6 Things I NEVER Buy & Their Replacements

DON'T EAT!

1. I never buy vegetable/canola oils.  Instead I stock up on Olive Oil, Coconut Oil and Butter when it's on sale.
   TIP:  When baking you can substitute apples sauce for oil or butter.
2. White bread, rice or pasta - Instead I get stone ground whole wheat/grain breads, brown rice, and whole wheat pastas. 
3. Pre-packaged seasoning.  Instead I make my own so that I know exactly what's in there.  It's cheaper, last longer and there's no MSG or other additives.
4. I never buy fake sweeteners like splenda or equal.  Processed sugars are MUCH healthier.  To be even healthier, I buy sweeteners like honey, raw brown sugar, pure maple syrup, and raw dehydrated cane juice.    All of these are natural sugars. 
5. Sodas and Kool-Aid {sugar water} are not an option at our house.  We drink lots of farm fresh milk, when I can get it, water, juice on occasion and tea sweetened with raw sugar or honey every once in a while.  Sometimes I flavor our water with lemon, lime or orange juice squeezed from the fruit.
6. Last but not least, I never buy food coloring!  Well, let me re-phrase that.  We never eat food colorings.  We do make slime and play dough and I've recently discovered a way to make side walk paint that involves {food coloring synthetic dyes made out of tar-coal derivatives}. But we do not eat these things.  We just play with them.  And I do mean "WE".  Moms are entitled to a little fun every once in a while too!

If you implement these things, you will notice a difference inside a week - probably less! 

If you can't afford a complete and total turnaround, or you don't want a mutiny on your hands, you can change, or add one little thing a week for the next 6 months and you will be thrilled at how much healthier you are eating/living at the end of that time.  And you will feel so much better! 

May I strongly suggest that you start with the fats?  Simply replace your vegetable oils with the healthier ones I mentioned.  Stock up when you find a good deal and simply refuse to buy the ones that really are so bad for you.  You truly will feel better after just a few days of eating these good-for-you fats! 

For other ideas and tips to help you live and eat healthier, you can click here to see my "Baby Steps to Healthy Living".  You can change one little thing at a time and before you know it, better still, before your kids know it, you'll all be living healthy and loving it! 

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