Tips for Going Green at Dinnertime

The idea of switching to a vegan diet is nothing new. Unfortunately, the Western diet centers virtually every meal around meat. This can have harmful long-term consequences, including an elevated risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, obesity, and more.

Even if you have been an insatiable carnivore your entire life, it’s never too late to make changes to your diet and focus on sustainable foods that will improve your health without taxing Mother Earth. Keep reading for information on the benefits of adopting a plant-based diet and practical advice on how to get started.

Diet Does Not Replace Exercise

First and foremost, it’s crucial that you remember that simply changing your diet is not enough to completely improve your health. Although you may lose weight, look better, and feel healthier than ever after dropping animal-based products from your plate, you still have to take care of your body in other ways. This is especially important if you’re a senior citizen. Don’t forget that many Medicare Advantage plans provide no-cost access to more than 13,000 SilverSneakers programs throughout the country. If you don’t have Medicare and cannot afford a gym membership, walking, swimming, and biking are all excellent (and free) ways to exercise.

Why Go Green?

The benefits of a meatless diet are many — improved digestion, healthier skin, effortless weight loss and a natural boost in energy are all appealing perks. Furthermore, eating less fat can reduce your risk of chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetes. And if all of this is not enough, eating more produce reduces greenhouse gas emissions and is overall better for the environment. If you’re still on the fence, this article from DoctorsThatDo.org dispels many common myths about plant-based diets.

Adding More Fruits and Vegetables to Your Diet

If you don’t like the taste of vegetables, you are not alone. Many people claim that certain lettuces taste like dirt while others are turned off by the texture of things like mushrooms. It can take time to retrain your brain to enjoy and even crave foods that have not been genetically modified to trick you into wanting them. But it is possible, and there are ways you can eat more vegetables and fruits while still enjoying the flavors that you love.

A few tips are to:

  • Mix cauliflower with mashed potatoes
  • Slowly increase the number of peppers, onions, and tomatoes in tacos and homemade Chinese food
  • Swap peanut butter and jelly for garlic and avocado sandwiches (This recipe from Mom’s Dish is excellent)
  • Sprinkle carrots, celery, or sliced radishes with dry ranch dip mix for a healthy crunch that’s full of flavor
  • Leave the meat out of spaghetti and other pasta dishes
  • Look at other cultures for inspiration — meat is not a central element of food in many other countries
  • Check the label at the store, as many ostensibly vegan foods, such as bread, are made with dairy products
  • Eliminate meat in steps — start with red meat and then move on to chicken and pork
  • Give yourself a sweet treat by indulging in a frozen banana instead of eating ice cream
  • Add vegetables to sandwiches
  • Eat at least one food of every color of the rainbow each day

By changing your diet now, you are looking out for your future. More importantly, you model for your children that positive eating habits are sustainable for both your lifestyle and the environment. Remember, even if you can’t quit cheeseburgers cold turkey, there are plenty of ways to eat more fruits, grains, and vegetables while slowly overhauling your diet.

 

 

 


Super Natural Family International Cookbook by Nancy Mehagian

The Super Natural Family International Cookbook is a thoughtful compendium of kid-friendly recipes from around the world. Nancy Mehagian, the author of two prior award winning books – the culinary memoir Siren’s Feast: An Edible Odyssey, and the Supernatural Kids Cookbook – has knocked it out of the park again with her newest effort. Families and kids are going to love these recipes.

Read More.

When Your Body Speaks: Paying Attention to Food Cravings

| by Cheryl Shainmark

Several weeks ago I caught a doozy of a cold, leaving me with a stuffed head, chronically runny nose, sore throat and a bit of a cough. Bad enough for the first few days, weeks later it seemed like it just wouldn’t go away. I didn’t have the flu or strep throat or bronchitis, but the symptoms lingered. Finally, after weeks of getting more rest and watching my diet, it passed. During that time I ate lightly, (when I wasn’t sleeping,) but found myself throwing handfuls of thyme and garlic into virtually everything – from scrambled eggs to soup. It was a little bizarre, actually.

Read More.

Natural Parkinson’s Disease Support by Michael Edson, MS, L.Ac

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the second most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s disease. An estimated seven to 10 million people worldwide have Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s is not just an issue of lack of dopamine production but in fact a multi-faceted neurological disease with many factors contributing to or causing PD. This applies as well to other brain diseases resulting in dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Read More.
Filed Under:

Avoid Chronic Inflammation With The Right Diet

There’s been a lot of news the last few years about chronic inflammation and its debilitating effects on the body, but researchers are still unclear about the causes. Under normal circumstances, the body is supposed to “inflame” a little to mount an immune response and counteract infection — it’s when the body stays in that state that problems occur.

Read More.

9 Health Benefits of Thyme

Thyme, an herb native to the Mediterranean but now grown over most of the world, has been used for thousands of years a medicine, an antidote for the Plague and in embalming preparations. And while it’s unlikely that thyme stopped the plague, modern research has proven that thyme does indeed combat infection. One study from 2010 suggests that thymol, the active ingredient in thyme, can reduce bacterial resistance to common drugs, including penicillin. A member of the mint family, thyme has long been used in Mediterranean cuisines for its sharp minty flavor as well as its medicinal properties.

Read More.

Traditional Chinese Medicine with Dr. S. X. Ke

Dr. Song Xuan Ke has been of tremendous help to me on numerous occasions. His herbal remedies for balancing the Kidneys and digestion exceptionally beneficial. On our first meeting he gave me herbs to balance and strengthen my entire system, while assisting me in avoiding surgery at the time.

Read More.

Common Foods that Moderate Cholesterol by Susun Weed

Renowned herbologist Susun Weed writes, “If you are concerned about cholesterol, I have some great news for you. A variety of delicious foods have been shown to be as effective at moderating cholesterol as any drug…. They have a positive impact on total cholesterol and triglycerides too. And, as a bonus, most of these foods help prevent diabetes and lower blood pressure. See below for a list of these cholesterol-lowering foods. And remember to eat them cooked, frozen, dehydrated, fermented, or coated in oil for maximum benefit. Enjoy! Here’s to a healthy heart the Wise Woman Way.” From www.susunweed.com

Read More.

Polarity Screens by Merryn Jose

“Always interested in preventative medicine for myself. I decided to pay a visit to a Holistic Health Exhibition held in London. I spent some time talking with a very enthusiastic sales person about the use of Polarity Screens which is a device that she claims has vastly improved her overall health by using them just twenty minutes twice a day. Personally I found the screens quite remarkable in their simplicity, which allows the body’s self healing mechanism to do all the work.”

Read More.

The Art of Chi-Flow: My Experience Studying With Master Mantak Chia by Merryn Jose

Merryn Jose writes about Master Mantak Chia and her own experience learning, as a student, various methods created by Mantak Chia that safely works with the body’s chi-flow. ” Mantak Chia was taught Kundalini Yoga and the Buddhist Palm, which enabled him to eliminate blockages of flow of life force in his internal organs. However, he felt that Kundalini Yoga produced too much heat, and could be dangerous, so he later combined it with elements of Taoist practice, which had cooling effects.”

Read More.