Learning to Read

If you are like me, and just beginning your journey, you might be overwhelmed by all the information available from multiple sources. If that is the case, you might also be unsure of where to start. You might be tempted to try to implement everything you learn all at once. While this method does work for some people, there are those of us who just can't handle that kind of change. I found myself forgetting some things that I had learned and then beating myself up because I missed something. I would then dump the whole process, practice my unhealthy habits for a while, and then try to start over. I was incredibly frustrated that I could not stick to a diet, and that nothing I did seemed to work for me. So, after some major frustration and meditation, I finally came up with some beginning steps that should help anybody who will go on this journey. In the coming weeks we will take some things step by step. Here, then, is step one.

READ LABELS ON EVERYTHING YOU BUY

It seems like such an easy thing, but it still hangs me up sometimes. Who wants to spend hours in the grocery store reading everything you pick up? OK, so I didn't start out reading everything. I split things into chunks. The goal is to educate yourself on what you are actually eating. I started with one product. I read every can of tomato sauce I could find. I learned that one brand contained only tomatoes and salt. I figured that was a good start since the others contained sugar, corn syrup, and other chemicals. Then a few weeks later a conversation with my sister led me to look for a product that only contained tomatoes. What I found was only tomato paste, not tomato sauce. So I experimented and found that equal parts tomato paste and water comes out the same consistency as tomato sauce. Now, every time I go to the store I read something new. Since I have been doing this for several months I have pretty much figured out what I can and can't buy according to my plan.

In addition to reading the labels, you should know what you are looking at.

This is a picture of the label on a can of cream of mushroom soup. The third ingredient is Modified Food Starch. I have no idea what that is or where it comes from. Also, there are some other things on the list that I do know about, but are not allowed on the plan that I am on. So I choose not to eat this anymore.

Sometimes this means that I have whole dinners that I don't eat anymore. I was using this soup for something that my husband calls "Green Chili Soup". I always ate the filling wrapped in a tortilla, since I don't eat wheat or corn anymore tortillas are out, so this dinner is out anyway. Sometimes it means I have learned to make something from scratch that I normally would buy. I have learned how to make chili, and this allows me to put what I want in it and leave out what I don't want. I have also been doing chicken stock from scratch. It is good for so many things and I can do big batches of it and split it up.

The end goal for me is to eat things as close to the way God made them as possible. So when I find something that I don't know what the ingredients are I find a way to either eliminate it or replace it. If you are just starting out though, you may not want to try to replace everything at once. The first step is to begin to educate yourself and learn to read those labels.

Hello!!

Welcome to the first post of "Healthy On A Budget"! I am so glad that you decided to come check this out. I hope that this blog is both relevant and helpful, so if you have any thoughts or comments please let me know.

To begin with I will briefly outline what I hope to share with you in this blog. It seems to me that people struggle with where to begin when they are trying to make changes and be healthier. The last thing you need is some random blogger trying to further confuse you and overwhelm you with information you don't know what to do with. I have waded through my fare share of blogs and books thinking, "What does this have to do with me?" or "How am I supposed to accomplish this?". With that in mind I have decided to break this down into four main categories. Each week I hope to provide information on a different category, touching on each one about once a month.

1. Understanding what you are eating and why. These will mostly be thoughts on nutrition. There will be some direction on what to look for on food labels and how to tell what is good, bad, or in between. As I learn more about nutrition and how it affects us, I will share more.

2. How to implement this information. This will mostly be recipes and tips on how you can save money on food that is good for you.

3. Alternatives methods of implementation. One of the things I have discovered on my own journey is the joy of gardening. If you are interested in growing you own food (and thereby saving yourself even more money) this is where I will share the things that I have learned. This is probably by far still my biggest challenge. There is so much I still don't understand about how to have a great garden, but I will share what I find as I go.

4. Miscellaneous. Because the point of this is how to be healthy with a limited budget I thought it might be helpful to throw in some other things that might help save money. I have learned how to make my own laundry soap. It might not be for everybody, but it has saved me some money which I turned around and spent on food items that I might not have been able to afford otherwise.

Now if you are thinking, "Who is this woman, and what does she know?". I will tell you. Nothing. Or at least almost nothing. I began my health and wellness journey in earnest a little over a year ago. It was hard. My husband and I don't make much money and I had to figure out what I could buy and not buy. I have learned a lot about what works for me, and I have had lots of help from people smarter than me. Also, part of my own process led me to return to school to work towards becoming a Registered Dietician. So everything I know right now, I have pretty much learned from experience. I am currently taking my first nutrition based class, "Vitamins, Herbs, and Supplements". As I learn I hope to share what I am learning with you.

Now, hopefully, you have an idea of what kind of road we are on. I hope you stay on this road with me and discover how you can be healthier, even if you are on a budget.