Two for the kitchen

Watching the struggles of several friends who have diabetes
served as a scary reminder of my own genetic predisposition. True I'm
a vegetarian and not a couch potato. Still I thought there must be
something else I should be doing.
My good friend, Jann, who is a nurse, suggested that I cut down
on carbs. That rang a bell. I gave in too much to my sweet tooth.
To my fellow RSU 26 board members my lollipops were iconic.
I decided to give up sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and all
the other stuff that isn't good for people. I felt that I had to
choose between food for health and food that tastes good. Fortunately
Eat Naked by Margaret Floyd put this false dichotomy to rest. If you
want to feel better or lose weight or you simply are concerned about
what you're eating, this reader friendly book is a great place to start.
Eating naked has nothing to do with your clothes (or lack
thereof). It has everything to do with the purity of the food you
eat. As a society, we increasingly consume processed substances with
some pretty scary ingredients. And the (factory farmed) chickens have
come home to roost. Record numbers of us are overweight or obese and
on track for diabetes and heart disease.
Floyd's solution: start giving your body what it needs, not
what Madison Avenue says you want. There are five basic principles:
--Eat food that is whole and unrefined.
--Eat food that has been grown or raised naturally.
--Eat food when it's fresh and in season.
--Eat food that has been raised or grown as locally as possible.
--Eat food that has been processed as minimally as possible.
Eating naked fleshes out these basics. Floyd teaches us how to
navigate the complexities of shopping, dining out, and cooking. She
does not demand going cold turkey. In fact, she encourages gradual
transition. You don't have to totally cut out comfort foods. And
there are some pretty awesome recipes.
Eating locally year round can seem like a daunting challenge to
those of us who live close to the Canadian border. Lisa Turner's The
Eat Local Cookbook is a truly wonderful asset. It's written by a
Maine farmer and organized by season and dish type (appetizers,
salads, side dishes, entrees, and desserts). The recipes are quite
varied and tasty. All you foodies and locavores out there will be in
cooking paradise. So don't waste a minute. Get out to your library
or book store and find something good for dinner. There are even
ideas for our ubiquitous zucchini. :-)
On a more personal note: those two books have been my
salvation. It's been over two weeks since I embarked on my quest to
eat more sanely and prevent diabetes. All I can say is smooth
sailing. And I feel great!
Coming attractions: next we are going to do some eco friendly
house cleaning. Following that we'll kick back and relax with a bunch
of fiction.
A big shout out goes to my good friend, Jann. It's truly a
blessing to have someone who can console me when things go badly,
celebrate with me when they perk up, and know when to practice tough
love. The words, thank you, could never be adequate...but I guess
they'll have to do.
Sent from my iPod