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simplicity is the ultimate sophistication

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real food

May 16, 2016 By Kristin No Comments



Happy Monday everyone!  Smile, you have a whole new week to do amazing things 🙂

Today’s balance post is all about food — real food.  I’m somewhat dismayed that I have to write a post about food entitled “real food,” but that’s the world we live in now, for better or worse.  

What’s real food?  Simple, it’s food that’s as close to its natural state as possible with minimal processing.  It’s the type of food you should be eating 90% of the time — the extra 10% reflects the fact that no one’s perfect … and sometimes a girl’s gotta have a cupcake.

Real food is what our bodies were meant to run on, and it’s no surprise that when I eat real food I feel better, have more energy, and am better able to maintain a healthy weight.   In terms of beauty benefits, if I’m following the 90% rule, I also notice a significant difference in the health and appearance of my hair, skin, and nails.  Why?

Well, first let’s examine what happens when we “process” our food.  Processing is simply shorthand for stripping down real food (and thereby eliminating key vitamins and minerals) and/or adding additional, often unnatural, ingredients to a food product.  Let’s take one of my favorite foods — peanut butter — as an example.  The peanut butter I purchase is all natural, and if you read the ingredients it lists “peanuts and salt,” that’s it, nothing else.  If you buy regular peanut butter, without the all natural label, you get a few extra ingredients.  One of the most popular brands of peanut butters contains the following ingredients: roasted peanuts, sugar, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (cottonseed, soybean and rapeseed) and salt.  One thing we certainly don’t need more of in our diets is sugar.  And, according to the FDA, partially hydrogenated oils, aka “trans fats,” raises the level of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol in the blood, increasing your risk of developing heart disease, the leading cause of death in men and women in the U.S.  I challenge you to actually read the labels on some of the foods you’re consuming on a daily basis.  Even seemingly healthy foods — boxed crackers, boxed cereal, granola, baked chips, cereal bars, etc. — contain added sugar, trans fats, and sodium.

In addition to unwanted additives, many of these products lose key nutrients during processing.  Real food (fruits, vegetables, nuts, unprocessed meats and grains) contains vitamins, minerals, essential fats, fiber, and phytochemicals that protect us from illness and disease, support muscle recovery, improve brain function, promote cell turnover (hello healthy, bright, illuminated skin!), and just generally make us feel more energetic.  When these key nutrients are stripped out or damaged during processing, you lose out on all these wonderful benefits.

So, how can you eat real food 90% of the time, especially  when so much of our food is processed?  As with many things in life, it really boils down to education and planning.  First, identify some foods you like that undergo little or no processing.  Second, plan out your daily or weekly meals.  Yes, it takes a bit of time, but it’s well worth it in the long run — a healthier you is a more energetic and efficient you.  Recognize that real food does not mean low fat, low carb, or low anything!  It just means real!  I eat cheese, nuts, chocolate, and peanut butter every single day.  These are all high fat foods, but I’m probably in the best shape of my life!  The key here, again, is to avoid processed foods.  You’ll be surprised by how much more satisfying real food is compared to processed foods.  The end result: you won’t eat as much, but you’ll still feel satiated — it’s like built in portion control. 

 

When I eat chocolate, I go for dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate.  Dark chocolate is minimally processed, contains half the sugar, is brimming with healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, and contains free-radical fighting antioxidants.  It doesn’t have added sugar or unhealthy trans fats.  

When I eat cheese, I eat real cheese —  not pasteurized process cheese food (wrapped single slices, for example), which is only required to contain 51% real cheese!  I don’t even want to know what makes up the other 49%.

If you want a cookie — grab a homemade one, made with real butter and real sugar.  Processed cookies and pastries often contain high fructose corn syrup–a chemically processed, cheap sugar alternative–rather than real sugar, and unhealthy trans fats that help increase food shelf life, but can also potentially take years off your life.    

Remember — always go back to what’s most natural, from the earth or animal, without added ingredients.  What to look for:

1) Meat/Dairy — unprocessed, hormone free.  Purchase brands that do not treat their cows with rBST/rBGH.  This information should be contained on the food label.  Try using plain yogurt rather than sweetened, and add your own fresh fruit for flavor.  If you need additional sweetness, try drizzling a bit of real honey on top!

2) Vegetables/Fruits — real and whole, and if not cost-prohibitive, organic without the use of pesticides.

3) Grains — try to stick to whole grains, which  have not been stripped of their hull or processed to remove the fiber.

4) Fats – stick to natural oils (olive oil, nut oils), real butter in lieu of margarine, and nuts.

5) If you can’t avoid processed foods entirely, look for minimally processed foods from brands that are committed to selling products without high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, artificial flavors or preservatives, msg, or genetically modified ingredients.  Trader Joe’s is one of my favorites for these sorts of products.

