new diet: thoughts on longevity

One thing I'm coming to grips with is the fact that I want to prioritize "hippie eating." This means organic produce and "organic" dairy (meaning, dairy coming from cows that are hormone- and BHG-free). I'm more and more convinced that monitoring the chemicals and pesticides that go into our bodies is the best way to protect my health and my son's health.

It's hard to come to grips with this new priority, given the fact that I'm on a very tight budget. I'm taking some solace in the fact that the grocery budget for both of us will not be much more than for one person, at least for a while. Maybe by the time Gabriel is eating enough to make a dent in the groceries, I'll be in a better place financially.

I'm also willing to try out some meat-free dinners, which will cut down on how much $$$$$$$$ meat I need to buy to get through the week. I've never been able to stomach beans, but I'm gonna give them another go. This may be easiest to start in the winter, when I can fool myself with soups.

In addition, I'm turning up some decent sources for good food. There's a local co-op, a network of farms that will deliver pretty much anything I could want ("rural NC" is not very far away), and this town is about as good as it gets for this diet in this state in terms of most offerings and fewest hairy eyeballs.

It also helps that I'm on this annoying diet. Because I have to cut out all grains and sweeteners for a whole month, I'll have a good shot at really kicking the bad-food habit and adjusting to things like baking my own bread and making pretty much everything from scratch (not to mention reading labels). Mom and I are going to try baking some stuff using non-grain flours in the next day or so, which will be my first foray into using things like almond flour to make muffins.

It's not going to be easy. In a lot of ways, I feel like I am gearing up to fight a losing battle for the rest of my life. But ultimately, this is important. It may be the most important thing I can do for my boy's earthly future.