Find the first 6 steps in yesterday's post...

Written by Rachel, Contributing Writer

7. Have a Quiet Time with Gratitude and Prayer

We are wives, we are mothers, we are always serving others and sometimes we forget to serve or spend time with the Lord. Having a quiet time helps us to understand the grace He has given us so we can extend that grace to others including our little ones.

We're also able to pour our concerns on Him and we begin to have a healthier positive mindset by getting into the Word. We are able to give Him gratitude and pray as well. This is something I need to work on more and as I adjust my schedule I am going to make certain I do this.

Action step: choose an devotional book or a book of the Bible to read during your quiet time and make it a priority to spend time with the Lord everyday. As soon as you wake up in the morning, give God thanks for 10 things in your life. Here are 3 tips to make it little easier in the morning

8. Set Goals

God gave all of us dreams and I'm not talking about having a million dollars or unattainable dreams that are most likely only fantasies. He put the dreams in your heart and wants you to accomplish them, He wants the best for you! Zig Zigler states it best when he says "Every choice you make has an end result."

When you set goals you figure out your priorities. Some goals include: spiritual, family, physical health, financial, and even how to be a better mother/wife and your purpose. Write your goals out, make a plan, and take action steps or choices towards those goals. For example, if you have always wanted to write a blog, well you need to write that down and make steps towards that goal.

Action step: check out Money Saving Mom's post about deciding your goals and this free printable goal worksheet here

9. Spend Time With Your Family (including date nights and time by yourself)

Family time is so vital. It gives you an opportunity to celebrate, to talk about faith and pray together, time to make memories, and impact your little ones lives. Your children need to know they are heard and loved.

It is not the school or church's job to teach your children. It is our job and what better way to teach life experiences than by doing life with your family, teaching them what is means to be a man or women of God by being an example or showing them how to make healthy choices by choosing to make healthy meals.

photo credit

This goes along with number 4 yesterday, you have to schedule family time or you might get wrapped up in everything else that you neglect family time. We are about to open a new business and we're both concerned about juggling family time with owning a growing business so we sat down the other night and made out schedule which included blocks of family time. "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail" and I don't want to fail at having family time.

You also need to have time to yourself as a mother as well as dates with your husband to keep your fire burning and to reconnect.

Action step: start with adding 2 hours of family time  every week and try to eat 4 meals (at the dinner table) together. If you already do those, set up some family devotion times or challenge your family in some way. Take a date with your hubby this month, here are some frugal ideas for dates at home

10. Do Your Research

If you are reading this post, it's likely that you do your research and find out ways to better your health and family. Do not just listen to what someone including your mom, your medical doctor, your school or anyone else tells you to do or think. Research what ever it is that you are trying to figure out before just taking someones word for it. Some people may mean the best but may be misinformed.

How and why to research:  I'm sure you have questions, they could be about faith, family, health, etc. Make a plan to figure out answers, ask friends and family, research online and on blogs (most bloggers aren't professionals but write what they do and what works for them, so try to find bloggers whose opinions you feel you can trust).

Once you get opinions from others or professionals, dig deeper or even get second opinions if you have to. Pray about it and make your own conclusions! When you research you become a more informed consumer as well being able to stand firm in your decisions.

Action step: What questions do you have? what are you concerned about? Choose one of them and research about it, find the answers and share about it with us!

11. Get Enough Sleep

It's a no-brainer that getting enough sleep is important to your health and well being. You know this but it doesn't mean you actually get enough sleep or even understand why.

Getting enough sleep helps you to be a happy and healthy mom or wife or both and helps you to function properly and have a good attitude. Here are 8 tips for getting quality sleep which describes the benefits and what you can do to get enough sleep.

Action step: the Mayo Clinic suggests 7-9 hours of sleep, compare how much sleep you are getting and if it's not within the recommended amount write down steps you can take to get more sleep

12. Optimum Nerve Supply

You may be thinking, what in the world is she talking about? God created our bodies in a unique way, he put the power to health and healing in our brains.

For you to do anything, to birth your babies, your scabs or broken bones to heal, to breathe or your heart to beat, your brain sends messages down your spinal cord and out through the nerves to every tissue, cell and organ in your body. All of that is happening now as you read this post. That is your nervous system at work.

photo credit

The proper alignment of your spine is what controls the health of your nervous system. There are all kinds of things that can cause misalignment's in your spine that are not allowing your body to function properly, that could be causing headaches, your children's ear infections, and sickness or even other problems.

Through chiropractic adjustments, the body can restore proper function. Chiropractic care is for everyone including kids, read more about our story here. Our children have been adjusted since birth, so we attribute them not getting sick very much to that.

Action step: start by reading more about wellness chiropractors then get your family's health evaluated from a wellness chiropractor.

I hope you will take some of these steps to a healthier life and live to your fullest. The best things we can do are to write things down, make a plan of action to get goals accomplished, get back up if we fail fall, get support from our friends and family and to start walking those steps towards a more maximized life!

What helps you to stick with goals that you set? How do you intend to work towards your new goals for 2012?

Top image by lachlan

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

• 12 Steps to a Healthier Life in 2012
• Managing Life as a Work-at-Home Mom: How to Juggle It All, Part 1
• Serving Our Husbands Through a Nourishing Diet, Part 2
• Setting up a cash system- Part 2

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Written by Rachel, Contributing Writer

It's January, so we all know what that means... New Year's Resolutions.

Did you know that according to Time Magazine, most of these so-called resolutions fail after 9-10 days? So, if your wrote any you probably already stopped or quit one or more of them. Dictionary.com defines resolution as a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.

A couple of reasons why we fail at resolutions are we're too busy and we're too broad. What we need to do is say exactly what our goal is and how we will accomplish it. We need to take baby steps, and not think "all or nothing!" Sometimes I fall into the pit of giving up because I'm not doing what I should be or what I think I should be doing. I say don't make resolutions! Take steps towards the goals or "resolutions" you want to accomplish. 

