Hello, my name is Lisa Leake. I am a wife and mom who happens to have a strong interest in food and how it affects the health of my family. Reading Michael Pollan’s “In Defense of Food” forever changed the way we will grocery shop and eat. I want to share my journey with others so they will consider making similar positive changes as well. I would love to hear feedback on how this information might be affecting your life too!
Visit my other blog 100 Days of Real Food and consider taking the 10 Days of Real Food Pledge. To learn more about why The Food Illusion blog was started check out Welcome to The Food Illusion and What to expect from this blog.
Disclaimer: The content of this website is based solely on my personal interpretation of the book “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan (among other sources) and how I am specifically implementing the author’s recommended changes. Please note that I am not a food scientist or a nutritionist. I have no formal food training nor do I have any affiliation with Michael Pollan or the food industry. This website is simply my personal opinion based on facts.
Lisa resides in Charlotte, NC with her husband and two daughters (ages 5 and 3). If you would like to contact Lisa directly her email address is info@fliggity.com.
love it! good for you! miss you:)
heidi
Thanks Heidi!
Congrats on your site!
Thank you for checking it out!
Hey Lisa. I’ll definitely be reading your blog and seeing what you have to say….I’m the worst eater! Maybe you can teach me to like veggies. It’s going to be hard.
Best Wishes!
Hey Jaime!! I am so glad you checked it out…and this blog is for people exactly like you (and how I used to be too!)
Happy Blogging! Can’t wait to share your info with Mark and get “other side” of the story. : ) I’m excited to see what changes we can make!
Thanks for checking it out Ali! And I actually did feel a little bad about having a family member at Kraft and all….I hope Mark understands why I am doing this! I would love to hear his input as things progress.
Lisa,
Looking forward to learning via your blog. It’s like “Cliff Notes”…
thanks for all your hard work! Keep it coming : ) Aunt Nancy
You are exactly right – cliff notes – that is exactly what this is! Thanks for checking out the blog!
Lisa,
I just stumbled on your blog and am so happy I did! I’m in the process of this very same project in my house. Fortunately my girls (14 and 7) love their fruits and a good mix of veggies and are all around decent eaters. My main goal now is to get the white and processed snack items out of the house! Thanks for putting this info out there and best of luck to you in your food journey.
I am so glad to hear that you are on the same mission! Please feel free to comment with any ideas/suggestions you might have from your experience so far and thanks for checking out the blog.
Lisa what a site and so important right now. Going to read In Defense of Food asap and am excited about the growing trend for real food with Jamie Oliver, yourself and others.
Thanks Sandy!
I am so glad to have found your blog. Last summer when I was pregnant, I read an excellent book called “The Unhealthy Truth”. It was eye-opening. It made me mad to read about a lot of things, but I am so glad I read it when I did. I want to be sure that everything I feed my son is as healthy and natural as possible. I do not want to introduce any junk to his sweet, pure little body. I’m trying to be more vigilant about what we eat as well. This summer, my husband and I have begun shopping our local farmers’ markets. We are also close to the Matthews Farmers Market as well as another one that is only open this summer. (He also read a book called “Food Matters” by Mark Bittman. I know your blog will be extremely helpful! How do you handle when you go out to eat–do you find there are certain places you can or cannot go? I hope your 100 days or real food is going well! Thanks for this blog! TC
Good for you for making positive changes for your family. It is amazing how adaptable kids are…they can truly be just fine without any of the junk! I am constantly amazed that my girls (ages 3 and 5) have now gone 42 days without a single piece of candy or drop of sugar. I never thought it would be possible, but we are to the point now where it doesn’t even phase them the majority of the time. I think I will do an entire post dedicated to eating out soon. Unfortunately the higher end places seem to have the most options, but there are certain items that are okay at places like Ruby Tuesday as well. The key with kids is to not order off the kids menu. Instead assemble a plate of side items for their meal. I will write in more detail on this soon!
Hi Lisa,
Love your blog!! I love to eat this way – food is so much tastier and you feel so much better when you eat real, whole foods.
