Yes, we no longer have a microwave. Am I crazy? I don't think so but if you ask some of the people I've talked to recently they will probably tell you that they are concerned about me and that I've gone off the deep end.
Did the microwave die? No. Was it in the way? Not really. So why get rid of it? Well as you know from reading my blog I (along with my husband) have been striving for a healthier life style. I've been exercising. Drinking my awesome Shakeology drinks, getting rest, and just eating better. However, the temptation to eat poorly comes when it's been a busy day or when the kids start to get cranky. We turn to the microwave to get us by.
First off have you smelled how that processed food smells? Ick! The second thing is that the microwave is just a crutch to eating badly. I figure if we plan on making the nuggets ( or any of that other stuff that we just throw in the microwave )we now have to turn on the oven, let it preheat, and all that that we might as well go ahead and make something better to eat anyways. Think about it. What do you make in the microwave? Is it good for you? Does it taste good? Is it something that you really need to put into your body?
The answer to those questions is probably not. Microwaves don't cook food the way that cooking on the stove-top/oven does which means the quality of the food you are eating isn't desirable. Soggy food anyone? Ick! Not only that are are concerns about the reheating process and how your food can absorb chemicals from whatever you heat it up in especially plastics. These factors contributed to helping us see that the microwave in it's own way was a hindrance. Convenient it was but it wasn't helping with the long term goal of better eating.
We've now been without a microwave for about a week. Have we missed it all? Nope. Are we eating leftover and stuff? Yep. We just heat them up on the stove top. In fact food seems to taste better when you use the stove/oven. The other day I warmed up leftover pot roast in veggies on the stove top and it was amazing! If we really want popcorn we have an air popper. If we want mac & cheese or oatmeal we can make it on the stove top. If we need hot water we boil a kettle of water. We can still have our favorite stuff we just have to be more aware of the choices we are making and are less likely to consume those things if it's not so convenient.
In just a short week the kids are eating better. Veggies steamed on the stove taste way better than the microwave and the kids are asking for more veggies. It doesn't take much more time to actually cook food and it has helped us already stay with planning meals better. This is working out well for us.
The biggest suprise to me though about getting rid of the microwave and telling people about it is their reactions. Apparently we are so attached to our microwaves and our TVs that it's hard for people to understand why you would give up those things. We cut our cable off over a month ago and guess what we play more, we are more active, and we are getting more sleep. Gasp! I know we are actually improving the quality of our lives by not using the very things that society says we all need and must use regularly.
I challenge you to take a look around and see if something that you love, use, like is actually hindering you more than helping you. You might be surprised at what you can do without and how much better it would be for you if it wasn't a part of your life.
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