You would probably not have a hard time since you are already reading labels. I have cut out HFCS and all hydrogenated oils. When I buy oil for baking I buy canola, but I try to use butter whenever I can. Basically it means making some things myself. I have a breadmaker that I have started using again. I can buy bread, but that is one of the hardest things to find. I have to go to Wild Oats or a bakery. Target has one (archer farms brand), but it is sold out a lot of the time.
If you try to think "real" food, that will be it basically in a nutshell. Real maple syrup is o.k., Mrs. Butterworths is not. Real butter is o.k., Parkay is not. Lots of convenience foods are made with "fake" stuff, but there is getting to be more and more available. Looking for organic is good. Those are generally within our guidelines. I find a lot at Costco.
A lot of the stuff is more expensive so it will seem at first like you are going to be spending tons more on food. What I have found is that when you factor in the lack of craving it 24/7 the stuff lasts longer. We have some fruit leather (our replacement for fruit snacks) that I bought at the begining of summer that the girls forgot were there. It's not that they don't like them, they just don't beg for snack food the way they used to.
You just have to read every label at first. I have been shocked at the places I have found it. Some things that I considered healthy are hiding a lot of "junk" in them! I just wanted to do this for my girls. I want them to want to eat right. I don't want it to be a punishment like it was for me when I was a kid.
You know I decided a while ago that like my weight loss attempts and exercise SOMETHING is better than nothing. We switched to organic milk years ago when Lily stopped nursing she was on soy but she had real milk ONE time and that was it so we switched the whole family to organic.
When Lily started day care I started buying whole wheat bread at the bakery and fresh ground peanut butter and jelly sweetened w/ fruit juice only (polaners is DELICIOUS!!!)
We buy the MOST important organics, like dairy and apples most whole food stores will have a list of the 10 fruits and veggies w/ the most pesticides or you can find it online. Apples is in the top 3 I think. Since Lily eats them almost everyday w/ lunch it is more important for me to buy organic apples than an organic item that we use only once in a while. Some weeks I am financially able to buy more than others so I try to make smart choices.
Has anyone read the book Gorgeously Green? I loved it. It really targets those of us who want to make small changes in eating healthy and recycling...doing things that are better for your body and the earth.
Denise, I wish you didn't feel bad or freakish about your choice to eat healthier..When Lily was 3 mo. old she got a respiratory infection. They switched her antibiotics 3 times in as many months and she was still sick. My family does air conditioning and my husband has attended a LOT of indoor air quality (IAQ) classes. He came home from one a few years (about 3 exactly) and came home one day and said "Our house is making Lily sick" We had a new house w/ fresh paint and new carpet tons of materials that are known to off gas. He threw out every chemical cleaner we had (I would like to point out here that this is not environmentally sound and you should use up what you have under your sink and recycle the bottles or dispose of the stuff at a hazardous waste site) and I have been cleaning w/ vinegar, baking soda, lemons and some store bought cleaners that are environmentally safe. We have a well where we live so we didn't like the thought of our waste water going into the ground above our aquifer all full of chemicals so we started using biodegradable detergents and soaps.
People don't understand it. EVERYONE I know has asked why I haven't had pest control out to take care of the ants and sometimes our yard doesn't look as good as the neighbors b/c we don't use weed killers or pesticides BUT I am confident that I am doing what is best for my family and my house and the furry little woodland creatures that live all around ( I live in the woods, kinda)
Sorry that was long... I just wanted you to know that I understand your plight. I also had to take away many of the things you did for Gavin (though we really didn't do it in depth like you but we should've) b/c he still wets the bed so it's NO caffeine, NO sugar, NO Dairy, NO acidic fruits. b/c they all irritate the bladder, we just weren't very good at it.
Here are my first attemps at sewing clothes (Istarted a week ago after finding this thread). My daughter is not the best model as you will see, she is pretty grumpy about it!
This is a simple pre-shirred that was a good confidence booster.
Here is an attemp at a skirt, but ended up a dress since it was too long.
This one is a little big but I am happy with it.
My first shirred top! I am pretty excited to learn how to do this. It took a few attempts.
This is my first attempt with a pattern. I used a shorts pattern and a loosly followed a pillowcase pattern for the top. (I got this idea from a previous post, I hope that is OK).
I hope this works! Let me know what you think.
WOW, what an excellent job!!! I wished some of my early stuff had come out this good. BRAVO!!! We're so glad you're here.
HEY! That was MY princess outfit you CASE'd!
Most of us are flattered to be CASE'd.
I want to report that I have successfully been watching what I eat for 2 days and am feeling very good and confident about it.
Thanks for the support guys!
...t.
Can't wait to see what you come up with next.
You did a great job! I'm impressed you got so much done in a short time. 
) Crystal Light, so I don't have to taste that yucky WDW water.
my tourguide! 
)
Why are 5 year olds so odd?
Thanks to everyone who picked up a project for this GIVE or sent some pixie dust to our MAW family
