Many people invest in their own home freeze dryer because they want to ensure they have a supply of healthy food to carry them through a large-scale disaster and life’s every day challenges. If you’re interested in home freeze drying, chances are you’re invested in your health. Last week we wrote about how getting organized can be one of the best things you can do to ensure you meet your health commitments in the coming year. After all, nobody likes dieting and the truth is diets just don’t work for the long term. Here are three more small steps you can take than can have big health impacts over time:

Eliminate added sugar – Some foods like milk and fruit have natural sugar. Eaten in moderation, you don’t need to worry about these types of sugar. Many other foods have added sugars to enhance their flavors and those additives can send your blood sugar soaring and contribute to unwanted pounds. Added sugars show up on food labels under many names, including:

• anhydrous dextrose
• brown sugar
• confectioner’s powdered sugar
• corn syrup
• corn syrup solids
• dextrose
• fructose
• high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
• honey
• invert sugar
• lactose
• malt syrup
• maltose
• maple syrup
• molasses
• nectars
• pancake syrup
• raw sugar
• sucrose
• sugar
• white granulated sugar
• cane sugar
• fruit juice concentrate
• crystal dextrose
• glucose
• liquid fructose
• sugar cane juice
• fruit nectar

By freeze drying your own meals you can completely eliminate added sugars that you don’t want or need in your diet.

Eat Real Food – Take a tour through your kitchen cabinets and take note of how many food products you have that are more than one process step away from their natural state. Ideally you have mostly raw foods, dried whole grains and beans, raw or simply roasted nuts, coffee beans and tea that don’t have flavor additives and eggs, meat and dairy products that haven’t already been incorporated into something else that comes in a box or freezer bag. By eating this way, not only will you find your idea weight easily, you’ll find that your freeze dried meals are much tastier when you use whole, natural ingredients.

Make Time for Food – One of the biggest cultural differences traveler’s notice is how much time is joyfully devoted to food shopping and preparation in other countries. The United States is still pulling out of the fast and processed food trend fueled by economic changes in the 1950s. Take a note from the past and give yourself time to enjoy shopping for food at local farmer’s markets and shops, make time to enjoy the meditative process of preparing a meal for yourself and those that you love, set a beautiful table for every meal that you can, and take time to enjoy and be grateful for what you’re eating. Of course, by freeze drying leftovers from the meals you prepare with care, you can enjoy excellent, healthy food even when life throws you a curve ball. By attaching care and gratitude to what you eat, you’ll find you have an entirely different attitude about what it means to eat.