FOCUS ON EATING WHOLE FOODS

Whenever possible, you should eat whole foods, not processed foods.  This means to eat a food as near as possible in its original state.  In other words, eat an apple rather than an apple pastry.   Eat fresh or frozen peas rather than buying a can that is loaded down with salt and other preservatives.  The closer a food is to its natural state, the healthier it is for your body.  If you live where you can, you should buy your foods daily or several times a week rather than once or twice a month.  If that is not possible or you catch a good sale on something, go ahead and buy extra and freeze it for later.

QUOTES FROM DR KENNETH COOPER

Kenneth Cooper, MD, founder of the world renowned Cooper Clinic in Dallas Texas, stated, "In 1968 when my first book Aerobics was published, and in 1970, when I founded The Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas, preventive medicine was still a new concept.  I wanted to help move medicine away from a strict emphasis on disease treatment toward disease prevention through exercise, diet, and stress control." 

We owe thanks to Dr. Cooper for awakening awareness in all of us to not only exercise but how our diet can help or hinder our overall health.  He continued on to say, "From the beginning, we emphasized aerobics and nutrition.  The two go hand in hand.  Not that it's always easy to eat right or to change ingrained habits  - our busy lives put our nutrition at risk.  We grab food on the run without thinking about what we are putting into our bodies.  When we do try to eat better, we are often confused about what we should eat."  Dr. Cooper's last statement there is why I started this blog.  My goal is to help us all, yes - me as well as you, - learn to use food to help our bodies be healthy working machines.

 "A sensible and well-informed approach to eating is essential to good health."  by Kenneth Cooper, MD

The late Dr Cooper

EASY WAY TO LIGHTEN UP YOUR DIET

It is that time when millions will be thinking about their diet. They will promise themselves they will eat healthier and that they will diet.  Almost everyone reading this has made a promise like that to themselves at some point in time.  And most of those promises didn't last through a month!  Forget the diet, my opinion on that subject is all over this blog.  But eating healthier is so easy, so good for your overall health, and will eliminate the need for dieting.  Over the next few days, I will touch on simple things you can do to lighten up your meals.  I don't believe in complicated, that is just not me.  So let's get started with one of my easy tips that can make a big difference and is sustainable over time.

Switch out all your current dairy products for low-fat ones.  That includes milk, sour cream, yogurt, evaporated milk, even ice cream products.  You will hardly notice the difference in taste and within a few weeks you won't notice it at all.  You do need fat in your diet but going low-fat on dairy will be okay. As always, follow your doctor's advice over mine. People with certain illnesses or health needs especially must follow their doctor's advice.

IS THE FLU (OR SOMETHING WORSE) LURKING IN YOUR KITCHEN?

Now that flu season is upon us, here is something you may not have thought off when it comes to flu prevention.  Studies have shown that around 30% of all kitchen sponges tested positive for the flu virus!  Just imagine what else may be lurking there!  If you use a kitchen sponge, be sure to disinfect it daily!  Or do as I do and get rid of kitchen sponges altogether.  Several years ago I decided to throw away my kitchen sponges.  I use heavy-duty paper towels or dish cloths.  One use with the paper towels and into the trash! Dish clothes go into the washer with hot water and a small amount of bleach. Don't let yourself or your family get sick over something so simple.