Sustainable Mommy

As you can most likely tell, I have spent a lot of the day updating this blog. In an effort to write about something more substantial, I've taken on a new name and will hopefully be able to live up to the new title. I still intend to write about daily happenings, but plan to have a little more "eco-talk" in the mix.

Since seeing "Food, Inc." in August, I have stopped eating all meat ... that is, unless it's organic. Yes, the way the animals are treated is apalling, but for me, this decision has more to do with trying to be healthy and have more consideration the Earth when choosing my food. I do not want to get sick from bacteria that is the result of meat packing plants trying to cover up their mistakes by putting ammonia in our food; nor do I want to eat chicken that has traveled from Argentina (just an example - I don't know if we actually get chicken from Argentina) when I could purchase locally-raised, cage free chicken for just a few dollars more. For several months I tried to find a term for my new way of eating, and finally happened upon it in a cookbook that I received as a birthday gift: Ecotarian is a term that refers to the process of selecting food with consideration for all of the various ecological factors plus energy used to produce the food. The goal is to eat in a sustainable way. Read more about it here.

I feel healthy, and I guarantee it is because of how we have changed our eating habits. I do not purchase anything with high fructose corn syrup or partially-hydrogenated oils; we love getting local food from our CSA through Grasshoppers each week; and I do my best not to buy pre-packaged products at the grocery. I love shopping at Whole Foods, Amazing Grace, and Rainbow Blossom, but I have to watch myself there ... it does tend to be more expensive. Eric lets me get away with a few things, though, like my new favorite facewash by Alba. It smells heavenly.

My ultimate goal is to simplify my life in almost every way (eating, clothing, cleaning, etc.) and to avoid abundant consumerism. For example, this year I have made the choice to not purchase any new clothes for myself. I am going to clean out closets and donate all the things that we do not need, and I'm going to de-clutter and reorganize our home. Our basement is an absolute mess, and I'm certain we can clean out more than half of the stuff down there (1/3 of it is baby stuff - eek!). It's a bit difficult when you're married to someone who likes to hold on to things "just in case." I'm sure this post is scaring Eric to death ... I do tend to be over-ambitious sometimes, but it's all in the name of being healthy and wanting the best for Duncan.