September Virtual Social: De-kryptoniting your favorite junk foods
/The September virtual social was on de-kryptoniting (making healthier) your favorite junk foods. Knowing this is a vast topic, we began by pondering what treats our ancestors ate before these treats became processed, extruded and unhealthy. Then we looked at favorite modernized unhealthy treats and suggested replacement ingredients. Replacing ingredients often saves money and time. It also gives us health, focus and energy instead of sucking it out of us.
Some suggestions during and after the social were: Using stevia, monk fruit, dates, and coconut to replace depleted sugars and chemical sweeteners. For example, our ancestors didn’t have Sprite, but they had lemon, soda water, and stevia. And we could replace depleted salts and chemical salt-substitutes with original/natural salts and salt substitutes, like mined, mineral or sea salts, miso, vinegar, sumac, lemon, and onion.
Here are 8 initial de-kryptoniting tips. Enjoy!
Observe (w/out judgement): What do you eat or drink most often that you know is unhealthy? (Remember: leave judging in the courts, and drama on the stage.)
See what unhealthy ingredients can be replaced (processed milks, preservatives, chemical flavorings/colorings, trans fats, depleted sugars, salts and starches.).
Imagine our precious ancestors (say, 10 generations back) eating. How would they make and eat your favorite junk food? Try their ingredients. For example— a candy bar: Stuff a walnut & unsweetened chocolate into a date— add a dash of mineral salt, optional. Wow!
Ponder healthy preindustrial (ancestral) condiments: roasted sesame seeds/tahini, chilis, mustard, fire (or organic liquid smoke), mineral salts, lemon/lime juice/zest, sumac, stevia, dates, fermented salsa, miso, nato, and live flavored vinegars & pickles.
Check what percentage of your food is green vegetable and mushrooms.
Check what percentage of your food has pre- and probiotics (for a healthy gut).
Check what part of your 24-hour day gives your gut a full rest (intermittent fasting).
If you think you may have any eating disorder, smoke, or over-drink, seek help from professionals and healthy loved ones.
Many thanks to SSTB member Daisy Birch, a diversity, health, and executive coach, for hosting this social. Daisy practices both virtually and internationally.
Make your own! Our daily condiments carousel: (clockwise): Lemon, nutritional yeast, chili’s, pink salt, black pepper, homemade vinegar, olive oil in spray bottle, roasted sesame seeds, black mineral salt, sumac, fresh onions/pepper, some stray things we’ve pickled, blenderized mustard seeds & vinegar. The saffron rock candy on the sweets shelf is for the rare stomachache. We’re just trying out the Bragg herbed salt substitute.