Let's take exercise for example. Maybe starting or exercising more is one of your goals, so start by making small attainable steps towards that goal like walk this week, then next week walk twice, then after a while you can jog, and so on. We are all on the fast track, we have a want "it" now mindset, but taking steps towards a healthier life takes time, mostly because you have to break old habits.

I have come up with steps to take to become healthier this year. Steps that I believe will help in all aspects of life: Emotionally, Mentally, Physically, Spiritually, and they are steps I want to take (and improve on) to become healthier this year as well!

Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern the will of God, which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

1. Choose Whole Foods

If you are a reader here at Keeper of the Home, this is no secret to you! Whole Foods are the most nourishing foods you can give your body. I heard this quote somewhere, "If it's natural eat it, if it's not, stay away from it."

Our bodies were created to eat God food, not Man food. God foods are whole foods like: fruits, vegetables, herbs, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, whole grains, and healthy fats. Man foods are: overly processed "food" with ingredients you can't read, with additives like msg, food dyes, artificial flavors and sweeteners, refined sugar and the list goes on.

For example, Kraft Mac & Cheese, McDonald's chicken nuggets, Coke, or Cheetos among a kazillion other things are some man foods.

photo credit: Kath Eats Real Food

I'm not saying you should never eat processed foods, but an important step to take would be to read the ingredients. Find out if the ingredients have whole foods that are going to nourish you and your body. To read more about baby steps in the right direction, click here or to find list of healthy sources click here.

Action step: replace man food with God food

2. Think Positively

This is pretty self explanatory, but if you are thinking negatively about things, it's not a surprise that you are not living to your fullest. Is your glass half empty or half full? Moses thought he wasn't good enough and gave many excuses to God why he wasn't but God didn't care, He had a purpose for Moses.

Remember that God has a plan for you, too, and leave the negative self talk behind.  The Mayo Clinic reports that Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive tinging and optimism on health. Health benefits that postive thinking may include:

• Increased life span
• Lowers rates of depression
• Lowers rates of distress
• Greater resistance to the common cold
• Better psychological and physical well-being
• Reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease
• Better coping skilles during hardships and times of stress  {source}

3. Make Time to Exercise

The benefits of a little exercise far out weigh my "I don't feel like it" excuses but sometimes I still put it on the back-burner, however, if this is one your goals, which it is one of mine, I hope you will find time to do it.

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There are simple ways to incorporate more exercise into your daily routine. Try exercise videos from your library. Mindy from The Purposed Heart says she loves to do the videos with her one year old and loves seeing him have so much fun. Do activities you enjoy and even get your kids involved; when the weather is nice take a walk with them.

If you only have 10 minutes in your day, try burst training. Exercise helps maintain a healthy weight, combats health conditions and disease, helps you to sleep better, helps reduce depression, boosts your energy levels and makes you feel better about yourself.

Action step: take 15 minutes two days this week to do some kind of physical activity

4. Follow a Schedule

To be short and sweet, every second in the day has a purpose, whether it is nursing a baby, washing the dishes, writing a blog post, or eating dinner. If you don't make a plan, than you may be losing valuable time.

I know this is very true for me, sometimes I find myself at the end of the day saying "what did I get done?" Sometimes, I didn't need to get anything done but to spend time with my little ones, but other times I find that I spent too much time on facebook instead of doing x, y and z. No schedule should be set in stone but having one that is used as a guideline helps you get more things done that you want to get done and brings order to the home.

Action step: start by using Ann Voskamp's The Daily Draft to get on a daily schedule

5. Reduce Toxins

Toxins are poisons and the are found everywhere in our everyday lives. There are so many that we simply cannot remove all of them but we can reduce them. Toxins are found in the environment, in the foods we eat, and even what we clean our home with. These toxins are hazardous to our health and cause sickness and disease.

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I know that can sound overwhelming, but you can take baby steps to find out more about where toxins are and how to remove them.

Action step: replace your conventional household cleaners with natural ones or even make your own

6. Use Natural Personal Care Products and Home Cleaners

Number 5 above pretty much summarizes the need to use natural beauty and house cleaners. Your skin is your largest organ and it soaks up everything you put on it and/or it exposed to.

Just as there are warnings against second hand smoke, the hazardous labels on these products should say that the fumes are toxic and your skin soaks them up. Stephanie, Keeper of the Home owner and editor wrote an informative post here that explains even more about personal care products.

Action step: switch one of your make-up products to a natural brand

Tomorrow we'll continue on with the last 6 steps to a healthier life... 

What are some baby steps that you plan to take towards healthier, more natural living this year?

Top image by lachlan

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

• 12 Steps to a Healthier Life in 2012, Part 2
• Managing Life as a Work-at-Home Mom: How to Juggle It All, Part 1
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• 5 Steps to Being a Lazy Gardener

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Do you ever get tired of it all?

Have you read an article on nutrition or being green, and found that your eyes began to glaze over as you thought, blah, blah, blah? Does the garbage sometimes seem like a more convenient option than the compost? Do you just want to break down and buy toothpaste that doesn’t cost $5 a tube?

Sometimes I do.

And I'd venture to guess that I'm not the only one.

Today at Simple Organic I'm exploring what I call "natural living fatigue". I talk about some of the reasons that we become weary of living a healthier lifestyle and what we can do to prevent that feeling of burn out.

What about you? Do you ever get tired of natural living? Why do you think it happens and what do you do about it?

Image by santian

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The Leake family photographed by: www.shannancasper.com

Written by Lisa Leake, Guest Writer

At the beginning of last year our eating habits were just like those of any other average family. We thought we were making fairly healthy food choices, although we certainly didn’t mind the occasional fast food meal or bag of chips. Then came a series of events, including an Oprah show, a book by Michael Pollan, and the documentary Food Inc., which forever changed the way we looked at food.

As it turned out, a lot of what we thought were “healthy” food choices were actually highly processed and not the best choices at all. I felt compelled to make some immediate and drastic changes to our diet, but I honestly didn’t know where to begin. I lost a lot of sleep over what I would feed my family if I could no longer rely on Goldfish, Suckers, Whitewheat Bread, and Fruit Snacks.

So, after some extensive research and a lot of label reading, my “all or nothing” personality decided to take my entire family, including my husband and our three- and five-year-old daughters, on the journey of our lives.

