It’s no secret that we both love living an additive and preservative way of life, but this has not always been the case.

We all had to start somewhere and my journey (Tracey here) has been very different from Jo’s.

I had the chance to start slow, as my family were not displaying any major emotional or behavioural issues, but this isn’t the case for everyone (take Jo for example).

If you have not watched her story, you can view that below.  It is truly inspirational and I am so proud of her and all that she has done to protect her family (way to go little sis xx).  She also talks at the end about Additive Free Made Easy.

So, to help others that are just starting out, we have put together our top five tips for those just beginning the journey into eating additive and preservative free (A&PF).

Tip One – Start Out Slow

You might be like me and have the privilege of being able to take things a bit slower, or you might be at your wits end, ready to explode. Either way, we still recommend taking it slowly when just starting out.

This is for a few reasons.  First, it allows everyone to come to terms with the transition.  If you go full-boar and make drastic changes, then chances are you will have the kids up-in-arms about it all, and that will just stress you out even more. You will probably return to your old eating habits and nothing will ever change.

By taking it one packet mix, one meal or one day at a time, you will have a chance to introduce new things without as much resistance.  Think of it like running a marathon, no one just goes out and runs 45 kms without ever training for it. They put in the training, starting out small, working up to the big event.  Eating A&PF is exactly the same.

It is a decision that will change the rest of you life, so there is no need to rush, just gradually make your way through your fridge and pantry, making the necessary changes as you go. When you run out of an item, replace it with a better choice.  Most of the time your family will not even notice, especially when the changes are small.

Tip Two – Don’t Expect That You Will Know Everything

It has taken years for the both of us to gain the knowledge that we have. This has involved many, many hours of reading medical jargon, listening to wellness experts, attending seminars, doing online courses and basically absorbing as much information as we can about the topic.

It wasn’t an easy path to learn all the information we did, and we are still learning, every day. There are constant changes in food, more specifically ingredients added to food, and it takes a lot of time and energy to stay current.

Tip Three – Join A Like Minded Community

It is important to surround yourself with people who are on the same journey, this helps you stay on track. You can learn from one another, ask questions without any judgement, and simply belong to a community of people who are all doing the same thing as you – learning.

We have a fabulous community of people at Sistermixin’, it’s something we are so proud of, there’s never any judgement and we all support each other #GoUS

Some of our favourite pages to follow are:  Lisa Corduff, 123 Nourish Me, Alexx Stuart, Food Intolerance Network (all of these feature in our e-course AFME), but we also love Cut Out The Crap, Additive Free Pantry, Nourish Without Nagging – do a Facebook search and I’m sure you’ll find someone you love.

So please, find someone to follow and ask lots of questions, we are all there to help.

Tip Four – Get Your Partners And Family Involved

This is probably one of the things people find the hardest to handle when transitioning into an additive free life. Some families find it really difficult, and the biggest hurdle.  The best advice we can offer is to be open and honest with all your friends and family, right from the start.  Make them aware of the issues you are having, the health concerns you are facing or whatever the reason is for starting the additive free process.

By keeping your family and friends informed of what you are doing, they will (hopefully) be completely supportive.

Tip Five – #DontStressIt

We have a motto throughout our Additive Free Made Easy course, and that is #dontstressit.

By this we mean, don’t stress out if you have a bad day and things seem overwhelming.  Just take a deep breath, get back on board the next day and remember this is a lifetime change, not a fad that will pass in five minutes.

If you have no other choice but to get take-away – #dontstressit!

If you have not had time to bake and need to buy some biscuits – #dontstressit!

If you buy a cooked chicken for dinner, instead of roasting your own – #dontstressit!

You get the idea, basically do the best you can each day, if you do this 90% of the time, you are doing freaking awesome in our books.  Doing something is better than nothing!

Here’s the thing…

We are not perfect all the time, and we never profess to be. We still have treats and we still make mistakes. We still go out to dinner with friends, or to the Tavern on a Friday night – it’s all about moderation and keeping it real.  If you are on track 90% of the time, and only slip up every now and then, we will still have your back, it is all good! No one is going to judge you, we are all on our own journeys and every single one of them is perfect.

So, until next time
Take care and remember, #dontstressit

Much love
Tracey and Jo
xx

PS – if you would like to know more about our course Additive Free Made Easy, click HERE.