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.
Let us address some common false beliefs you have when choosing a healthier lifestyle. First, we may think it is too expensive to eat healthy foods. Consider some tradeoffs, such as, what you are spending on foods and beverages that are unhealthy? Cutting out one trip to the coffee shop each day could save a lot. What is you are spending on other things that you can live without and use toward good foods - the most important investment for your health? Very importantly, how much do you spend eating out, when eating at home is much healthier and cheaper? We have 100 times more heart attacks than those in Uganda, who live on pennies a day eating grains and vegetables. Some of the poorest countries are much healthier than us - we are one of the richest, but we are never in the top 20 healthiest countries, due to our lifestyles. Go to forksoverknives.com or drmcdougall.com to see how you can eat healthier with LESS spending. Here is a hint – it is Meatless Monday everyone!
Most food choices we make are simply due to ingrained habits. I have shared before that a small percentage of our conditions and diseases are from our genes. What we inherit most from our parents that influences our own health is how they cook and what they eat. Breaking these habits may be one of the most challenging tasks we face. A simple yet highly effective step in getting there is writing down the goal in the form of an "if-then" statement on a piece of paper. Making a healthier option the "default option", for example, "If I am craving a burger, then I will choose a Beyond burger" provides your next step, the substitute you have in mind. It can make a huge difference in your success to live longer and live stronger! It is Transition Tuesday and a great day to write down your plan to live longer and live stronger!
A false belief about lifestyle change to live longer is that you do not have time to prepare healthy foods. Look at how you spend your time now, and consider, “How badly do you want it?” How bad do you want health and energy – would that be enough to reduce your TV time, phone time, and social media time? We all have enough time for the things we value, so how much do you value your health and future? You will have more energy and will get things done more quickly when you feel better. And many steps in cooking are left out when you go salt, oil, and sugar-free. Buying already chopped foods can help and it can certainly be just as fast to cook healthy as cooking the standard American diet. For example, you can make black bean brownies that are delicious, from scratch, faster than opening the brownie mix box! It is important – to your entire family, and remember, you influence every person around you!
Some resist changing their unhealthy eating habits because they feel they cannot live without meat, dairy, or processed foods. But what if by kicking an addiction you could free yourself from diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and stroke? If giving up cheese, meat, sugar, or other super unhealthy foods makes you think it is impossible, start by substituting half of what you would normally eat with the healthy version, like half almond milk and half cow’s milk. Find a friend to help you give it up and join the McDougall Discussion forums online at drmcdougall.com. Try it for 14 days and you will not believe how great you feel when you plantify your plate!
Fix-it FRIDAY is today and its Teriyaki Burgers with
Pineapple
1-pound portobello mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup sliced green onions.
2 T low sodium soy sauce or tamari
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 tsp grated fresh ginger.
½ tsp pure maple syrup
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
1 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
2/3 cup cooked and cooled brown rice.
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
¼ cup ground flaxseed
6 fresh pineapple slices
6 leaves Bibb or red-leaf lettuce
1 recipe Carrot Pickle
In a large skillet cook mushrooms over medium 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water, 1 to 2 T at a time as needed to prevent sticking. Add scallions and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. In a bowl combine the next six ingredients (through the crushed red pepper). Reserve one T to use on the pineapple. In a large food processor, combine the mushrooms, soy sauce mixture, panko, rice, walnuts, and flaxseed meal. Cover and pulse until chunky but not pureed. Shape into six patties, pressing firmly. Chill for at least 20 minutes. Brush the pineapple slices with the reserved soy sauce mixture. Grill the burgers and pineapple, covered, over medium for 8 minutes, turning once. Place each burger on a lettuce leaf, and top with pineapple and Carrot Pickles.
Carrot Pickle: In a bowl combine ½ thinly sliced cucumber, ¼ cup shredded carrot, 3 thinly sliced radishes, 2 T rice vinegar, ½ tsp pure maple syrup, 1/8 tsp sea salt. Cover and chill overnight.
And from a year ago!
There is a relatively new term you may hear, called "regenerative agriculture" - growing food in ways that feed not only humans but the ecosystem that produces it - restoring soil and managing erosion and water usage are just a few examples. Healthy produce has become a priority for more of us, and a company called "WhatsGood" introduced a model that bypasses farmer's markets to allow consumers to order goods online directly from farmers for home delivery. They are in 21 states, not yet in Missouri, but their app looks great! It is Meatless Monday, and those farmers' markets are in full swing, so take advantage of them and have a marvelous Monday!
To get healthy produce into areas called "food deserts" - mostly urban areas that have access to little fresh food, some nonprofits are getting creative. Small farms in cities are being created and not only are they growing food, but they are also educating, training, and developing leaders in growing crops. The food is then loaded on buses that deliver to local communities and health centers and churches. Interest in gardening and in volunteering has increased since the pandemic, and it contributes to better health for all involved! South Side Farm, sponsored by Saint Francis Healthcare System, is a great example. Have a terrific Tuesday everyone!
Yesterday we talked about the rise in urban gardens and the importance of fresh produce that is available for everyone. Not only does it benefit the recipients greatly, but there are also many health benefits of gardening. Simply being outside in a GREEN space is good for our mental health and it reduces stress. Gardening also counts as exercises that boost our immune systems, and of course, pushing a tiller or lawn mower is even better :) Gardening gives us a sense of purpose, connects us with others who enjoy it, allows us to be "at the moment", and importantly gives us something we can count on. Knowing we come home to a few minutes of yard work or gardening gives us certainty, which boosts our mental health. And plantifting your plate with your produce makes us healthier too! You can make a tiny garden in your kitchen window if you do not have much space. Have a wonderful Wednesday and happy gardening!
For many years, a good number of us avoided corn because we considered it "unhealthy". Associating it with high fructose corn syrup is part of the turn-off, as well as the heavy butter and salt that normally goes with it. But it is time to reframe corn as a healthy food that is loaded with fiber, vitamins, and minerals AND even though it is called sweet corn, it has less sugar than beets or fruits. It is also a good source of protein and antioxidants. Popcorn is too! In Costa Rica, a Blue Zone where people live longest and best, they lean heavily on what they call the "three sisters" of corn, squash, and beans. But - they do not add butter or salt, which effectively negates all the health benefits. Put corn in fresh salsa, soups, on salads, and get Skinny Girl popcorn for your health on the shelf!
Recent results of the Global Burden of Disease Study shocked many, finding that consuming more than just 2 teaspoons of wine or 2.5 tablespoons of beer a day causes health risks, stating, "Young people should not drink". Oxford University also completed a large study showing there was "no safe dose of alcohol" when it comes to brain health. And a study in Ireland just concluded that alcohol poses a greater risk of heart disease than previously thought. We cannot forget that ethanol breaks down to a known cancer-causing compound that damages our DNA. The best beverages for these fantastic bodies we have been given have no calories, no side effects, and little to no cost: water and tea. Start reducing your alcohol consumption today to live longer and live stronger on this fantastic Friday!