Some of my favorite go-to meals (ones that my daughter also loves) are:
In a tagine (one of the best cooking vessels ever invented), I thinly slice one onion, about 1 lb of zucchini, one can of chick peas, and 2-3 tablespoons of Moroccan spices (I typically use the Moroccan pastes). Cook in an oven for 45 minutes, and you have this heavenly, beautifully scented dish that we serve over cinnamon sented couscous.
One English cucumber – diced, two large ripe tomatoes – diced, generous sprinkling of feta cheese, and some sliced green olives (optional) with some whole wheat bread to sop up the juices.
Tartines made with slices of whole wheat bread, thinly slices pears, a drizzle of honey, and camembert – all melted in the oven. Or, whole wheat bread, sirop de liege (you have to order online – it is a thick paste made with pears and apples) you could use honey, brie and walnuts.
You may also want to try Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant on King’s Road. They have beautifully prepared vegetable stews over injara bread (made from fermented buckwheat). Delish!! They also have an avocado, tomato and onion salad served in the injara. Yum!!!
Lisa,
I just read the article about you and your food journey in the Observer. What a great article. It prompted me, to find your website. After my Aunt died of lung cancer last year, I have been slowly eliminating alot of the junk in my families’ diet. I have become vegetarian, which has encouraged my family to eat more veges. But your article is inspirational. I am amazed at how you do it with two little ones.
Hi Lisa,
your blogs are just what I have been looking for. I have read ‘In defense of food’ by Michael Pollan and seen ‘Food Inc’, and I am determined to continue to change my diet and what I serve up to my children. We have started the process, and when we are not too busy, it is working quite well.
My husband died of lung cancer two and a half years ago, and I wish we knew about this information earlier.
One thing I have found is that people who want to help and feel sad for my children, bring over bags of lollies, and other sugary, processed food. I do appreciate the thoughts, but I think I may have to be a bit more proactive about saying what will help, like spending time with our children, so I can have a cooking day etc. Eating fresh, non processed foods does take more planning and organisation.
I have gone on a bit, but I am really excited to have found this community! I will follow your blog with interest,
cheers Helen
Good for you to have such a focus on feeding yourself and your kids real foods! I am so sorry to hear about your husband and at the same time I can relate how other people often seem to not understand when you don’t want to give your children junk food all of the time. Maybe if you tell them you are doing the “10 Days of Real Food pledge” they will take a hint!
Either way…good luck!
I just subscribed to your blog. After reading about your 100 days of eating right in the Observer I’m planning to give it a try – but I have to wait until my college student goes back to school. He already complains that we have “nothing to eat” in our house!
Thanks for the inspiration. Keep up the good work!
Hello, Lisa!
I think your blog is great and I’ve been following for about a week now. My family is going to start this lifestyle starting tomorrow.
I know you took pictures of your pantry, but I was wondering if you would be willing to show us what your refrigerator looks like inside? It’d be really helpful!
Keep on with everything you’re doing. It’s great.
Yes, I will! I just got back from out of town so it is a little empty at the moment, but as soon as things get a little more back to normal I will do that.
Sounds good. Thanks!
Is it true that anything organic doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup? I thought I read that somewhere, but can’t find it. Thanks!
I don’t know if that is true in regards to high-fructose corn syrup, but I have seen products at natural food stores with just regular corn syrup in it. Check out this article…http://thefoodillusion.wordpress.com/2010/06/19/buying-organic-or-not/
Hi Lisa,
I just joined your blog via another health-nut friend of mine! I was wondering if you had ever read the book; Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver? It is an excellent read about a family who devoted an entire year and lived entirely off of their land (they did create a farm out of it)! Although it was an extreme example, it was very inspiring and there was a ton of helpful information that I still use today! Sounds similar to the other book you’ve read! Anyway, I am enjoying having this blog to plug into as well! Thanks!!!
You know I got that book on CD for my husband to listen to on his business road trips and he gave me the play by play. It sounded like a very interesting (and even harder) experiment than what we are doing! I love to hear of people getting kids involved…I think that is so important. Thanks for your comment!