100 Days of Real Food

Beginning in May 2010, our family started a blog called “100 Days of Real Food” where we promised to go 100 long days without eating a single ounce of highly processed food or refined ingredients. We devised some basic rules to live by including no white flour, no sugar, and nothing out of a package with more than 5 ingredients. I started blogging about the highs and lows of our journey online in the hopes that we could inspire others to follow along.

The response from both readers and the media was amazing, but there was one piece of feedback we could not ignore. While everyone thought real, local, organic food sounded great they also thought it sounded too expensive. So once we completed our initial real food pledge we decided to take another 100-day pledge except this time we did it on a “food stamp” budget. For $125 a week our family of four survived on real food and real food only.

While our experience was of course difficult at times I just had to prove this could be done. What I did not expect were the amazing changes to our health or the profound and surprisingly permanent impact on our eating habits. After focusing on foods that are more the product of nature rather than, as Pollan says, “the product of industry” this new way of life has finally become our new normal.

I know there are many other families out there that want to transition from highly processed to real, wholesome, local, organic, fresh food as well, which is why I created three extremely detailed meal plans to help them get started.

Here’s what you can expect from these FREE 100 Days of Real Food Meal Plans:

• Three 7-day practical “real food” menu plans designed for busy families
• Complete meals listed each day for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner
• Food quantities calculated for a family of four
• Corresponding grocery lists showing what to buy (in order of the store) and total cost for each item
• Budget-friendly prices compatible with what a family of four would receive on full food stamp (SNAP) benefits – $167/week – with additional cost saving opportunities because:
  • Coupons were not used
  • Sales prices were not used
  • Prices for organic items were used in most cases
• All underlined recipes are available on 100DaysofRealFood.com – check out the Recipes & Resources Page for a full list
• All recipes are working mom/dad-friendly, including tips on what to make in advance over the weekend
• Almost every item listed follows our strict “real food” rules (including no white flour or refined sugar!), with just a few minor exceptions to keep the plan realistic for those busy working parents

Here’s the scoop on how to download these three FREE meal plans:

1. Go to the “Meal Plans” link on the 100 Days of Real Food Facebook Page
2. Click “like” if you are not already a fan
3. Click on the image you would like to download. The top image is “Meal Plan 1,” the middle image is “Meal Plan 2,” and the bottom image is “Meal Plan 3”

Are there others out there who have also recently jumped into a "real food" lifestyle? What did the transition look like for you?

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

• Real Food on a Real Budget: Using Cash
• Eat More Real Food: Take Inventory of Your Pantry
• Organization in the Real Food Kitchen: Menu Planning
• Cook More Real Food: May 20th-June 12th

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Are you still new to real food or making slow but sure changes? Would you love to have a simple, affordable resource that will give you more info, more resources and more recipes and kitchen how-to's?

Many of you have already met Kate as one of the fantastic contributing writers here at Keeper of the Home, or perhaps you've visited her blog, Modern Alternative Mama.

Passionate about sharing the things she has been learning, and that have changed her family's health dramatically, she has written a stellar handbook called In the Kitchen- Real Food Basics for those in the early stages of their "real food" journey. When I reviewed this book, I knew that it would do well because it is so readable, full of helpful and inspiring information, and offers easy cooking ideas with recipes that are both frugal and family-friendly.

Even better, the cost is a mere $6.95. It doesn't get much more affordable than that! I know that for many of you, you've been drawn to the eCourses on real food and longed to take one, but you're in a very tight place financially. This eBook might be the right option for you!

Keeper of the Home readers can pick up their own copy with the coupon code "KOTH25" for an extra 25% off!

To help you get to know Kate, her own real food journey, and her new eBook just a little bit better, I've asked her a few questions:

1) How did you first become aware of real food and what did that mean to you at the time?

“Real food” actually slowly dawned on me. We always tried to eat well, and a lot of “fake” foods just never made sense to me. I couldn’t wrap my head around how some artificial sweetener could be better than sugar, or why I would want to eat margarine instead of butter. I went back and forth.

I tried to eat lots of greens, things without added sugar, real meat (instead of processed lunchmeats), plain milk, etc. Basically things that looked like food. But I was still fooled by fortified foods, low-fat foods, etc.

2) What does real food mean to you now?

It was after we realized my daughter had so many allergies and issues with foods and additives that we started to find “real food,” though, as defined by the “real food movement.” We ultimately found out she could tolerate food that had been raised and prepared traditionally, which was a huge relief!

So to us it means grown naturally (without pesticides), animals raised on pasture, food that’s processed as little as possible (raw milk), and which has been traditionally prepared (sprouting, soaking, fermenting).

3) What prompted you to write this book and who did you write it for?

I have a lot of friends, and a lot of readers, who come to me and say, “I’m new to this whole real food thing and it’s confusing. I need beginners’ tips. Also, I have family members who are wary of all these changes.” This book was written for them.

It’s meant to be a beginner’s guide. It explains why you should make changes to your diet in the simplest possible way (there’s a lot of food science there but most aren’t interested in reading through so much of it, at least not at first), how to do it, and it contains lots of familiar recipes.

I know that a lot of people who are starting to make the switch feel deprived of their favorite foods, which makes them less likely to stick with the changes. This book has recipes for pizza, ice cream, French fries, cookies, meatballs, and tons of other familiar family favorites! They don’t contain weird, hard to find ingredients, either.

The book is only 66 pages long, so it’s not a time-consuming read. It’s not expensive, either. I wanted something that people could feel good about trying without spending a ton of time or money on. Why not try it?

Image by thebittenword

4) What is your favorite recipe in the book?

Gosh…to pick just one! Probably the chicken marinade, because it’s so versatile. I’ve used it for a number of different recipes (several options are mentioned in the book). It’s simple to prepare, involves ingredients I always have around, and delicious. I do love many of the recipes in the book, though!

5) What one thing do you wish you could tell the world about real food?

