My Real Food Timeline

I started this Boholistic Mom website in 2013 to reach out to my friends, family, and any of those who were interested in real food like I was. Yet my real food timeline and journey started many years before that point. So many people get bogged down and frustrated when they think about all the different changes they could made and maybe should make, but when you realize that life is a process it isn’t daunting . . . it’s about learning and growing. Walk with me through my life and how I changed and grew into the Boholistic Mom I am today.

1992-1998

Suffered with asthma and allergies

2000

Realized I was lactose intolerant after having problems every day at 1 p.m. after having milk at lunch

2000-2006

Had vaccinations containing heavy metals before college and before going on a trip to South Africa

2006

Married my husband, James
Picked up my husband’s Diet Coke habit
Started “cooking” for our family . . . by box and by freezer meals

2007

Diagnosed with IBS by a Gastroenterologist
She never was asked what I was eating or drinking . . .
Began to cut out high fructose corn syrup

2008

Gave up Diet Coke
No longer had IBS
Became pregnant with my son
Began to eat organic foods
Stopped eating MSG and Trans fat
Used Peppermint Oil in a stick to combat any asthma while pregnant
Suffered from nasal infections from allergies

2009

Gave birth to my son
Made frequent trips to Whole Foods in New Orleans
Began to go to the farmer’s market
Grew our own garden
Discovered that trans-fat was hiding in so many products but didn’t have to claim it if it was under 1 gram

2010 – 2011

Realized that gardens in Mississippi die before August (It’s HOT!)
They also get eaten by lots of bugs
Bought some lady bugs to eat the aphids on our tomato plants
They all flew away . . .
Learned that fresh eggs from the farm are ORANGE!!!
Learned that large factory farms give antibiotics to cows before they need them and give them a growth hormones
Started drinking milk from a local source

2012

Received more vaccinations and more heavy metals
Moved to Italy
Had culture shock, ate random food on base for a few months upon arriving
Moved into our new home
Found out stress is worse than eating bad food
Realized that Italian restaurants in Italy only serve REAL FOOD
Dealt with depression and sickness

2013

Committed anew to eating real food and calming down
Stopped buying any packaged breads
Only shopped around the outside aisles of the commissary/grocery store
Bought fresh fruit and vegetables from out in Italy
Began to make Bone Broths
Made sauerkraut
Made kefir
Threw out all harsh cleaning products
I use vinegar, borax, Young Living, and baking soda now.
Tried washing my hair with baking soda and vinegar . . . unsuccessfully
Then switched back to an “organic” shampoo
Started making our own toothpaste
Started drinking raw milk from Rome (Even with a lactose intolerance I could drink raw milk because the raw milk still had the enzymes needed to break down the lactose)
Stopped using soap all the time
From 2012-2013, I lost 11 pounds

2014

Went to England to a cooking class at the River Cottage
Made my own bread, scones, biscuits
Joined Young Living Essential Oils!!!!!
Made our first batch of kombucha
Found a raw milk source closer to Naples
Tried washing my hair with a natural shampoo bar . . . somewhat unsuccessfully
Then did the unthinkable, I’ve been washing my hair with an egg yolk . . . SUCCESSFULLY
Threw out almost all of my chemical based makeup
and now I’m trying Arbonne
I haven’t needed an inhaler for over a year
I haven’t used antibiotics in over two years
I have not had a serious illness since February 2013 (it was a three week cold, yuck!)

A Tradition of Nourishment

And guess what . . . it’s only August of 2014. I have so much more time in my year to learn and grow. I don’t have to do everything now. My lip balm containers and beeswax will wait until I get to them. Most importantly, I am actively trying new things, learning new things, and expanding my mind. I’m not satisfied to remain behind my American blindfold that is mass produced by every large company wanting to jam non-food products down consumer’s throats. I don’t want to fall for marketing that claims a product is “organic” and yet isn’t healthy. I want to learn and educate myself so that I can provide for my families health in a real way. My Real Food Timeline . . . is my life. These are ways I’ve grown in the past few years that have shaped the way I live and the way that family is nourished. I choose to cultivate a tradition of nourishment. Nourishing hearts, minds, souls, and bodies.