The week before Thanksgiving Day, I was fortunate enough to attend a nutrition class at the California Health and Longevity Institute (www.chli.com) that was hosted by an excellent dietitian-chef. Our group had great hands on experience and the chef reminded us that the “natural flavors of fresh foods can be a wonderful surprise”. I discovered some tasty and easy to prepare recipes and brought them home to share with my wife. We stopped by the local farmers market and stocked up on fruits and vegetables. My wife used the new recipes the entire week and we ate healthy meals at home that were tasty, nutritious and heart-wise healthy. At the end of the week, and before I read Chapter 12 of Steven Aldana’s book, we were squeezed for time and on a tight schedule so we decided to order out. I ran out to the fast-food “Urban Jacks” restaurant and the rest is history.
The Culprit & The Cure tells us that over 50% of Americans are trying to eat healthier, yet six out of every ten are overweight or obese. On average, we will spend 40% of our food budget for meals outside our homes or at least one of every three meals. Aldana tells us that a person’s diet behavior falls into three groups: those of us who are already eating healthy foods, individuals who are exploring the idea of eating better and finally, those who are just reluctant to eat healthy foods. It is also understandable that we will falter in our diet habits from time to time and that is normal human behavior. Chapter 12 provides a list of “Simple Nutrition Goals” that can help you stay on course. For the more highly motivated people, there are also some advanced goals to strive for. It is important to set goals to work towards on a daily basis.
I enjoyed the section of the book that talks about “the paradox” of food in our lives and how to overcome the three big barriers to healthy eating: taste, cost and convenience. Just as I experienced first hand in the Wellness Kitchen (that tasty foods can be prepared in a relatively short time and at a reasonable cost), people need to find ways to prepare healthy meals at home. Aldana provides some excellent web sites for healthy tips and for nutritious recipes like www.deliciousdecisions.org, which is sponsored by the American Heart Association. Take some time to comb through these pages and frequent some these sites to see how you can improve your culinary skills and impress others with some fun, tasty and healthy dishes.
The important aspect of a culture shift is to realize that a change in lifestyle that includes better nutritional choices and daily exercise will also help you maintain a healthy weight. You begin to feel better about yourself, enjoy a greater sense of balance in your personal relationships and become more productive in your career.
This Blog concludes the The Culprit & The Cure book review and I look forward to the Ignite online Live Chat later today – I hope you can join me.
Dr. Tony Linares