Real food doesn’t have to be weird, or hard, or “specific.” What’s on each family’s dinner table can look entirely different and entirely “normal,” and yet still be so nourishing and delicious. You don’t have to be deprived, you don’t have to eat unusual things like oysters and liver (though both are very good!) in order to be healthy. You can still have all your favorites, with small modifications. It can be simple, recognizable, delicious, and healthy!

Would you like to win a copy of In the Kitchen- Real Food Basics eBook?

I have 3 copies to give away! Here's how to get entered to win (remember to leave a separate comment for each entry):

1) Leave a comment and tell me why you would like to win this book!

2) Subscribe to Kate's blog Modern Alternative Mama, as well as to Keeper of the Home, either by RSS or by email (or let me know if you already do).

3) Share about this giveaway on your blog, or through your favorite social media (you can find Keeper of the Home on Facebook and Twitter). One extra entry per social media share.

Giveaway ends Monday, November 1st, 2010. Giveaway has now ended.

Top image by Bill HR

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We've all agreed that we tend to eat too much sugar, that we crave it, and that we want to learn to eat less of it (or even none at all- don't miss tomorrow's post!).

So here's the really challenging part... how do we do that, practically speaking?

There is a lot of information out there about the dangers of sugar, it's effect on our bodies, and much more. For these posts, I purposefully chose not to get all educational on you, and instead, focus on real, everyday ideas and solutions!

(But, do look at the bottom of the post for more educational resources and links)

21 Ways to Eat Less Sugar

Image by yogma

Use Better Sweeteners

• Replace your white or brown sugar with an unrefined, dehydrated sugar, like Sucanat or Rapadura. Yes, it's still sugar but that one change still makes a difference by somewhat reducing the dramatic blood sugar effect, giving your body at least a few nutrients in the process, and avoiding the high temperature and chemical process used to create regular sugar.
• Use fruit as a sweetener. Substitute some of the sugar and liquids in a recipe with ripe bananas, apple sauce, pineapple, or other fruit puree. Dried fruits like dates, raisins and figs add wonderful sweetness to foods.
• Try Stevia. This herb, originally from South America, is extremely sweet by nature but without any calories or sugar-like effects on the body, and you can use as little as a couple drops to sweeten a mug of tea or a few teaspoons in a dessert. It does have a somewhat bitter aftertaste, depending on the type you use. Unrefined foods are always best, and you can buy Stevia as a simple dried powder. Personally, we use this sometimes, but my husband only likes a particular brand of Stevia with absolutely no aftertaste (NuNaturals liquid). It is refined, but it works for us.
• Use raw honey. Although it is still a sweetener and can be overused like anything, raw honey is full of nutrients, enzymes, and actually has many healing properties. It is lower glycemically than sugar, and many people who react to sugar strongly can eat honey without issue.

These are just a few of the alternative sweeteners out there. For a more thorough overview of natural sweetener options, see this post from The Nourishing Gourmet.

Image by Siona Watson

Replacing Sweets with Healthier Treats

• Replace "like with like". This is a common phrase you'll hear from me, because I believe that we make the transition to healthier choices easier when we find better alternatives that are similar to things we already like. This is an old post with a bunch of sweet tooth ideas that are just a little bit different.
• Learn to use fruit as a dessert. In North America we have a tendency to make our desserts very sugar, grain and dairy focused (and don't forget the chocolate). But in many other parts of the world, fruits have a starring role in treats. Think fruit crumbles or cobblers, lightly poached peaches, homemade apple sauce, fresh berries with cream, fruit salad, or fruit smoothies. One of my very favorite desserts is simply peeled and sliced pears, fried lightly in a pan with just a bit of water, a sprinkle of cinnamon and some toasted nuts, especially pine nuts. It's surprisingly fantastic!
• Choose savory grains instead of sweetened ones. Sometimes a lovely slice of warm bread and butter can satisfy as much as a sweet treat. Yes, it is made with grains which are still carbohydrates, but the effect on our body is so much better.

Use Less Sugar in General

• Cut back on the sugar in your recipes. Start to cut back just a bit, perhaps 1/5 or 1/6 the amount, then 1/4, 1/3, even 1/2. See at which point you really start to notice a difference. Over time, you will likely find that you enjoy the less-sweetened version!
• Be purposeful about cutting meals out of your regular routine that include sugar. If you usually eat a lot of pancakes with syrup, or muffins, or even things like sweetened baked beans, try cutting out one or more of those meals each week. Substitute with something more protein or veggie based instead.
• Try Stevia as a sugar replacement in your drinks. I think that sweetened beverages are one of the places where we consume the most sugar, in the most un-conscious way. Just replacing the sugar in your drinks with Stevia can cut down your sugar intake more than you might think. It's great in hot drinks like coffee or tea, as well as for making lemonade or limeade, in iced teas, etc.
• Try other more complex flavors instead of just going with something sweet. Add fresh or frozen fruit, nuts, coconut, etc. to your oatmeal instead of just honey or brown sugar. Play around with various fresh fruits to add more natural sweetness to smoothies. Use nut butters and a sprinkle of cinnamon instead of jam on toast.
• Make sourdough bread instead of bread that uses honey or sugar. It tastes amazing, is so cheap to make, and is just as satisfying (check out the Sourdough eCourse that I am currently reviewing- it's so helpful!)

Image by Matthew F

Dealing with Social Situations and Celebrations

• Fill up on a really good dinner or wholesome snack, BEFORE you leave the house. If you're less hungry, you'll be less tempted.
• If you are truly attempting to stop eating sugar altogether, mention to your hosts beforehand (if it's an appropriate situation to do so) that they needn't prepare any desserts or sweet treats, because you are trying to stay off of them.
• Offer to bring something that you know you'll feel good about eating, like a fruit or veggie platter, some hummus and bread, deviled eggs, chips and salsa, etc. Others will likely appreciate a non-sweet item in the mix. I am always pleased at church functions when I see that the savory treats or the bowl of mandarins are the most popular in the midst of the brownies, cookies and bars.
• Have a special treat waiting for yourself at home when you know that you will be somewhere with no sugar-free alternatives. Instead of feeling tempted all night, you'll feel better knowing that something yummy awaits you.
• Allow yourself a small piece of something, or just choose one item that looks the very best. Savor that one thing slowly, and really enjoy it, even if others around you have a plateful.

