Sounds good huh? Eat right and live a longer life!
Yes?
Years ago, Time Magazine started covering our dilemma in America….
We’re at the bottom of the food chain, in terms of what we’re eating and the sickness it’s causing.
And recently I had a friend, more than one friend ask me what I was doing…. that my weight had dropped, my skin looked great, and I overall just looked healthier.
So, I thought I would take this opportunity to share it with you here and then forward this blog to friends that had asked. Kill a few birds with one stone…. And if after reading this you think it has value? I encourage you to do the same!
And let me just say that I do not expect you to substitute my opinion for your own, or simply follow what I have to say without a doctor’s ok. OK?
YES CHEF MARIAN. WE HEAR YA!
Ok. So here’s the problem: one day we hear that canola oil is good, the next day we hear it’s bad, and if you talk to 10 people they all have varying opinions. The same goes for most of what we eat. We’re just not sure.
Count me in! I just wasn’t sure.
Then a friend lent me “Forks over Knives” which showed clearly that if 90% of the time I ate a certain way, my body would forgive the other nasty splurges. I started telling people: “I’m sugar, soy and dairy free. I’m not as much fun as I used to be”! lol And I think that’s going to be the name of my next Cookbook. To that I will add ‘Gluten Free’. Can you imagine? They told us Whole Wheat is great for you? What about all the people allergic to Whole Wheat, feel sluggish and don’t know why?
The basis for my lifestyle (not diet) is that I want to be eating well and providing my body good nutrition as a general rule. So, once a week I’m going to make a pot of quinoa (see recipe on this blog) and keep that in the fridge, so that when I need a plant based protein, I’ve got one… already made. Fast Food! (in my world)! lol
YOU’RE FUNNY CHEF MARIAN!
Why thank you. I aim to entertain!
I bring up plant based protein because guess what? The 10% per week of chicken, fish or beef you eat is enough. The rest of the week, you want to be eating…. or should I say, the rest of the day you want to be eating plant based protein. So let’s see… rice and beans? A plant based protein. Spirulina? A plant based protein. To quote wiki: “Dried Spirulina contains about 60% (51–71%) protein. It is a complete protein containing all essential amino acids, though with reduced amounts of methionine, cysteine and lysine when compared to the proteins of meat, eggs and milk. It is, however, superior to typical plant protein, such as that from legumes“.
Lentils, HempSeeds…. there are plenty of things you can sprinkle on your salad to get protein. You do the research! Find out what else you can eat that is a plant based protein.
And since we are also talking about more veggies… and fruits, let me explain why!
Cancer cannot live in an Alkaline environment. Neither can disease. So realize the game plan to health is: Keep your body Alkaline. Dr. Debbie says there’s one simple rule about keeping your body Alkaline. Veggies and Fruits are Alkaline. Everything else is acid. Everything else can put your body in a position of growing damaged cancerous cells. So, what do you do? If you’re eating animal protein surround it in veggies. The abundance of veggies will balance out the animal protein and leave your body Alkaline again. 3 bites of veggies to one small bite of animal protein? You can do that. I know I can.
In Japan a family of FIVE (5) eats a piece of meat the size of one of our regular portions (6-8 ounces). An ounce and a quarter a person? But cut up so delicately, that they really enjoy every bite. And guess who’s Number 1 in low amounts of Cancer and Heart Attacks? Japan.
So there’s a lesson to be learned here.
But that doesn’t mean if I see a foodtruck that has kobe sliders, I won’t have one. It doesn’t mean that if I am craving a Baskin’ Robbins hot fudge sundae that I won’t go have a child’s portion hot fudge sundae. Cause here’s the deal: Your first bite is: Geez. That’s good. Your second bite is: WOWOWOW! That’s good! And you’re third bite is: Now I’m being naughty.
And that’s your 10%. And even if you eat an extra mouthful or two… you’re still in your 10%.
Now you’re not going to indulge in more than one thing that day. And you don’t indulge every day.
