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Top on the list of most person’s goals this year are to eat healthy, lose weight and stay more active. When we look at the whole picture, this is a pretty daunting list. How can we do everything and still have a life?
Today let’s focus on eating healthy. What we eat has magnificent powers. Food can give us health and vigor, protecting us from disease and minor discomforts. Food can also make us sick and miserable. We are in control of what goes into our mouth and stomach. We can’t always control noise factors, pollution, or other detriments to our health. What we eat and how much we eat is totally up to us.
Where to start?
Use food for the mind and the body. Food is not something to quickly gulp down when there is a gnawing feeling in the stomach. It’s to be enjoyed and appreciated. Therefore, take time to sit down and really sense what it is you are eating. Perhaps you can even visualize where the food was grown, who picked it, the landscape of the area. Think: I want to eat foods that will feed my body. Make this a positive mind-set.
Set up conditions conducive to this mind-set. Is there still a supply of high-sugar holiday goodies around the house? Eliminating these, as well as any junk foods such as chips, crackers and soft drinks will help keep you from hearing them call you. The “cupboard cleaning-out” process may even include cake mixes, chili mixes, and other pre-prepared foods. None of these are necessary for good health. They do not provide any nutrients for keeping the body at its best.
Plan family meals. Look in your kitchen to see what foods are available. Do you have high quality protein foods such chicken, turkey, eggs, fish or lean meat? What vegetables could you prepare? Are there any fruits available? Any legumes, nuts, seeds or whole grains? Your meals should revolve around these types of foods. It is best to write out possible meal suggestions. Consider your family’s ages, as well as likes and dislikes. Look in your cookbooks for any new and interesting ways to prepare what you have or want to prepare. This will save you time when you do your grocery shopping. Planning nutritious and tasty meals is a skill which is developed through practice. See http://www.imagesunlimitedpub.com for more suggestions on meal planning, as well as how children can help you in the planning and preparation.
I’ve included three good practices that will help get the year started with you and your family’s health and well-being in mind. What are some ways you will implement “eating healthy” this year?
To your success,
Lee Jackson
“Healthy Eating for Your Family”
