Q&A (and a giveaway!!!): Kathy Loidolt, author of “Shopper’s Guide to Healthy Living”

What do you know…my camera battery was deader than a doornail this afternoon when I sat down to the snap a few pictures of the giveaway items…created a minor delay…can’t do a giveaway without proper pictures of the loot!!!

But first, I am SO excited about being able to share with you a little bit of the insight that Kathy, author of “Shopper’s Guide to Healthy Living”, passed on to me. As far as I’m concerned she’s an expert in the field of greenin’ up your home and eating organically in a simple and cost effective way. I have learned SO much from her book…she did a tremendous job consolidating all the information available on this topic into one easy read that will fit perfectly in your back-pack, purse, or diaper bag.

Although I’d like to say we leisurely sat down over a cup of coffee and while she talked, I played the role of a sponge it’s just not true. She did offer to get together, but with little people and nap schedules, add on top a good dose of baby brain, we went about this the new-fashioned way…email.

Without further rambling…here are the questions I had for Kathy and the wealth of knowledge she sent back:

1. What began your interest in green, all-natural, organic living?

Ten years ago my brother-in-law was diagnosed with brain cancer.  My sister called me and told me that what he was eating was killing him. At the time we were complete junk food junkies.  I filled the pantry with foods my kids craved, not foods they needed.  We ate at fast food restaurants several days a week, ate candy and cookies on a regular basis and just enjoyed the typical SAD (Standard American Diet).

We changed our diet to the foods God made, the way He made them and were so surprised by how great we felt and how much it changed our moods that I made it my job for the next ten years to research what we needed to be eating, cleaning with, and using on our bodies.

2. What were some of the initial changes you made in your home? Did you notice a difference right away?

Initially we stopped eating fast food and changed easy things like starting to buy free range eggs and olive oil instead of regular eggs and vegetable oil.  We stopped buying national brand crackers and cookies and cut soda out of our diets.  We added green vegetables and real food from the ground.

At first we noticed that we were tired for a few days and our stomachs hurt, but within a few weeks we had more energy than we had ever had in our lives and noticed that the kids (and the parents) weren’t as whiny or moody.

At one point I told my son that I noticed he and his siblings were easier to get along with now that we ate well.  My son told me I was easier to get along with as well!

3. In your book you refer to the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. Can you tell me a little bit about this Act and why it was abolished?

The Pure Food and Drug Act was established to ensure that only pure food was sold as food.  It made it illegal to bleach flour or put chemicals into our food.  Boy do I miss that Act!  I believe the Act was abolished so the food manufacturers could make more money.

In 1935 food manufacturers lobbied Congress and convinced them to abolish the Pure Food Act and establish the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) whose main job was to monitor drugs and make-up. It was now legal to sell chemicals as food. This policy has been in place so long that the average American thinks that if something is edible and tastes good, it must be food.  Our bodies were made to eat real food, just as God told Noah in Genesis, “All that lives and moves will be food for you.”

Chemicals never lived or moved and were not meant to be put into our bodies.  If it won’t break down on the pantry shelf, it will be hard for your body to break it down and use it.

4. There are a handful of good books regarding green living. What led you to the concept of phases that you’ve broken your book down into?

I have read hundreds of book on eating healthy and noticed two things:

1.  No matter what problem you are trying to solve, all the homeopathic and health books suggest eating the same things.

2.  The books I read took too long to read and the diets were too complicated to follow, even for someone as passionate as I am.

From personal experience and many interviews, I found that the most successful families had phased into a healthy lifestyle.  It is far too overwhelming to try to do change your life all at once and sets us up for failure.  If we want to be successful, we need to find a system that works.  As you get used to the first phase and find yourself feeling better, you will be motivated to do more and will easily move to the next phase.

Success breeds success.

5. When you began writing your book and making these changes in your family, was it overwhelming?

Because we phased into this lifestyle, we were not overwhelmed, but very motivated to do the next thing that could get us even healthier.

6. Did you see an increase in your shopping expenses?

I was surprised when I went back and checked our healthy grocery budget to our SAD grocery budget. We were only spending 10% more than we used to spend.  Buying processed and packaged foods is expensive.  Even though we spend 10% than we used to, we spend much less on doctor’s bills, have more energy, and feel better than ever.

7. What would you say to someone who is so used to buying off the shelf and not reading labels? Is it really that important that people modify their diets?

YES! YES! YES!  If you would like to live a long life filled with energy, it is critical that you take a look at what you are putting into your body.

Our health does not happen by accident.  The SAD diet will leave you tired and crabby at the end of the day.  Eating as God suggested will leave you with energy for the day and health to enjoy for life!

8. What are some of the long-term causes of not paying attention to what is being consumed? If it’s just a little here and a little there is it really THAT bad?

It seems as though it is just a little here and just a little there, and that is how our government has approved all these chemicals in our food supply, but  if you take a look at your diet and lifestyle, you will see that everything you put into your mouth and on your body has poison in it.  The “just a little here and there” has become an overload on our systems.

Our organs were made to filter our poison, but we have reached the saturation point and are starting to feel it through tiredness, diabetes, cancers, low thyroid, high blood pressure, depression, etc.

9. What is your advice to someone who says that living and eating organic is out of their budget?

I would ask them which is more of a hit to their budget: eating healthy or spending money on prescription drugs and perhaps cancer?

Before the current economic situation, the biggest reason for bankruptcy in America was a catastrophic health issue.  Investment experts will tell you that the most important thing to invest in right now is your health.  You can’t afford not to spend the money on yourself and your family!

Isn’t she so practical and helpful! Thank you again Kathy for taking the time to share just a tablespoon of your knowledge and encouragement!!!

And now that you’re chompin’ at the bit to learn more from Kathy, here are the details for the giveaway!!!

One reader will win a copy of “The Shoppers Guide to Healthy Living”, a few reusable grocery totes, plus a packet of these oh so wonderful reusable produce bags!!!

We’ve had reusable shopping totes in our cars for a few years but I just came across these…aren’t they spiffy!!!???

They make so much sense.

Do you have any clue how many plastic produce bags I have atop my dryer in a bin? Many.

That being said…the winner will be drawn on Friday March 25th and announced Monday March 28th…one comment equals one entry…post a link on your blog, mention it on twitter, send your grandma a letter and that equals another entry…just make sure to leave all this info in the comments section.

All entries must be submitted by 10 PM MST Friday night.

Oh, and one more thing…here’s all I ask…I’m so excited about these produce bags I had no clue about which got me to wondering what other responsible & practical options are out there that I might be oblivious to. So when you comment, tell me what you and yours have done to go green, are thinking about doing, etc.

It’s about being responsible…so fill me in!!!

I’m so darn excited I can hardly stand it!!!

If you’re too eager to get your hands on Kathy’s book to wait for the giveaway you can check out her website here.