The concept of eating “clean” was first introduced to me by my doctor in CA back in 2008. Dr. Yee, D.O. in Kaiser began my treatment and she strongly urged me to begin a clean diet. This was so new to me that I couldn’t really grasp the idea until I started to implement it and felt the POSITIVE results! You see, I had no idea how toxic my system was. When you become chronically ill, it is all you know. Yet at the same time, I was so ready to feel good! My health was failing me. I felt like I was dying. And it was just getting worse each day. But the good news is I was able to do something about it!
According to the FREE Dictionary by Farlex, the definition of organic food is food grown or raised without the use of additives, coloring, synthetic chemicals (e.g., fertilizers, pesticides, hormones), radiation, or genetic manipulation and meeting criteria of the U.S.D.A. Standard National Organic Program.
Eating clean simply means none of the above mentioned in the foods consumed. This applies to all types. Vegetable and fruit produce, meat, nuts and seeds, dairy, etc. And the first thing I thought of is how expensive this is going to be! But now that I’ve been eating clean since 2008, I have to say it does not have to be expensive as one does learn how to make it work by budgeting, learning where to shop for inexpensive produce, etc. This does not happen overnight. It is a process! And I’ll even go so far as to say one can grow their own food! It takes work in the beginning. But like learning how to ride a bike, it becomes second nature. And your body will thank you for it!
Through research, I stumbled upon Environmental Working Group back in 2008. A website that talks about clean eating and what toxins to watch out for, among other things. If you are interested, you can check out their website on the link below. Here is where I found the shopper’s guide to pesticides in produce.
http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php
When I finally tried eating clean, the first bite of clean food I had was an organic raw energy bar I had purchased at Whole Foods. It literally gave me a jolt! (Remember, I tried this at a time when my health was debilitating and my body was chronically stressed.) So not only was it clean, it was also live with enzymes and nutrients! It’s like when you drink coffee and it perks you up but you don’t get the high then it brings you down or gives you the jitters. This left me convinced to finally implement my doctor’s orders. I gradually transitioned to eating more organic food. As you can see, this was also another inspiration for me to come up with my own raw granola recipe and pursued selling it to the public. Food is medicine and medicine is food. I was sold!
Lirio's 