Will Power and Mind Games :)

• Have treat days, where you can "cheat" and have a splurge food. It's easier to go sugar-free for several days knowing that on Friday, you can indulge without guilt. Try having several cheat days each week at first, then down to only one, and ultimately limit yourself to only sweet alternatives except in very special situations.
• Simply go cold turkey and force yourself to find other options when you're feeling hungry or snackish. Personally, I like going cold turkey, because there's absolutely no room for compromise; I simply can't have it. For others, this is sheer torture and will cause them to cave, so it's not the right strategy for everyone.
• In tough situations, remind yourself of the reasons you are doing this. It may help to write them on an index card and put it on your fridge, or perhaps keep it in your wallet.
• Brush your teeth right after eating a meal, so that you won't be tempted to eat something sugary and have to go and brush your teeth again.

Further Resources:

At Tiffany's Table- This is a book I got this spring, trading my Real Food on a Real Budget for a copy of Tiffany Perez' wonderful real food cookbook. She avoids regular sugar, share tips for going sugar-free (some of which inspired me for this post), and many, many recipes to help you along the way.

Beyond Sugar- From GNOWFGLINS, this was part of a series last year. Overcoming the Withdrawal Symptoms of Going Without Sugar and Snack Ideas are both helpful posts to read.

Use Less Refined Sugar and Get the Refined Sugar Out- Both from @ Kitchen Stewardship's series Get the Junk Out!

Naturally Knocked Up- Donielle's recent video, Sugar is the S Word, and she also did a Sugar Detox Challenge a while back. She also has a few of her own thoughts on dealing with sugar cravings.

What helps you to eat less sugar?

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

• How to Prepare for Going on the GAPS Diet
• Cutting Down on Sugar: Why Do We Eat It So Much?
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Written by Emily McClements, Contributing Writer

If there's anything you should know about me, it's that I'm all about taking baby steps.  Most of the changes that we have made in our lives and around our home, have been made by making small changes that add up to much bigger overall change in our lives.

Sometimes I wish I was one of those people that dove head first into something and went all out, changing everything seemingly overnight, but that's just not really practical or possible for me and my family in this season of life.  I’m thinking that’s probably true for many of you too.

What holds us back from making really big, quick changes?

First, there are time constraints.

Making changes usually involves a little bit of a learning curve and you need time for the changes you have made to become part of your habits and routine.  Until that happens, new things will probably take a little more time then your old way of doing things.  Especially when you have children, there’s not a lot of extra time to devote to making big changes.

Then there is the problem of information and knowledge.

Often, when there is an area that I want to make a change in, it’s usually something that I have read a little bit about, but still feel like I need to learn more about it before I jump in and make a complete change.  I like to do some research into things when I can, and I like to know that I'm making the most informed decision that I can make.  But, there's also the problem information overload.  We all know there is WAY too much information out there about anything we could possibly care to know about.  Sometimes I feel like I have too much information and it can be overwhelming to the point that I feel like I can't make a decision, or make a change, at all.

Finally, you may meet some resistance.

Sometimes you can be really excited about an idea, or about a change that you want to make in your family's life, but your children, or your hubby, are not quite as enthusiastic about it as you are, or might be downright opposed to the change you are trying to make.  There are some things that it's probably not a good idea for you to just make an executive decision about, without the support of your family.

So, in the midst of time constraints, information gathering, or information overload, and resistance to change, how can you go about making real, lasting and impactful change in your family and home life?

I think you already know what I'm going to say here…

Baby Steps

It really is all about the Baby Steps.

Photo by catatronic

Dealing with Time Constraints

Making a small change doesn't require as much time and effort as a larger change.  And small changes can often become habits fairly quickly, so you can move onto another small change, and another, and another.

I went to a composting workshop last month and then I started collecting my food scraps and food waste to begin my compost pile. I'm still trying to figure out the best system for this, but I have a bucket on my back porch that is filling up with food waste, and I'm happy that I am throwing less food away.  Once this has become a habit for me, I will move on to creating the larger compost pile, for now, this small, doable change is a really good start.

Get the Information you need

Small changes require less information.  If there's an area you want to make a change in, but you feel like you still need to learn more about it, see if there is some small thing that you feel good about and feel like you know enough about to get started.

Last week I tried to make a sourdough starter.  I failed miserably, it did not work for me.  I need to get more information about sourdough starters, but I thought that I knew enough that I could at least try and see how it worked for me.  Obviously, this is an example of how sometimes small changes don't work out the way we want them to, but we can still learn from the situation and move on to gather more information and try making the change again.

Dealing with Resistance.

Small changes usually meet less resistance. Husbands and children are usually much more willing to deal with a small change rather than a complete overhaul.  Small changes don’t require as much from the person resisting the change, and are easier to explain why you want to make the change, rather than trying to explain a complete change in how you normally done things.

About a year ago I started planning a meatless meal once a week on Monday, we call it Meatless Monday.  My hubby was not excited about it at first.  But, I started looking for meatless meals that would be appealing to him, and added other things to the meals like homemade bread and dessert and he was willing to go along with it.  Now, we are working on two meatless meals per week.  It helps us keep our food costs low, increase the amount of veggies and other forms of protein we are eating, and have an understanding (although very limited) of others around the world who don’t have the luxury that we do of eating meat at every meal.

So by tackling large, sometimes overwhelming changes, in small, easy, doable steps, you can see how small changes can add up to something so much greater.  Big, dramatic, complete changes in lifestyle can all be made by taking that first small baby step.

How have you taken baby steps that have led to larger changes in your journey to more natural living?

Photo by Arkansas ShutterBug

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Written by Anne Elliott, Contributing Writer

As my family increased in size, I started trying to figure out more inexpensive ideas for breakfast. It had nothing to do with health back then. Later I found out that making breakfast at home was also one of the easiest and most influential things we could do to improve our health.

But making breakfast from scratch, from non-processed foods, can be really intimidating at first. If a woman is also battling chronic health problems, she might fear that she'll never have the energy to make anything in her own kitchen.

