A California mother who ate Taco Bell on her wedding day told Fox News Digital that the “health crisis” had prompted her to start making her own food “to control the ingredients.”
Shauna Holman said she changed the way she did things in 2013 after years of fighting life-changing health issues, including brain fog, sinus infections and chronic migraines.
Currently, she is a successful content creator and book author for the online brand Anitty Toxic.
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There were “a lot of little things” that led to her food transformation, Holman said.
“I think that's what most people do,” she said. “It was a lot of small things over time and I just had to tilt the scale. But the good thing is, once I started implementing these kinds of small changes, it changed everything very quickly for me.”
Shawna Holman, author of “A Healthier Home Cook,” said she was able to implement “a little change that changed everything.” (Monica Stevens Le/Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.)
Often people “don't realize they're not feeling bad or that these things are really unwell and that they're not contributing to their overall health until they're eager to do something differently,” she said.
“At least that's true for me, and that's why I wanted to read the ingredients and do something different. I found very quickly that it would make a huge difference in my feelings.”
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Holman said in 2013 he began to “eat more real food” and limit seed oils, artificial dyes and sweeteners.
“I found myself enjoying real food more, and my taste buds were manipulated by these highly processed foods,” she said.
Holman said the 2013 “health crisis” changed her way of doing things and encouraged her to start eating Whole Foods. (istock; Monica Stevens Le/Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc.)
Two weeks after her “diet overhaul,” Holman said, she had almonds and it tasted like dessert.
“It's a very strange experience because I went through almonds because I'm very boring, bland and almost like cardboard,” she said. “But now I know that the taste of real food is really, really good.”
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Holman said he must learn to “make processed foods lose grip in my taste bud and my heart.”
“I'm looking for something that has the materials to use in my kitchen.”
However, Holman still wanted to recreate the food that made him feel better.
“I was the best girl in Crunchwarp,” she said. And I discovered that it was “easy.”
“I'm looking for something that has the ingredients to use in my kitchen. If it's not something that contains food myself, I'll think about whether I really want to put it in my body.”
Holman said he had Taco Bell on his wedding day. “I was the best girl in Crunchwarp,” she said. (Shawna Holman; Julia Kilian/Picture Alliance via Getty Images)
In addition to artificial dyes and seed oils, high fructose corn syrup is another ingredient she avoids.
“I'm not extreme about these things, but if there's an alternative or you don't need it, I just don't buy it,” she said.
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Holman is advised to anyone looking to make similar dietary changes at home, but is unsure as to where to start.
“Please keep it simple,” she said. “You can make burgers, but you can use simpler, authentic whole ingredients to make your body more nutrients and support.”
“It's going to cost a lot more than eating out.”
Healthier diets don't need to involve “expensive superfoods,” she said.
“It's about buying, using and cooking with ingredients from all food,” she said.
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“And that would often cost more than these packaged or prepared foods and meals, and it would be much lower than eating out.”
Holman's recommended cost-saving tips are for buying seasonal foods, such as items such as rice, beans, oats and flour that allow you to store items for longer.
Holman and her daughter are shown cooking together in the kitchen in their California home. (Shona Holman)
“I also like to shop for the freezer section of fruit and vegetables because they can cost more than fresh items. But they were chosen at the peak of freshness, so they may be fresher than what you find on the shelf,” Holman said.
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When it comes to kitchen tools, Holman said all you really need is a few pots and pans, good tools, stone rocks and ovens.
“I'm a good kitchen gadget sucker, but I really don't need any flashy tools to make delicious meals,” she said.
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She “likes keeping it simple,” she said.
They are more durable and “save money because they can last for more than a lifetime.”
