News Taffy

Let’s talk about food. Food is one of my favorite topics and I get really excited trying new recipes or eating at a good restaurant. Food is so important to good health, but few people take this subject seriously and are content to eat whatever is most convenient. I know you are thinking that my family must eat nothing but carrot sticks, tofu and brown rice but nothing could be further from the truth. I like to make confessions from time to time so here is the first: my cardiologist husband never met a sweet he didn’t love and I have a weakness for chocolate milkshakes.

However, my children don’t call me the Food Nazi for nothing; I make sure we eat fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and fiber every day and I try to rein in the sweets and other treats. That doesn’t mean we deny all bad food; we eat pizza, cake, milkshakes, and hamburgers on occasion. If you read my blog regularly, you will find our strategy for eating well but healthfully, and getting enough exercise. I’ll also post some of our favorite recipes that I use all the time.

Here are my top ten tips for eating better every day:

Skip the fast food. We may eat at a fast food restaurant once a month. There are too much fat, salt and empty calories in fast food meals. Try to get three servings of fruits or vegetables each day and no, french fries or mac ‘n cheese don’t count. So many people don’t get any fruits or vegetables in a day that I feel this is a great step in the healthy direction. Just eat one whole piece of fruit such as a banana for breakfast, a salad with tomatoes, carrots and cucumbers at lunch and a side of green beans at dinner. It’s that easy! Use olive oil in cooking. Canola oil is the next best choice. Eat fish whenever possible but not at the local all you can eat fried fish heaven. Fish is a great source of lean protein and some, like salmon, are loaded with healthy nutrients your body needs. Cut out the chips. No matter what they are made of, whole grains don’t make chips a nutritious choice. You are really putting nothing but bad calories in your body. Make chips an occasional treat like we do. Avoid processed foods like store bought cookies and lunch meat. Those preservatives won’t preserve your body unfortunately. If they did, we’d all look great. So if the food contains items you can’t pronounce, then you really shouldn’t be putting it in your mouth. Cut back or eliminate sodas. These are a great way to add several pounds a year to your waist, if that is your goal. Even the diet sodas aren’t good for you. Try to stick to tea, water and milk. Yes, too much salt really is very bad for you and Americans eat way too much. Look for no salt added canned goods and use less salt than the recipe calls for when cooking. Don’t put the salt shaker on the dinner table either. Eat breakfast! You will feel better all morning and be less likely to pig out at lunch. Studies show that lean people eat regularly, not just one or two large meals. By the way, Pop Tarts and donuts do not count. Cook dinner at home and sit down with your family!

Unless you have some really bad habits, these are not hard steps to take. Don’t try to do them all at once, take some baby steps and add one at a time to your life. Next week, I’ll post some simple recipes to try. I also have recipes posted on my other blog, thecardiologistswife.blogspot.com.

Until then, have a healthy week.

-Lisa Tedder-