Holistic Habits by Cheryl A. Mothes, Ph.D. Natural Health Nutrition Counselor
Content is a daily radio script from my KHIS radio
spot - tune in at 6:15 (CST) every morning to Justin and Meredith’s morning
show on 89.9 FM.
S.O.S. free living is something you may not have heard of – it is no sugar, oil, or salt. Giving up sugar is one of the best things you can do for your health because it causes more inflammation of your cells than anything else – which leads to a cascade of diseases. You will not believe how your taste buds change once you have done it for two weeks! Do not replace it with something that is still high in sweetness, like sugarcane juice or high-chemical sweeteners. Use date paste if you need super sweet because it has fiber and it is super easy to make! (HOW?)
It is Transition Tuesday and now it is time to clean up the beverages. Water, green tea, and coffee are the best beverages for our bodies. Give up sodas and alcohol. If you need help, get help. The sugar and sweeteners in soda are addictive and you may need help giving it up as well as the alcohol. There are so many non-alcoholic versions of beer, wine, and spirits that you can use to transition away from the real ones. And here is where you can REALLY influence everyone around you. When you are with them and they mention that you are not drinking alcohol and you tell them how much better you feel because if it, is how your brain fog has lifted, and how much weight you have lost, you will make a difference in their lives!
Less S.O.S. means less sugar, oil, and salt, and here is some news that is shocking for some: there is no such thing as a healthy oil. Not extra virgin olive oil, not canola oil. Oil has 4000 calories per pound! Fruits and veggies have 100 to 300 and beans, grains, and potatoes at the highest have 600 - not 4000! Oils are also highly processed and “denatured” – nothing like nature provided. How do you change an olive into clear oil without some major processing? Oils are also void of any nutrients. Any fat we need, like 10% of our calories, should come from nuts, seeds, and avocados. If you are having trouble losing weight on a plant-based diet, it could be you are consuming too much olive oil, peanut butter, walnuts, and guacamole! Plantify your plates and keep your fat consumption to 10% to live longer and live stronger!
The last S for an S.O.S.-free diet is salt. Sea salt
is SALT - and we get way too much of it! We require a little sodium. Give it up
and just like with sugar, you will not believe how your taste buds change in
their interpretation of good foods! Try different spices and seasonings instead.
If you still desire salt, sea veggies and non-oil sundried tomatoes are awesome!
Go to seaveg.com to order dulse or kelp – both are high in minerals and have a
naturally salty taste with little sodium. Or pulse sundried tomatoes in a
coffee grinder or high-speed blender to make food so flavorful! It is a party
in your mouth and every cell with thank you when you go SOS-free!
It is Fix-it FRIDAY and time for a Zucchini and Chickpea Sauté.’
1 cup chopped onion.
1 cup chopped red bell pepper.
6 cloves garlic, minced.
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried thyme
3 medium zucchinis halved then cut into ¼-inch thick slices.
1 15-ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained.
1 cup oil-free marinara sauce
1 T white wine vinegar
8 to 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped.
Directions:
Heat an extra-large skillet over medium. Add the first five ingredients. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often and adding water as needed to prevent sticking. Add zucchini and cook for 10 minutes more. Stir in chickpeas, marinara and vinegar. Cook until heated through and serve immediately, garnished with basil.
Do not miss this issue from last year!
What if there was a medication that could successfully
treat and even REVERSE heart disease, the #1 killer of people, along with many
other chronic conditions and it only had positive side effects? And what if it
were low cost? Well, it is available, and it is known as the “Food as Medicine”
movement, with foods from minimally processed plants. It is growing worldwide
but one of the roadblocks is that many believe that once someone has a diagnosis
of conditions like heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, or high blood
pressure, they do not think there is anything that can be done other than live
with the medications and hope it does not get worse. Stay tuned this week to learn the fantastic
news to live longer and live stronger – big hint…have a marvelous Meatless
Monday, everyone! 😊.
There is a reason more are referring to health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and others as “conditions” rather than “diseases” because they are conditional – conditioned upon the lifestyles we choose. The word “disease” sounds like it is a forever thing when it may not be! The fact that a whole food plant-based approach provides a safe, effective, low-cost alternative to reducing symptoms and treating the causes is unknown to many. Thankfully, the word is spreading, and physician groups are recommending plant-based diets to their patients. The side effects are only positive, such as increased energy, improved digestion, and treating many conditions while eating unlimited quantities of satisfying foods! So, search “whole food plant-based” and “Food as Medicine” to learn the best ways to plantify your plates, and have a terrific Tuesday everyone!
In 1665, England started keeping mortality statistics when a person died in an accident, falling down the stairs…and that same week nearly 4,000 people died of the plague. Today, the modern plague is not COVID, but heart disease. It is the number one killer of men and women. Decades ago, Nathan Pritikin, then Dean Ornish, then other scientists at the Cleveland Clinic showed the natural cure for coronary heart disease. Dr. Hans Diehl developed the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) which was an affordable 30-day lifestyle intervention to be delivered to individuals in their community. Teaching patients to embrace centering their diet around whole plant foods was optimal but it was not rigid – and after just 4 weeks there was an average weight loss of 6 pounds, blood pressure dropped 6 points, bad cholesterol levels went down 16 to 32 points and blood sugar levels dropped as well. Move a little every day in your plant-slant journey and have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!
More than a decade ago, a paper was published titled, “Healthy Living is the Best Revenge” showing that following four simple healthy lifestyle factors can have a strong impact on the prevention of chronic diseases. We are talking 80 percent less chronic illness risk, slashing diabetes risk by 93 percent, heart attack risk by 81% and cancer by 36 percent! WOW! What are the four behaviors? They are not smoking, not being obese, getting half an hour of exercise each day, and eating with a plant-slant (meaning little or no meat and lots of fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and beans). “Finally, a regimen to extend human life expectancy” was exclaimed. How have we done since then? Not well…but recently the tide is turning. And it is never too late to turn back the clock! You can do it, one step and one forkful at a time!
In 1903, Thomas Edison predicted that the doctor of
the future would give no medicine but would instead instruct their patient in
the care of the human frame in the diet in the cause and prevention of disease. One
hundred years later the American College of Lifestyle Medicine was born. They
prescribe drugs but also recognize that the leading causes of death are caused
mostly by lifestyle – particularly what we put in our mouths: food and cigarettes. Great news - we can stop
blaming our genes and focus on the significant portion (over 70%) that’s
totally within our control: those 4 simple lifestyle factors bear repeating -
not smoking, not being obese, a half hour of exercise, and a diet of fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, and less meat is what’s under our control – reducing
our risk of disease by 78%. Following
these steps is like turning back the clock for 14 years! Have a fantastic Friday
everyone!
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