Let me show you how easy breakfast can be!

1. Think about what you already like for breakfast.

I could share my own recipes, but you might not share my tastes. For instance, we make soaked oatmeal in our crockpot several times a week, varying the "fix-in's" that we stir in each morning. However, a friend of mine tried it at her house. "Yuck, Anne... it's so slimy!" Honestly, it's just a matter of comfort food, isn't it? So what sounds good to you? Make a list.

Oatmeal is so easy to make with a crockpot! We have a large family, but I place 4 cups oatmeal, 8 cups filtered water, a dash of celtic sea salt, and a spoonful of yogurt into my crockpot. I bought a timer for my crockpot, so that I can program it to turn on in the middle of the night and cook on low for three hours. It shuts off at 7 am, after which I insert 1/2 cup of butter and some "fix-in's" like sucanat, strawberries, raisins, apples, or maple syrup. We serve it with heavy cream!

2. Almost anything "store-bought" can be made (better) at home.

If oatmeal isn't your thing, try something else.

• If you grew up on cold cereal, try making homemade granola.
• If you love toast, then simply make some healthy whole-wheat bread.
• If you need something quick, try homemade yogurt with fresh or frozen fruit.
• If you don't have much of an appetite, try a strawberry smoothie.
• If you need extra nutrition, try a green smoothie.
• If you want something savory, try salmon with fresh tomatoes, or even leftover chicken soup for breakfast!

Image by realSMILEY

3. Most breakfast recipes can be started the day before -- when you have more energy.

Don't feel as if all the work has to be done early in the morning. Just like I put oatmeal in my crockpot the night before, almost every part of breakfast can be started in advance. Thinking ahead doesn't take much time, but if you wait until you're foggy in the morning, you'll want to cry and reach for a box of Frosted Flakes instead.

I have a list of daily prep jobs on the side of my refrigerator, and I try to look at it around 4:00 every afternoon. At this time, I re-evaluate how hopelessly behind I am that day how realistic my schedule is going. This is my "catch-up time." If I need help from my daughters, this is a good time to ask. I plan ahead for the next morning NOW, before the night gets going and I run out of energy.

The best thing about planning ahead, though, is that food is actually more nutritious when it's prepared slowly. Ramiel Nagel, author of Cure Tooth Decay, recommends soaking all grains a minimum of 16 hours before cooking them. This is another reason why 4:00 in the afternoon is the best time to make tomorrow's breakfast.

4. Make a menu.

We've all heard that we should make a menu for supper, but why not make a menu for lunch, too? The only difference for me is that I plan the same breakfasts for certain days of the week, repeating this basic plan over and over again, so that I don't really have to do too much planning each week.

My personal plan is to have

• 2 daily stand-by's that we repeat week after week after week. We eat these twice each week, so this takes care of 4 days. For instance, my two stand-by's are oatmeal and cream of wheat. I might have oatmeal every Tuesday and Thursday, and cream of wheat every Wednesday and Friday. I think I could make either of these in my sleep now! They aren't so exciting, but hey, it's breakfast! (We usually have simple scrambled eggs these mornings also.)
• 1 super-quick, super-easy breakfast idea. This is something that I can put on the table in 5 minutes with very little mess and very little clean up. In all honesty, this is usually the most expensive breakfast on my menu; however, it's perfect for that inevitable crazy morning when we all need to get out the door -- and fast!
• 1 family-fun breakfast. We like making pancakes at our house... with Mickey-Mouse ears or chocolate-chip creations. My husband has Mondays off work, so this is the day we all get in the kitchen and make food together. This is the breakfast that is usually least healthy, but we have a lot of fun together. Remember planning ahead, though? You can certainly make excellent and nutritious "junk food" like pancakes.
• 1 sabbath breakfast. I try to take one day off cooking each week. Yup! A whole day! I find that I have a lot more energy for all the other days when I take an entire 24 hours off of cooking and cleaning and dishes. The afternoon before, I like mixing up some eggs with a little cream and some sauteed onions and whatever fresh vegetables are in my refrigerator. I sprinkle some sea salt, cheddar cheese, and a dash of Frontier spice blend over the top, then I refrigerate it until the next morning. I can pop this in the oven for 45 minutes and enjoy a delicious breakfast without having to do ANY work on that day.

So in review, I am confident that you also can have consistently healthy breakfasts, made from scratch and with love in your own kitchen, even when you're tired and busy -- if you'll just plan ahead. That's really the key! I'm sure you can do this!

P.S. Here are some excellent recipes you might enjoy...

• Pancakes from Leftover Oatmeal
• Homemade Pop-Tarts
• How to Brew a Delicious Cup of Coffee
• Crockpot Yogurt
• Homemade Doughnuts
• Anne's Whole-Wheat Bread
• Strawberry Slushy
• Sourdough Pancakes
• Kale Shake

What are your own easy breakfast ideas?

Image by Just a Temporary Measure

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By Sherrie Cook, Contributing Writer

Confession:  I am not so skilled in the kitchen.

Conflict:  I need to write a blog post about a real food kitchen for Keeper of the Home.

Solution:  Write about hope.  Hope for those of us who feel clueless and overwhelmed at the thought of making better choices for our families.  Hope that no matter how unskilled in the kitchen we are, we can still make a difference simply by trying. Hope that one day, with a little practice and good mentors, we can all serve our families by providing them with nutritious and delicious real food.  I want to share with you a few of my trials and successes as I took a baby step toward a real food kitchen by making wheat bread.

How Healthy Is Whole Wheat Bread?

I remember well my disappointment when I found "enriched wheat flour" listed as the first ingredient in my store bought wheat bread.  My thoughts were that if wheat was so good for us, why did the bread maker need to enrich it? I started searching and discovered that they strip out all the good stuff first and then have to add some good stuff back into the flour. What? I looked closer the next time I went to the store in order to find some bread that said "whole wheat flour" first on the ingredient list. It was a bit pricey, but I rationalized that the purchase was for the health of my family.

Wouldn't you know, my family didn't care for it.  Thus started my research again for good-for-you, tasty whole wheat bread.

