Day 4 - Do What You Can With What You Have

This morning I ate three eggs for breakfast.  I told you before, I like eggs.  I have to be careful about how many I eat in a week (I could very easily eat six eggs in a day, so if you think I've been excessive this week, you ain't seen nothin'!).  These were hard boiled, which for me is like popping potato chips.  My poor tummy was more than a little unsettled first thing this morning, and - strange as it may seem - the eggs helped.

I also really enjoyed my lemon ginger drink, which I can tell right now is going to become a regular morning thing for me - I have never had anything that really wakes me up with a little "zing", like this, before!

So, with my little "zing", I went shopping!

When you are on a tight budget (and let's face it, who isn't these days?), it can be hard to commit to a very restrictive diet, because one of the first thoughts is, Can I afford to do this?  

When I look at the stack of medical bills I racked up in three years of trying to figure out what was destroying my body, I think Can I afford NOT to do this?

As of yet, you will notice I have not mentioned pills, supplements, probiotics, powdered drinks, bizarre foods only found at high-priced health food stores, or fancy tools or equipment for preparing them.  There is a reason for that.  It's because I know everybody doesn't have access to all of those things, and I want people to understand that you CAN do this - you CAN change your health by eating real food. 

It may be harder at first with the "elimination diet", and so few choices.  But once you have re-introduced different food groups back into your diet, you will of course have many more options. No matter what kind of results you see the first few weeks, once you realize that you are surviving without the daily junk food, sweets and treats, you will also realize that you can save dollars by cutting back on those things on a regular basis.  If you are like me and suddenly realize that certain foods have been causing you some serious health problems, you will actually want to make big changes!  

Because I know everyone has different circumstances, including finances, I wanted to share with you what I was able to get at the grocery store today.  You may be able to get much more or less, and you will probably do much better if you are good at planning the menu (which I am not!).  I also want to share with you a few simple ways you might stretch your food a little, and encourage you to do your homework and to come up with more things that work for you...

For just under $25, I was able to get leaf lettuce, romaine and kale, 7 lemons, a dozen eggs, 2 pieces of ginger root, a pound (4 pieces) of tilapia, and a pound (one big piece) of cod, a can of sardines, and 4 large purple onions...

One great way that I save is by checking out clearance bins - yes, even at the grocery store.  Our local grocery store regularly clearances out produce that isn't the best or is starting to go bad.  I paid 50 cents for all four onions today; what I won't use right away, I will cut up and put in the freezer.

I also like to use everything.  My husband is a little more particular than I when it comes to eating his veggies.  He especially doesn't like the crunchy hearts of lettuce, so this time, I broke off the leaves for his salad and added a little extra crunch to mine.  (My dressing is a mix of lemon juice, olive oil and water, with some dried herbs added.)

(I tried sardines for the first time ever today, and I liked them a lot!)

 He also likes the very flowery tops of broccoli, but not the stems.  I have found the stems make great chips, soup, or just a great side dish by themselves.  Tonight, I stir fried them with onions in a little olive oil and added them to a big bed of lettuce and romaine.

Finally, a good friend posted this on facebook today, and I wanted to share - some neat ways to stretch your food a little, for those of you with a sunny window and a green thumb. Enjoy!