Getting Started

How do you start getting healthy?  I find the best way is by trashing your kitchen.

First, open your fridge.  Take out any dairy products and get rid of them - down the sink or toilet or in the garbage.  Don't forget to recycle the containers.

Then start reading labels.  If the product contains sugar or dairy get rid of it.  In fact, if you have trouble reading the label you may also want to get rid of it.  A label should be completely understandable.  Looking up unfamiliar words on the internet helps - there are many tricky words for dairy and even more for sugar and animal products.  There is an extensive list of animal product ingredients in the How it all Vegan! cookbook including casein (milk protein), whey (milk serum) and pepsin (from pig's stomachs).  A product should also contain as few ingredients as possible.  For example a good salsa label reads:  tomatoes, tomato puree, green bell peppers (organic), onions, apple cider vinegar (organic), jalapeno peppers, sea salt, garlic, cilantro.  Simple and familiar is always a good start.  By this stage most of the processed food should be gone and there should be only fresh fruits and vegetables and some condiments left.  Check the freezer, too.

Finally, open your pantry and start again.  No sugar, no dairy, no animal products, no processed food.

You are on your way to health.

Next time I'll help you re-stock your shelves.