I Became a Crunchy Mama...

How pursuing good health has changed our way of life.

This Christmas break, I spring-cleaned my much-neglected kitchen. Things got scrubbed, and moved to new homes. Reviewing the items in my pantry hit me: I have become one of those crunchy mamas.

It all started with a health scare we had with my husband a couple of years ago. His cholesterol was too high, and the doctor wanted to put him on statins. We investigated the side effects of the statins and decided there had to be a better way to get his health back on track. So, we watched numerous videos and testimonies, and it became evident that a ketogenic diet was the way to go. We disposed of all starches and oils besides butter, olive and avocado, bought some weird sugar and flour substitutes, chucked out the potatoes and rice, and were on our way.

The first few months were tough, and we relied heavily on the boxed keto snacks one finds at the grocery stores. A firm favorite was the Keto caramel ice cream. They seemed fairly innocuous at the time, and they did help the after-supper sweet tooth.

But as time went on and as we became more aware of the additives in our foods, even the keto-packaged snacks became problematic. Seed oils abound in these snacks, which are unhealthy for us. Just because they say they are “keto” doesn’t mean that they are.

Over the last year, I have found some alternatives that work as treats. I make a browned keto butter “toffee.” The butter is cooked on the stove until the milk solids brown, then the butter is poured into a mold and kept in the freezer. I use 16oz of unsalted butter, then after it has browned, I take it off the stove and add a teaspoon of coconut sugar, ¼ teaspoon of vanilla, a sprinkling of cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. This is great for the sweet tooth cravings and much healthier than anything in the stores.

Then, of course, being from South Africa, we make a lot of biltong – at least one batch a week. The ingredients in the biltong are beef, salt, pepper, coriander, and vinegar. I use the shaved beef from Costco because our family is too impatient to wait the 6 days it would take to make traditional biltong. I layer the meat, grinding the seasonings on each piece, then covering the meat in vinegar for about 6 hours. The shaved beef is then placed in a dehydrator and ready a day later. We have biltong as a lunchtime substitute.

For suppers, we eat a lot of eggs, bacon, riced cauliflower, broccoli, and cheese. I bought half a cow from a local ranch last year, so ground round is our most common meal. It gets boring, but it’s a healthy and cost-effective. The farmer packaged the meat specially for us, so the portions were sized for our family. We were getting duck eggs from a friend at church, but sadly her ducks drowned last year! I also bought some free-range chickens from a local farmer, which are a treat for a weekend meal. They’re more expensive than grocery store chicken, but the flavor is how it tasted when we were kids. It makes one realize how odd chicken has become over the last decade. Also, we no longer buy soda, chips or candy, so our grocery bill has not increased by much.

This last Advent season was quite telling. In the past, we would have relied on fast food to get us through the crush of Ad Crucem’s year-end sales. Instead, we ate at home (thanks often to my youngest who likes to cook for us), which saved us money and, I feel, kept us healthier than in past years.

We have become much more aware of what we put into our bodies, what we use to clean our houses, and the over-the-counter medications we take. We discarded our teflon pots and have moved to cast iron and stainless steel. We store our food in glass to avoid more plastics. We are trying all this, even as Big Food has added more weird things to the processed goods they sell. We do not want their insects or their Frankenfoods…

We are not alone on this journey. There are a number of younger women I am friends with on Facebook who have been on this journey better and longer than I have. Some of them own homesteads. They raise their own chickens and grow and can their own vegetables. I watch their progress with awe. We live on a little postage stamp of a garden, and I have a dreadful brown thumb.

For 2025 I’d like to get our dog onto a healthier diet. I’m pretty sure those bags of kibble are not healthy. I also need to get fit, but one step at a time. I live 2 minutes from the office, so even just walking to work would be more exercise than I’m used to.

It's been a fun and learning experience. I pray that the efforts keep the family healthy. Feel free to ask if you’re interested in anything I’ve mentioned, and I’ll provide more information and am happy to exchange recipes or find links to helpful videos.