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.
Did you know that your age is an unreliable indicator of how quickly your body will decline or how susceptible you are to diseases? There is a difference between your chronological age - the number of years you have been alive - and your biological age, which is your physical and functional ability. Biological aging arises from a complex mix of genetic traits and lifestyle choices such as diet and exercise. It is clear from studies in identical twins that genes probably account for only 20 to 30% of our biological age. This is exciting – we can have a lot of control over improving our “real age” with things like eating more plants and less meat on this Meatless Monday! Plantify your plates to reduce your "real age" to live longer and live stronger!
It is Transition Tuesday, and we suggest a four-month plan to transition to healthier, plant-based lives, or a four-week plan for those of you who want to do it quickly. It is time to begin! Month or week 1 the focus will be on giving up dairy. More than anything, this will help you feel better and will improve your health faster than other changes. Diary means cheese, milk, yogurt, butter, and eggs. Replace them with those great recipes you have found, and if you need "transitional cheese" or plant-based spread for your toast, they are in almost every grocery store now. Here is another tip. Until you can fully convert, “split the difference” where instead of drinking a glass of milk, you mix it half and half with almond milk and gradually increase. almond milk ratio. Do the same with plant-based cheeses and eggs. At the end of the week or month, take note of how much better you feel!
Diet and exercise are strong. Influencers of biological age – our “real age,” not the number of trips we have made around the sun. Mostly plant-based meals and spurts of activity throughout the day are well-known “secrets” of living longer and living well. We know that nutrition is the best lever we can use to lower our real age. Several studies have also reported a strong link between social isolation and increased stress, disease, and mortality. This emphasizes that social connectedness is also essential for well-being throughout life. Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!
Vegetarian diets and lifestyles have been shown to reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, which now account for the major global burden of diseases. Compared to meat-eaters, vegetarians had significantly lower inpatient, outpatient, and total medical costs. Most significant were the lower costs for chronic lifestyle conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Those eating plant-based diets nailed the targets for cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure 93 percent of the time, 97 percent of the time, and 88 percent of the time, respectively with nearly a 50 percent drop in medical costs due to depression as well. Look at the health on your shelf - the fridge and kitchen cabinet shelf - to live longer and live stronger!
It is Fix-it
Friday and YUM for some SWEET POTATO CURRY!
INGREDIENTS
1 small onion, chopped.
3 to 4 garlic cloves finely minced.
½ jalapeño, finely chopped
1 (1-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon curry powder
1½ teaspoons garam masala
½ teaspoon turmeric (optional)
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
3 cups peeled and chopped sweet potatoes (about 2 medium)
1½ cups yellow lentils (Toor dal), rinsed and picked through.
¾ cup plain vegan yogurt
Juice of ½ lime
1 bunch Swiss chard, center stems removed, leaves roughly chopped.
1 teaspoon black salt or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Place the onion in a large, shallow saucepan, and
sauté over medium heat until translucent (about 3 to 4 minutes), adding water 1
to 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the vegetables from sticking. Add the garlic
and continue to sauté for about 1 minute. Add the jalapeño and sauté for about
2 minutes. Add the ginger, curry powder, garam masala, and turmeric (if using).
Stir to fully combine and cook for about 2 minutes more, adding water, as
necessary. Add the broth, sweet potatoes, and lentils. Stir to combine. Cover
and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover again, this time leaving
the lid open a crack. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
When the lentils are tender and the liquid has decreased, add the yogurt, lime juice, and chard, and cook until the chard is just starting to wilt. Add the salt and the pepper to taste, stir to combine, and remove from the heat. Serve warmly.
Our food choices matter in so many ways and emphasizing health-promoting foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds can make a difference! Regardless of where you are on your journey to being healthier, you can begin by adding more of these foods, which will crowd out the health-damaging foods. Focus on real, whole plant foods that have only one ingredient on the label, or no label at all! And it is SO important to know that not only is a plant-based diet safe for children, but they are more likely to meet their nutritional needs than if eating our standard American diet. It is a meatless Monday everyone and have a great one!
From the Archives:
Dietary risk, meaning the outcomes of the foods we choose, is the leading cause of death - yes more. n tobacco use, for Americans. Dietary habits we have as children usually persist in adulthood, so it is especially important to know that good nutrition for children not only helps their current health but has the potential to prevent many chronic diseases for them in the future such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Sadly, most of our children are eating poorly because of fast foods and processed foods. A great resource for raising healthy children who will then become healthy adults is the book Nourish, by Dr. Reshma Shah. Check it out and have a terrific Tuesday everyone!
More about raising healthy kids today - it is SO important for parents to know that food is the single strongest lever to improve our health, and in fact, unhealthy diets now lead to higher death rates than alcohol, drug, and tobacco use combined. The good news is part of the reason is that tobacco use has gone down - it is an example of how behaviors really can be changed through education! Here are some high-level tips: the place where people live best and longest gets 65% of their calories from carbs, 20% from fats, and 15% from protein. Those carbs are plants - veggies, fruit, beans, nuts, and seeds. Look at the health on your shelf - the food items in your home -and ramp up those plants to not only raise healthier children but improve your own health and longevity. Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!
Avoiding carbs, those low-carb diets, result in the loss of eating the vital packages of energy that only plants manufacture. They are amazing and so important for our health because they are the preferred fuel for our brains, red blood cells, nervous system, and more. Protein can be used for energy, but when we have sufficient carbs, we spare protein, so it is available for SUCH critical things like building and repairing tissues, and making hormones, to name only a few things. Of course, we Americans get way too much of the bad carbs in the form of sugar, and nearly half of it comes from beverages: alcoholic drinks, sodas, sweetened coffees, and teas, and these all lead to increased weight, diabetes, heart disease, and on and on. Eat whole plant foods - not the bad carbs - to live longer and live stronger!
Yesterday we talked about how we eat too much sugar - where can you start reducing it? If half of our sugar comes from what we drink, reduce, and then stop beverages that contain sugar. Read labels to look for "added sugar" - the front of many food labels now read "No added sugar," which is great. This tip sounds simple but cooks and eat at home - you can control the amount of sugar that way. Use vanilla bean or extract, citrus zest, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg - they bring out the natural sweetness of foods. Lastly, make fruit your go-to snack. Have a fantastic Friday everyone!
Resource:
Nourish: The definitive plant-based
nutrition guide for families by Reshma Shah, MD MPH and Brenda Davis, RD