What I found surprised me.  I learned that wheat starts to oxidize as soon as the berry is ground into powder (flour). This oxidation process immediately begins to "ruin" the nutrients in the wheat flour making it less and less usable by the human body. One of the easiest ways to stop this process is to bake the flour immediately into bread.  Many bread bakers do not follow this practice, so the bread has already lost many of its nutrients.  So why exactly am I subjecting my family to something they like if it isn't super nutritious for them?

Finding Fresh Milled Wheat Flour

After many hours of reading the research, I decided to begin milling my own wheat and baking it into bread for my family.  I saved and scrimped until I could purchase a bread maker and a wheat mill. I know this option of owning your own machines (especially a wheat mill) can seem daunting because of the cost involved, so below I've included some ideas for getting your hands on affordable freshly milled wheat:

• Find other women in your area that are interested in baking whole wheat bread for their families and combine your funds to own "part" of a mill that you all can share.  I was surprised at how many of my friends expressed a sincere interest in grinding their own wheat after I started talking about it with them.
• Some natural or health food stores have a mill in their store that you can use if you buy grain from them.
• Check out your local farmer's market to see if the grain vendors have a mill for their customers to use.
• Watch ebay or your local Craig's List for a used mill at a discounted price. (This option is last because in my experience, everyone falls in love with their mill and never considers parting with it!)

(Also, a bread machine is not a necessity, but I have found it to be an invaluable tool for my family's bread baking.)

The recipe I use  is a combination of several different recipes, trial and error.

Simple Wheat Bread Recipe

Yields 2 loaves (3 to 3 1/2 lbs total)

Combining the ingredients:

1. Stir 1 egg, 1/3 cup oil, 1/3 cup honey &  2 cups hot tap water into bread machine pan.
2. Add 2 tsp. salt, 1 Tbsp lecithin & (optional) 2 tsp +/- gluten.
3. Grind 1/4 cup flax seed in a coffee grinder & add to mixture.  Stir well.
4. Add 3 cups freshly milled wheat flour to top of mixture and make a "little well" in the middle of the flour with your finger.  Put 3 1/2 tsp instant yeast into the "little well" then cover the yeast with another cup of flour.

Preparing the dough:

1. Set your bread machine for the dough cycle & allow it to begin mixing your ingredients. (I make my bread machine do all the hard work of mixing the ingredients, however, this can also be done by hand or with a stand alone mixer.)  Slowly add another 2 to 2 1/2 cups wheat flour to the dough. (Depending on the weather, you will need more or less flour every time you make your bread.  The more humid the air, the more flour you will need.)  Use a spatula to scrape the excess off the sides of the bread machine pan & close the lid to allow the dough to rise.  (If you're not using a bread machine, be sure to put your dough in a bowl & cover it with a damp towel.  Place the bowl somewhere still (no drafts) & warm.  Let it rise until it doubles in size.  The bread machine top with open slightly toward the end of the rise.  There is no need for alarm if this happens.
2. Just before the first rise is finished, clear off your counter top and wash and dry it well.  (This is also a good time to remove any rings from your fingers & pull your hair back again.)  Then put a bit of olive oil on the counter top and smooth it around.  (I also get my bread pans ready at this time with a coat of olive oil.)
3. Once the first rise is finished, run your hands across your oiled counter top to keep the dough from sticking to your fingers, then take the dough out of the machine and divide it into two equal sections.  Using your hands, roll it around into a ball and then roll it out into a thick cylinder.  Tuck both ends of the cylinder under and put the dough in the pan with the tucked side down. (Below you can see the loaf on the right is tucked.)

The next picture is a shot looking down on the dough once it is first placed into the bread pan.  Note that you can see the bottom of the pan in places.

The 2nd rise:

1. Next, you need to find another still (no drafts) area for the second rise. Some people choose to preheat their ovens to about 200°F, turn the oven off and then place the dough inside the oven.  Some ovens have a special proofing option which is a wonderful blessing to any bread maker!

The second rise takes a bit of practice to get the timing just right, but when the dough is done rising, it should be about double the size it was when you started.  The pictures below show the dough after the second rise is complete.  Compare the fullness of these pictures with the ones above to get a good idea of what to expect from this step.  You want to be careful not to leave the dough rising for too long or it will fall.  (Yes, this happened to me.)  It seems to make the bread a bit tougher which is obviously undesirable.

Baking the dough:

Finally, preheat your oven to 350°F and bake for 30 minutes. Let it cool for about 5 minutes in the pans then flip it out onto a cooling rack. Once cool (or not - I love warm bread), slice it as thick or thin as desired and enjoy!

Here are a couple of close up shots of my "masterpiece"! It was a fun experience and my family now enjoys fresh whole wheat bread on a regular basis!  It is a healthier choice for us and would never have happened without taking those initial baby steps.

Photo credits:  thirteenofclubs, rexipe, anniemole

What baby steps are you making in your own real food kitchen?

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This week's makeover is for the Woody Family. There is mom Stephanie, dad Josh and children Delaney (5), Dawson (3), & Finn (2).

How They Currently Eat:

This family particularly touched me with the email they sent me to be chosen as one of the makeover families. Here is an excerpt from it:

Our journey to being a whole food family is much harder than I anticipated.  My wife and I are great planners and dreamers, but the process of doing and finishing, or sometimes even starting, leaves us wanting.  We love to read about and understand the benefits of a whole foods life.  They are numerous and, we believe, life-changing.   And yet we struggle week in and week out making these changes.

I imagine that there are heads nodding all over the blogosphere. We can all relate to that, can't we?

This family is willing to try new things, and yet they struggle with falling into old habits, not planning adequately, and when time runs short, they turn to processed or fast food. It is such a common struggle.

Though they definitely do eat some real, whole foods, there are a lot of convenience foods mixed in there (chicken nuggets, mac & cheese, toaster strudels, boxed cereals). Too heavy on the grains, not enough veggies. They use real butter (yay!), but want to improve the quality of their meat. They try to use whole grains, but a lot of times they don't.

