Making Smart Choices!
While the last post is fresh in my mind I wanted to write part two. Before I get started though I just wanted to say everything in this post is of my own opinion. I’m excited for today’s post because the whole area of good tasting food is important to me! I like food! One of the hardest parts of making all of these changes to me was not knowing what the taste and texture of everything was going to be like. Whatever your indulgences may be when your making these types of changes in eating habits, its hard because in your brain is stamped “tastes good” and for the most part nothing else! Am I ever going to be able to eat that yummy desert again? For all you chocolate lovers out there take a look at the desert I have pictured here! I’m telling you they taste better than peanut butter cups themselves! Why did I start with something sweet? I wanted you to be able to identify with something that really tastes good and know that you “CAN” have good tasting and healthy.
Like I mentioned in the last post it takes a little work to find things you will like. I also told you that it takes some experimental food nights here in my home. Especially when you have two young kids who don’t fully understand the whole healthy eating thing! For the most part they are very willing to try healthy ways of eating but what kid doesn’t still want that loaded hamburger or piece of pizza when it’s offered to them. So when you put something like a Sweet Potato Veggie Burger in front of them (which we haven’t done yet) it’s often met with a “this looks interesting” or “is this healthy” response when they come to the table. Sometimes we are truly surprised though by their reaction after they take a bite! For the record I haven’t tried this burger yet but it might just have to be put on the menu soon! I’m envisioning an experimental food night in the near future. In order to find those foods you like you have to be willing to be a bit adventurous. This burger is largely made of chick-peas and sweet potatoes and so I want to look at the benefit those two ingredients have for those of us dealing with chronic illness. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A which is a powerful antioxidant and plays a huge role in your neurological function. They are also high in Vitamin B5 B6 which helps with stress and anxiety, respiratory disorders, and heart problems. The chickpeas in the recipe are an excellent source of protein. They also help with controlling our blood sugar, improving digestion, and help protect against cancer and heart disease.
Today is really about looking at a few recipes and taking a look at how making some simple changes with your eating can really impact your life and your fight against chronic illness. For those of you who like tea I wanted to talk about a version of a Bullet Proof Tea that is really good for you. It uses the combination of organic tea, pumpkin spice, and apple cider vinegar. The pumpkin spice contains four powerful spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves) that help with things such as insulin, cognitive improvement, metabolism, and others. I would get into all the benefits but this would take a post on its own to explain all the different benefits that each ingredient has. If you want the recipe or your interested in what this tea is all about then I would suggest you check out this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jH05oDd3Hw to Thomas DeLauer and his version of the tea.
What I’m trying to say is be smart about how you are eating, and look at what is in the food and how it might help with your particular diagnosis. It really is a science I’m beginning to figure out! It doesn’t guarantee that I will see change in my symptoms but what it does do is ensure that I am doing all I can in trying to facilitate that change to better my situation. As I learn more and more about how the foods are grown, what is in that food, and how they are prepared, more and more is making sense to me. I urge you to watch some of the food documentaries out there because they’ll open your eyes! In a world where everything is now processed for convenience we are seeing chemicals of all kinds being put into our foods and I can’t help but think that they play a huge part in some of these autoimmune diseases we are seeing diagnosed today.
Does all of this mean that I don’t occasionally go out and indulge? Of course I do! What’s funny however is that now that I’ve made some changes when I do eat something that isn’t overly healthy my body notices it right away. That bag of Doritos might taste good initially but soon after it begins to catch up with my stomach! I’ve found healthier options that I quite enjoy snacking on and know they’re better for me. Here’s a food fact for you! Did you know that your taste buds are being trained to like those chips or that favorite snack that you enjoy eating! That’s right the chemicals that are found in foods are taking you back again over and over to some of those foods that you like to snack on. It’s amazing how the food industry will go to all kinds of costs just to get people addicted to their products. Going into the food industry is a whole different post however. I don’t want to get off track however that’s maybe for another post. What I’m saying is that with a bit of researching and experimenting it is possible to eat foods that taste really good that are extremely healthy. What do you have to lose in making some smart changes in the way you eat? Nothing! Only benefits will await you!