But what you are going to do is get tested to see where you are inflammation wise, understand that sugar, white flour, bread, pasta, wine (and all the other things that covert to sugar) create inflammation. And never mind that they spike your glycemic index….. You want diabetes? You want your thyroid inflamed? You want heart disease? You’re looking forward to cancer?
NO CHEF MARIAN. GEEZ…. NO.
I thought not. So just listen to my comments. Figure out if you can make gentle shifts in the way you view food. Portion control it. Go wild with veggies and fruits. Lower your intake of animal protein. Step by step.Inch by inch. Day by day. Have an organic apple for a snack a couple of times a day. Or an organic orange…
And let me say this: You have to get knowledgable. Know that seafood (shrimp, lobster,etc.) are bottom dwellers consuming unhealthy things which makes it not good for you. Know that pork is hard to digest, even as you eat a half rack of ribs (soaked in sugar… um… I mean bbq sauce). Know that any melon is high in sugar (even watermelon). Edjamacate yourself by watching movies like Forks over Knives and The Gerson Miracle (fruit and plant based diets can even cure cancer and heart disease, no matter if the doctor gave you 3 months to live)….. Know that everything but water (and coconut water) dehydrates you, and then outside of the sugar, soda is not good for you, not only because your body can’t process the chemicals, but also because it does the exact opposite of what you’re looking to have happen. Dehydrates… instead of hydrates. Get it?
We live in a beautiful world of internet ability. Look into it. And then….. try it.
I started my ‘shift’ in thoughts just before Xmas last year…. No wine during the holidays? No egg nog? No cookies or cake?
But did I live through it? And come out the other side thinner and healthier?
Yes. Yes I did. And now that I’ve trained myself to eat well, to do mindful eating, I really find it quite easy. Easy to shop ~ organic, no dairy, no gluten, no soy, no sugar, nothing processed and chemicalized, always with an eye out for plant based protein that isn’t processed like soy….. It’s an adventure! Finding things to eat that are actually good for you… with a ‘game plan’ in mind, as a general rule…. so that when you go out with friends, and get a glass of wine or two and some yummy appetizers that aren’t necessarily in your best interest, you can enjoy your 10% knowing that you’ve eaten well all week…..
It’s hard to believe that ice cream isn’t the rule. It’s the exception. But didn’t I get ice cream every day at school? And when the ice cream truck came around, didn’t I scream ‘please, please, please‘ and run after that truck? C’mon. We have to re-learn, re-think and make sense of all this. The Milk Industry told us milk was good for us. But it isn’t. Our bodies cannot process it. It’s not for human consumption. And do you know how much money I’ve saved since I stopped buying cheese? Yep. At $6-10 a brick, and 3-4 cheeses in my fridge at all times? You do the math.
And what about the constant melted cheese that we do to all of our food? Cheese on broccoli? Cheese on bread? Cheese on salad? You don’t miss it. I promise. You have to make cheese the exception to the rule.
Does that mean if I go out with friends and there’s a salad with my favorite cheese on it, I can’t have it?
NO CHEF MARIAN. THAT’S YOUR 10%!
Aaaaah. I can see you really get it. Makes me a happy girl!
Dude! Dudettes! I’m a food coach. I coach restaurants into putting healthier items on their menu’s, (re-train their chef and sous chef to bump up their flavors with caramelized onions and roasted garlic as well as substitute coconut milk and creamer for milk and cream, etc.), and can be your support person. I’ll come into your kitchen and pantry, and show you with what you already have, what dishes you could and should be making. I’ll tell you what items to change out, and what to change them to. Then I’ll take you shopping and show you how to pick the best fruits and veggies. After that, we’ll come home and cook together. Just give me a ‘shout out’. Send me an email right now (Email is on my ‘about’ page)! Or come onto San Diego Foodies on meetup.com, and we’ll talk!
Happy Eating,
Chef Marian