Guest Blog Post –
That saying, “You are what you eat”, provides keen insight into our health and wellbeing. Choosing whole plant based foods over refined processed foods has unequalled value as one of the components of a healthy lifestyle. Are you concerned about your health and how you can live a vibrant healthy life? Follow me on the journey where I will share and give you strategies that are realistic and doable in order to give you the results you want.
Strategy I: Healthy Cooking at Home
Healthy cooking at home puts you in charge of what you eat, how much you eat, and helps you provide meals that nourish your body. Statistics show that 56% of Americans eat at least three dinners prepared away from home and 40% eat meals not made at home. These meals eaten away from home are bought pre-made, through home delivery, take-out, drive-thru, dining out, deli, and other methods. There is a wealth of information that shows that we need to eat a healthy diet to prevent at-risk diseases such as cardiovascular, diabetes, cancers, high blood pressure, and obesity to name a few. We need to cut down on trans-fat saturated fats, cholesterol, and sodium (salt)! Preparing meals at home is the right option in meeting this goal. Here are the advantages:
- Healthy cooking means healthy eating.
- What you eat affects your risk of obesity and other chronic diseases.
- Research shows that a diet having 5-10 servings of vegetables and fruit can cut cancer risk by 20% even before combined with whole grains and beans.
Strategy II: Exercise
Combining this healthy diet with exercise and weight control reduces the risk of illness by 30-40%.
Strategy III: Serving Sizes
The next step is controlling how much you eat. Serving size has gotten out of control in the United States as evidenced by the skyrocketing reaches of overweight and obesity. Gradually reducing serving sizes enables most people to stabilize or lose weight.
Strategy IV: Food Label Reading
Be an informed consumer when food shopping by reading the food labels. Commercial food companies have other motives that outweigh nutrition. For instance, your taste buds are tricked when sugar, corn sweeteners salt and fat are added to enhance taste. Lower prices means more business. Using small amounts of expensive ingredients, such as real fruit, vegetables, and nuts can reduce costs. Adding an artificial color agent to refined flour can bring the cost down instead of using whole wheat or another grain flour in baked goods.
These tactics inflate the servings sold at a lower price per unit meaning greater sales, at the same time adding more calories than one person needs.
Strategy V: Overcoming Hurdles to Healthy Homemade Meal Prep
- Prepare meals on the weekends.
- Cook several batches on the weekends.
- Freeze meals in portion sized servings for future use.
- Defrost these meals in the microwave or refrigerate in advance of use.
- Involve the whole family in helping prepare the meal. This is a good way to bond with the family and share the responsibility.
It comes down to this; if you want to eat healthy meals and the right serving size, you have to take the preparation into your own hands.
Cook’s Corner Tips
For healthier homemade cooking, here are some important tools to have in the kitchen to make cooking easier. Take an inventory of what you already have and add any of these for your healthful food preparation.
- Microwave safe containers in various sizes. (to store meals & servings)
- Mixing bowls in a variety of sizes.
- Set of knives including; paring, chopping, and bread knife.
- Measuring cups & spoons.
- Cooking utensils such as; spatula, slotted spoon, tongs, ladle, colander, and strainer.
- Separate cutting boards for meat, raw vegetables, fruits, etc.
- Baking dishes with lids for casseroles.
- Nonstick skillet, large & small sauce pans with lids, large pot with lid for soups or stew.
- Grill- outdoor for meats and vegetables.
- Food processor
- Blender
- Crock pot
- Juice extractor for berries, vegetables, and fruit.
As you increase your cooking at home be sure to add plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans to protect and prolong your good health. If you would like to learn more strategies or receive up to-date evidence based information on how to enjoy a healthy lifestyle, visit my websites below and sign up for your free newsletter or purchase safe, natural, pharmaceutical products to support your healthy lifestyle.
About the Author
Hope Anderson is the owner of Hope Nutritional Services. She is a registered dietitian and state licensed nutritionist. Her beliefs and practice are centered on achieving a healthy lifestyle tailored to the unique needs of the individual who seek her counsel. Hope empowers and coaches her patients and clients by offering personalized services for therapeutic programs, weight loss management for children and adults and is devoted to educating you about your body, how it works and what you can do. She conducts teleseminars, writes blogs and newsletter as well as providing nutritional foods and supplements that work synergistically to support lean body mass.
You can find Hope online at:
http://www.hopenutrigarden.com
http://childrensnutritioncorner.com
http://www.hopenutrition.meta-ehealth.com
or e-mail her at [email protected]
