Introduction

Choices & the Good Egg:

Many of you are probably wondering why my recipes don’t have refined sugar, grain or starches? To answer that question I’m going to tell you a story about an egg.

When one of our baby chicks fell asleep in my hand 14 years ago, I fell in love, but I also had an awakening. What about all those hens who lived another type of existence? You know the life I’m talking about. We’ve raised our beloved birds in a very different way. What does it come down to? Choice.

When I use our hen’s eggs for home-made mayonnaise, I don’t worry about salmonella. I know they’ve had a diet of organic grains, and wild forage, no antibiotics, plenty of natural sunlight, and room to explore. I’ve chosen a safe, healthy source, that benefits me, the hens and the planet. When I buy eggs, I am careful to source them from farms that I trust, that share my values. Too expensive you say? Well I look at the cost as an investment in my health, animal welfare and environmental wellbeing. To me the cost of not following those values is too great.

I chose 5 years ago to follow the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. This was for many reasons, but mostly as an investment in my health, recovery from long term illness, multiple allergies and food intolerances and my son’s medical condition. I remember the day we started eating this way. We took that step; to eliminate processed sugars, grains and specific carbohydrates; and never looked back. I will always feel that choice was an important moment in my life. The rewards have been that I have recovered my health and feel strong and energetic. It has also taught me how important “choice” is to so much that we value. How we live, what we eat, what impact we have on our society, our planet and the community of farmers and growers that we are connected to.

So next time you buy eggs, look at the ripple that expands beyond your hand, from the moment you pick up the carton. Did you make a choice that you feel good about? The motivation behind that choice is a powerful one. It can lead you down the path you choose.

This is an excerpt from What DO You Eat?