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.
It's a NEW YEAR, and it's "Transition Tuesday," making it the perfect time to take steps to get healthier! Start by putting your "why" on a note where you will see it every day, such as on your bathroom mirror or computer screen. Why do you want to feel better and function best? Do you want to reduce pain, have more clarity, improve your mental health, live longer, and contribute more? Then write down how bad you want it - how bad you want to feel good, stronger, and better about how you look and function. It's a good reminder every day of the steps you're taking and how they will improve your life!
The start of a new year is a great time to embark on the Daniel Fast and "Dry January." The Daniel Fast eliminates meat, dairy, alcohol, and processed foods like sugary, salty foods for three weeks, and Dry January is a month of no alcohol. These can work well together. This is how whole-food, plant-based people live every day. Search the internet for whole food plant-based recipes at Forks Over Knives, Bluezones.com, PCRM.org, and Nutritionfacts.org. Let's face it; most of us fix five or six things over and over again. So, look for a few recipes you know you'll love to start with, then gradually add more. Start with plant-based foods you already love and add to them. Have a wonderful first Wednesday of the year by plantifying your plates!
We've been talking this week about the new year being the perfect time to change your health for the better! We can't worry about genes - our longevity is based more on the healthy habits of our spouse than on the genes our parents gave us - that's so exciting! If you feel you have "bad genes," don't despair - lifestyle changes will overcome them! Transitioning to health works well with a four-month plan. Now's the time to get a calendar to map out the coming months: in Month One, eliminate dairy; in Month Two, processed meats; in Month Three, other meats; and in Month Four, clean up your beverages. It's time to feel GOOD and live longer and stronger!
Transitioning to a healthier life is most successful this time of year when we want to start a fresh new year. A good tip is to do it with a friend or your spouse - support is key, especially from your family. And remember, you influence everyone around you! When you're eating out and friends comment on what you're eating or not drinking and you tell them how much better you feel because of it, you'll make a difference in their lives. Prioritize your health - yes, it takes time to plan and prep, but you can find time by giving up things that are a lower priority. What could be more important than feeling great, living longer, and contributing so much more? Have a fantastic Friday, and more to come next week!
And from last year! The hope and excitement of a new year often come with new health goals. We want to mention the Daniel Fast and "Dry January" again - this is how whole food, plant-based people eat every day, but it is a big departure from the Standard American Diet. For 21 days, the fast helps you detox and reduce addictions to sugar, salt, meat, alcohol, dairy, and processed foods. And "Dry January" means giving up alcohol for the month. You will experience the benefits of a stronger immune system, more energy, clearer thoughts, lower blood pressure, and so much more. Stop at either Fresh location to get copies of information and recipes and have a marvelous Meatless Monday, everyone!
We all want to feel younger, and reversing the aging of our cells is scientifically possible. If our cells age slower, we will feel better longer. Instead of talking about "lifespan" - the years we live, many are talking about "Health span" - the years we spend in good health, free of disease and disabilities. Sadly, on average, we spend the last 11 years of our lives in poor health, dealing with issues that are mostly lifestyle-related. Diabetes, heart disease, dementia, and other conditions result from the food choices we make and our sedentary lifestyle. It's exciting to know that only 10 to 20% of those issues come from our genes. Improve your health span by getting the Plantrition Project QuickStart Guide - it's perfect for a new year and your wealth of health, and it's free online! Have a terrific Tuesday!
Those retirement years, the "golden years," we are finding out are many times spent in poor health - on average 11 years of not being well - not too golden. What we eat and how much we move are key drivers in our health, much more so than our genes. We can take responsibility for our health and our futures, one forkful and one step at a time! It's a new year and a great time to turn our trajectories toward health! The key to eating healthy is to ramp up fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Check out the Daily Dozen at Nutritionfacts.org and get the app or the great eating guide - all for free! You can start living longer and stronger, today! Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!
We've been talking this week about improving our health span - the years we feel great - and reducing inflammation through diet, exercise, and stress management is key. Excessive inflammation accelerates cellular aging, and stress is like gasoline on the fire of aging. Take de-stress breaks every two hours, meditate 20 minutes a day, find ways to reduce your pace and load of responsibility, and eat healthfully to combat the effects of stress. Diet is the most critical factor in our health, and we can control every bit of it! Don't worry about finding a list of superfoods - improve your health on the shelf by purchasing plant-based whole foods, drinking only water and green tea, and giving away everything that isn't. Sounds easy but it's a big shift for many of us. The new year is a great time to make that shift! Happy 2023, everyone!
