What's cooking?

While reinventing my blog I have taken the time to do some research.  AKA reading lots of blogs.  As I love cooking, a lot of the blogs I have come across discuss food, and more increasingly 'diets'. 

I don't really like using the "D" word as I always think it implies an end date.  For me I try to strike a balance by not really classifying foods as bad or good.  Rather I aim to eat lots of fruit and vegetables, mostly home kill meat, and breads/cereals.  We do not have any food allergies or intolerances in our family so no foods are banned on this basis.  I guess I just try to eat most food in it's most natural state, but have to say I find it hard to give up potato chips!

I love baking but there is so much talk these days about the detrimental effect of sugar, I have been looking at sugar free options.  I'm ok with honey as an alternative and have used this successfully to make bread.  However, it has become increasingly clear to me a lot of these 'sugar free" recipes are just that.  Free of sugar, but still contain a sugar like substance.  As I would prefer to eat food as nature intended I steer clear of artificial sweeteners like aspartame and it's various cousins.  I'm also wary of "syrups". How is corn or rice syrup created?  It reminds me of a comment I read regarding rice milk.  It was written by a raw milk advocate and they asked what a rice cow looked like.  Ok so not everyone uses cows milk for a variety of reasons but the point they were trying to make was more about the over processing of our foods and the impact that can have, particularly the rise of obesity and diabetes.

That brings me to the Paleo diet, or cave man diet as some refer to it.  As it is the 21st century I'm not sure why we want to eat like cave men, but I think the basic premise is that we eat less processed and more "as nature intended it" foods, and avoiding grains, legumes and some dairy products.  Sad face.  I loooooove dairy products especially cheese so don't think it's for me.

Paleo is a lot like the dietary guidelines from the Weston A Price Foundation (WAPF).  I have a copy of Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon which discusses a diet of saturated fats, fermented foods, soaked grains and fresh organic produce.  I think this one is more me, although as busy Mum I find it hard not to look for convenience at times.  I don't think my sweet tooth will allow me to completely eliminate any 'sugars' but certainly reducing them, or finding less refined options can't be a bad thing!



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