If you’ve never tried eating this way, or need some motivation to start up again, I urge you to try it for just a week!  I guarantee you’ll feel a difference in your mood and energy level even in that short amount of time.  Go a month, and you’ll see a difference in your hair and skin.  Make it two months, and I bet you’ll never go back!

Let me know how it goes — I’d love to hear from you 🙂

Yours, Kristin



essentials for a pretty and functional kitchen

 



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Hello, I’m Kristin

Hello, I’m Kristin

Welcome to my blog, The Crisp Little Lookbook! In this space, I offer tips on how to take an intentional and meaningful approach to everyday life, welcome simplicity, and celebrate femininity and beauty. Whether your goal is creating a warm, beautiful home, building a timeless wardrobe, graciously welcoming and entertaining guests, or preparing nutritious food your family will love, I encourage you to slow down, eliminate excess, and identify the beauty in the everyday ordinary.

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A guide to a more simple, organized & fulfilling life, 1 image at a time. Wife, mama to 3 under 5, recovering attorney & lover of all things neutral.
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Looking for a quick, healthy, and satisfying break Looking for a quick, healthy, and satisfying breakfast?  Only requirement: you must love dill! 

Crack two eggs in a bowl, add a splash of milk, and whisk until fully combined.

Heat a mini skillet (I linked to a few of my favorites here) to medium heat and add a small dab of butter, coating the bottom of the pan. 

Add the egg mixture to the skillet and cover. Reduce heat to medium-low, and let cook 2-3 minutes.  Check that egg is cooked through (you may need to cover and let cook another minute or two). Gracefully (Julia Child-style), flip the egg over, then add shredded dill havarti, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt (love @maldonsalt ). Cover and let cook about one minute more (just until cheese has melted). 

Remove from pan to plate and sprinkle with fresh chopped dill. 

Serve with toast or your favorite fruit!  And if you want to add a little healthy fat to the mix, top with half an avocado.

Bon appétit! 💛

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“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatev “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” 
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It can be incredibly difficult in our post-modern culture to fill our minds with beautiful, just, and honorable things. It seems as if we’re in a race to see who can best glorify the grotesque.  Pop culture hasn’t met a boundary it isn’t willing to breach. It indulges and celebrates the darkest elements of humanity… music, movies, art, architecture … they don’t even attempt to stir your soul anymore, they’re focused on one thing, and one thing only: defiance.  Defiance against all that is good, beautiful, and true. 

One of the primary reasons I spend so much time creating beauty in our home is because I want it to be a refuge from the madness outside. I want my children to feel the goodness in this space, and to see evidence of God’s grace, creativity, and power. I want them to live everyday what the Apostle Paul commanded in his letter to the Philippians. 

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Hi 💛 Hi 💛
If you want to create beautiful things you need to If you want to create beautiful things you need to consciously surround yourself with beauty … starting with your workspace!  I finally got mine in working order, and I’m in love with this cabinet … it’s actually meant for a bathroom vanity, but why not an art supply cabinet?? 💛 #creatingbeautifulspaces 

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Preheat oven to 450F … briskly whisk 3 eggs & 1 1/2 cups whole milk in a large bowl. Then whisk in 1 1/2 cups flour & 1/2 tsp salt until all lumps are broken up and dissolved.  Mix in 2 Tbsp melted butter & 1 tsp sugar. 

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Hello! Well, after a very long drawn out sick per Hello!  Well, after a very long drawn out sick period (anyone else dealing with post-COVID monster viruses?!), we’re back … but with some changes. After giving it much thought, I’ve decided to give the blog a pause for awhile. 

I’ll still share weekly looks, home inspo, and nuggets of wisdom, but it’ll all be here and on Pinterest. 

One of the biggest challenges we all face, myself included, is how to manage our time, prioritize what we cherish most, and accomplish our goals. While I enjoy the blog, managing it has taken precious time away from other goals. If I’m honest, goals I’ve been too afraid to pursue. No more.  I’ve been wanting to start an art business and write a book (or two) for awhile. It’s clear to me that the blog has become a pleasant distraction, and a place for me to hide. 

Finding time for my husband, three small children, part-time homeschool, endless activities, a part-time law professorship, and creating a beautiful space to call home takes time and work. I don’t outsource much, I do it all. 

And to all the other full-time mamas out there, while many people may look at your life and think, “what does she do all day?”, you know the truth.  It’s work. It’s tough. I’ve done both — full-time as a lawyer and full-time as a mommy.  Homemaking and mothering is so often unnoticed and taken for granted, but I truly believe it’s the most important work.  And one day, the fruits of your labor will be realized. 

In the meantime, be ruthless with your free time.  Paint the picture. Start the business. Write the book.  Time passes so quickly … make the most of it 💛
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