Recently at a fair, a family was talking with me about goats and the use of goat milk in our house.  I started in on my discussion with them about the health benefits of goat milk and how it differs from cow milk.  Then we talked about the milk benefits for kids who show some sensory disorder tendencies or are on the autistic  spectrum.  Afterwards, I thought about everything I had just said to them about all the reasons we got into goats in the first place.  We didn’t get goats to win ribbons or make a lot of money (and I haven’t met a non-commercial goat dairy that has figured out how to turn a profit in goats).  We got goats to have a health milk supply for our family.  And we raise our own meats to have a healthy meat supply.  And Anna grows a big garden for an organic, pesticide free vegetable source.  So why, when I look in the cabinets of the kitchen, do we have so many boxes of processed cereals, snack crackers, chips, boxed side dishes, and store-bought bread?

It’s simple – we allowed our priorities and focus as a family to get distracted.  As my trimming business has increased, it put a strain on the amount of time I have to contribute to the farm.  Anna has developed a steady flow of kids taking riding lessons.  And there is a farm to deal with.

I spend approximately 16 hours a week driving between my commuting to Newport every day and trimming horses in the evenings and Saturdays.  I spend most of my time in the car listening to audio books.  I go through lots of different subjects filling the time, but sometimes I seek out specific topics.  Recently, I listened to two audio books that had a significant impact on my thinking.

Wheat Belly and Pandora’s Lunchbox

Wheat Belly was enlightening about how hybrids and GMOs have affected what we consume.  The author presents a lot of compelling reasons to give up wheat entirely, and if even a fraction of the information is true (which I believe a significant percentage is accurate) then it is amazing how many of the weight and health problems in today’s society are caused by wheat.  I highly recommend this book for everyone.  In particular, those who are over weight and are concerned about diabetes.  I guarantee you will think differently about your food afterwards.

Pandora’s Lunchbox caught me off guard.  I expected a book that was similar to Wheat Belly in it’s hard over, all or nothing approach.  Instead, it was a much more balanced documentary of the processed food industry and how it has affected diets in the modern life.  Again, definitely worth the time to read (or listen to).

So, what are we eating?  Well, I didn’t go home and empty the cupboards of all processed food and anything containing wheat.  However, we are making a commitment to do a little “reset” at our house and refocus some of our efforts.  More attention to menu planning and cooking food, instead of reconstituting powders and boxes.  Planning outings to minimize the temptation of going through a drive through.

And by the way, if you don’t have time to listen to audio books in the car like I do (or like Anna, can’t focus on an audio book while driving) consider giving up that evening time watching junk tv.  We gave up cable long ago.  Instead, we get a few shows every season through Amazon just to get our fix.  Evening are better spent reading or listening to an audio book, while enjoying a glass of wine and some goat cheese!

Now I’m listening to Fit2Fat2Fit.