Their Goals:

To make changes that will stick! They want this to become a lifelong change, even if it's slow and steady, so that it becomes a way of living, and not just something that they try for a while and then give up on.

Mom and Dad would both like to lose some weight. Mom has also struggled with increasing levels of depression after having each successive baby. They would also like to deal with some present and possible allergies (they run in the family), and prevent them from getting out of control.

Most importantly, they want to get on track with planning and preparing healthier meals in a consistent way and keep up the motivation to continue on with these changes. Overall better health and more real, homemade food is a major goal for this family!

Time for Their Real Food Makeover!

3 Baby Steps for Them to Take:

1. As a family, decide on some ways to further educate themselves, and also to motivate themselves to make these changes

2. Get rid of most of the processed/convenience foods that they are eating.

3. For Stephanie, begin to have 1 planning session and 1 prepping session each week.

Image by gusilu

Education and Motivation- They Make All the Difference!

As I read through their answers to my questions and prayed about what to say, the biggest thing that kept coming to mind is that for this family, it's not necessarily about changing their meat or soaking their grains or eating more vegetables (although those are all good steps that they should ultimately take).

What they're seeking is a lifestyle change... a way to really make these changes become the new normal for their family.

I've been there. In my experience, the only thing that kept me going when I began to make healthier changes was becoming educated about WHY I was making the changes, and having something that truly MOTIVATED me to change.

Ways to Educate Yourself:

1. Watch some eye-opening videos that will underscore the importance of these changes, like Supersize Me, Food Inc., or Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.

2. Read, read, read. Some of the books that I have found to be very accessible and challenging are The Maker's Diet, What the Bible Says About Healthy Living, Real Food: What to Eat and Why, and Nourishing Traditions (though this one is definitely a bigger jump- start with some of the others first, perhaps).

3. Go through some real food basics, in bite-sized chunks. DON'T try to read through or tackle these things all at once. Just pick some topics of interest and start learning. Here are a few places to start:

• Nutritional Foundations- My own series that works systematically through the grocery store, discussing food options and some of the why's behind what I do and don't recommend
• Nourishing Foundations- From the Nourishing Gourmet, a selection of posts on various topics to do with real food, like grains, raw milk, natural sweeteners, etc.
• Beginner's Tour- From the Weston A Price Foundation website, an intro into who they are and what they believe about foods and health.
• Monday Mission Checklist- From Kitchen Stewardship, a fantastic list of posts on a large variety of real food topics, with baby steps to take and information on why you should makes these changes

Dad (Josh) with Delaney

Getting Motivated

For me, it was health issues that drove me to make changes. What will motivate this family to keep walking down this road?

I think that spending some time together as a family, discussing the reasons why you want to do this, would be so valuable. Write a list of what you come up with, including everybody's ideas (especially the kids!). Post the list up in a prominent place, like on the fridge, where you will all see it often and be reminded of the reasons why you are making these changes.

While you're at it, you should discuss some of your goals. Which areas would you like to work on first? What foods would you like to eat more/less of? What health results would you like to see? Post these up as well, alongside your reasons for making these changes.

In fact, you can increase motivation by making some tangible goals as a family and establishing some sort of family reward. Perhaps if you can make it through a week without any processed, convenience foods, you can make homemade popcorn and have a family fun night. Or a month of zero fast food runs equals a trip to the zoo or aquarium! If everyone knows that a special treat is riding on achieving your goal, then you will all work harder to stick to it and hold each other accountable!

Start Some New Food Traditions

Food habits are often related to our traditions, our relationships, our celebrations, and things that feel familiar or comforting to us. These can be hard to let go of. I know this, because many of the foods that I grew up eating, although I know in my head that I shouldn't eat them, are still a major struggle to say no to when they are offered or accessible to me. Old habits die hard.

Making new traditions can be a powerful way of creating positive associations with foods that are good for you, instead of ones that aren't. By establishing new family traditions, like special meals or a Saturday morning routine, real foods begin to have a more important place on your family table.

Simple Mom gives a great example of how real foods can be incorporated into a special family night. Why not choose a night each week when you can cook a meal together, enjoying the process, rather than feeling rushed like you might on other nights? Make Saturday mornings a leisurely time when you make soaked, homemade pancakes or waffles, with fresh berries.

Image by smittenkittcnorig

Planning and Prep Times

One of the best ways to ruin a good diet is to get hungry and realize that there's nothing quick and simple to eat. Not knowing what to make for the next meal and not having snacks or easy foods ready when you need them.

Make a time each week to plan- It will take about 1-2 hours at first, but gradually it will get easier and faster. See my makeover for the W family, for detailed suggestions and links for getting set up to meal plan in a more effective way.

Make a time each week to do food prep- This is also very important for a busy mama who doesn't want to resort to convenience foods. This can be chopping veggies, washing and ripping lettuce, pre-cooking meats, cooking large amounts of beans and freezing them, making baked goods like muffins or bread, making large batches of homemade granola.

Consider Once-a-Month cooking (or a variation of it)- Another useful thing to do is to make freezer meals, so that there can be some nights when dinner is as simple as thawing something in the morning and popping it in the oven that afternoon. This can be done by taking a half day or a day each month to make as many meals as you can. It can also be done by doubling or tripling meals once or twice a week, so that you can always have a few extra meals to pull out when you need them.

Get more efficient in the kitchen- The Nourishing Gourmet has had a couple of great posts lately on learning to increase efficiency and speed in food preparation. This is a skill that every busy mama needs! Check out her posts The Pemmican Principle of Food Preparation for Time Efficiency and 4 Tips for Increasing Your Work Speed in the Kitchen.

Just to help them even more with applying these suggestions to their lives, this family will be receiving:

• A copy of my ebook, Healthy Homemaking: One Step at a Time
• A 1 year Print Membership from ListPlanIt, to aid them in getting organized in the kitchen, with meal planning and with grocery shopping. Thanks, ListPlanIt!

What motivates you to stick with your health-related goals and eating habit changes?

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

• Real Food Makeover: The “W” Family
• Organization in the Real Food Kitchen: Favorite Recipes Lists
• Real Food Makeover: The Anderson Family
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