It's Fix-it Friday, and we should eat three servings of beans each day to have optimal health, starting with one serving and then working your way up to three is ideal - and lentils are more digestible than other beans so throw them into smoothies, toss on salads and add to soups.
Here's
a health-packed Carrot Mushroom Red Lentil Soup from Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior
Cookbook:
In a large pot, sauté onion in water until it's softened then stir in garlic, cumin, chili powder, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Add tomato paste, vegetable broth, lentils, and carrots, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat for 10 minutes or until the lentils and carrots start to soften. Add Swiss chard and mushrooms and simmer for another 20 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest, and balsamic vinegar then garnish with cilantro and you've got a nutrient-packed party in your mouth!
Resources: The Plantrician Project, Blue Zones, and Be a Plant-based Woman Warrior Cookbook
Transitioning to a healthier diet can feel overwhelming, but it's actually simple. Here are some tips: Learn to love beans! Add sugar snap peas, peas, every color of beans, and lentils to dishes and salads, put hummus in your wraps and add beans to your smoothies to make them really smooth! Add one new vegetable, grain, and fruit into your grocery cart every week, meaning something you've never eaten, or rarely do. Fresh produce is ideal, frozen is good, and canned is least desirable due to additives. Think about the plant foods you already love, or at least like - what grains, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and beans do you already eat? Lean into them more by adding them to other dishes to crowd out meat and dairy. It's Meatless Monday and a great class to take to learn how to prepare healthy meals is CNS Kitchen! It's free and fun!
It's transition Tuesday, and less SOS is best! Less salt, oil, and sugar – and none is best! If you purchase items with added salt, the mg of salt should not exceed the number of calories. If the label says it's 200 calories, then the mg of sodium should be 200 or less. Rather than using a sweetener that has sugar or sugar substitutes in it, use dates, date sugar, all-fruit jam, or pure maple syrup. Don't ever cook with oil, maybe drizzle it on veggies or salads…just a little. Oil is extremely processed, unnatural, and has the highest calories. Live longer and live stronger by living in a SOS-free world!
Learning to read labels is key to eating healthier. Stay completely away from saturated fat and added sugar but also look at the list of ingredients. Buy foods that either have no label, meaning they are whole foods or have only real foods listed. Explore every aisle of the grocery store, and you won't believe the options that you've never seen before! Remember that "diary is scary," so give it up! More than anything, this will help you feel better and improve your health faster than other changes. Dairy means cheese, milk, butter, and eggs. Remove them from your recipes, or for transitioning time, try vegan cheese that you can find in almost all grocery stores, almond, oat, or cashew milk, plant-based spreads, and egg substitutes. Look carefully at all labels because milk and egg products are included in so many things. Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!
Processed meats are the most harmful of all meats and include bacon, sausage, deli meats, turkey sausage, ham, hotdogs, pepperoni, cold cuts - anything that has additives. They cause cancer, heart disease, and premature death. Replace them with whole foods, or for transitioning time, there are plant-based options in the cold and frozen section of all grocery stores. They are highly processed and have additives but are not as damaging as real meats. Continue to explore the recipes and options to plantify your plates! Once you've given up processed meats, it's time to eliminate all meats like chicken, beef, pork, fish, and turkey. Get with friends who are plant-based and have potluck dinners. Go to restaurants together that have great alternatives.
We've talked all week about food choices to be your healthiest in this new year. Now it's time to clean up the beverages. Water, green tea, and coffee are the best beverages for our bodies. Hibiscus tea is excellent for lowering blood pressure, moderating blood sugar, and supporting our arteries. You won't believe how great you feel when you give up sodas and alcohol. If you need help, get help - it's hard because the sugar and sweeteners in soda are addictive - you may need help giving them up, as well as the alcohol. Just like with foods, the non-alcoholic transitional beverages are expanding quickly, and you can find them anywhere! Stop by either location of Fresh Healthy Café for educational materials. Have a fantastic Friday, everyone!
“Hunger is the first element of self-discipline. If you can control what you eat and drink, you can control everything else.” —Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah
