time, as I soon learned that I was pregnant again, and a day after getting that positive pregnancy test, a doctor told me that I had some pretty serious health issues that needed to be addressed. So, armed with the knowledge that I had a thyroid full of tumors with the possibility of cancer, an auto immune disease that the doctors were trying to figure out and name, and a precious new life growing inside me, I knew it was time to take charge of my health.

I have the world’s sweetest sweet tooth, and junkiest junk tooth. There is no doubt about it. These have been my Achilles heel when it comes to trying to change my relationship with food. So, I have spent years trying to hold myself more accountable for these cravings. Especially because I have since learned that the cravings are all an illusion and my body REALLY craves REAL food, but my mind has been fogged into believing it wants the crap food. Ay yi yi. Thus, the whole reason for this post…

I am going to start taking a photograph of every. single. thing. that I eat and drink. This is not for weight loss purposes, as I am pregnant and that could be detrimental to my growing baby. I am simply wanting to force myself to look at what I’m putting into my body each and every day. I know I frequently make good decisions, but I also know that I make just as many, if not more, very bad decisions (ie I sent my husband to the store the other day for pizza rolls and bagel bites). I want to try and face these decisions head on and really see them for what they are. If I am what I eat, then I am both very good for you, and also very, very bad. Sounds about right :)

All-in-all, I just want to set a good example for my children, and I want to give my body what it needs to help fend off any potential illness and disease that may try to take it down. I want what every other person wants, to live a long, happy, healthy life… and that is going to start with the food I choose to fuel my body. This is not a diet, this is a lifestyle. So here goes, my journey to a healthier relationship with food via a photo blog*. Bon appétit!

*Along with my personal daily food photo blog, I will still be posting various recipes, food finds, and now, other homemade (and store-bought) ways to make your home, and you!, healthier!