The Heart Smart Credo

I hope that you are experiencing a thrill at every meal as you tune into your taste buds, nourish your body, and get healthy deliciously.

You should print this list out and stick it on your fridge so you can remind yourself exactly how to eat right.

·        Remember, salad is the main dish: eat it first at lunch and dinner.  We have the tendency to eat more of whatever we eat first because we are the hungriest.  What better time to include the most nutrient-dense foods into your diet?  Successful long-term weight control and health is linked to your consumption of raw greens, as they are absolutely the healthiest in the world. 

·        Eat as much fruit as you want, but at least four fresh fruits daily.  Blend fruits into your morning shake.  Finish lunch with watermelon, dinner with grapes or a box of blueberries or eat an apple while watching TV at night.  Get your fresh fruits in any way you would like, but be sure to consume them with your meals each day.

·        Eat Leafy Greens Every Day  It’s essential for your body to get all of the vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals from a variety of foods, especially greens.  You never have to be concerned about overeating your vegetables, so experiment with preferably fresh vegetables, and also mix up how you eat them: raw, steamed, stir-fried, sautéed, the options are endless.

·        Eat Your Veggies  I recommend eating eggplant, peppers, onions, garlic and mushrooms as much as possible…and you can eat all you want.

·        Eat beans or legumes every day.  Beans are a dieter’s best friend.  Aim to eat at least one cup of beans daily.  Beans are a powerhouse of nutrition, stabilizing your blood sugar, reducing cholesterol and preventing food cravings.

·        Reduce or eliminate animal products.  If you eat animal or dairy products, I advise you to reduce the amount and frequency that you eat them.  You should try to get down to eating fish or chicken twice a week only if possible. If you drink milk, switch to fat free! Butter? Change to an olive oil based spread.

·        Consume nuts and/or seeds every day. Nuts and seeds may be high in calories and fat, but when you eat them in small quantities; they offer important health benefits, including disease protection against heart attacks, strokes, and cancer and can even help lower cholesterol.  Don’t eat more than two ounces of nuts per day if you would like to lose weight.

·        Keep it simple and have fun!.  As I say in the blog summary, you don’t need to go to culinary school to cook and eat healthy and delicious foods.  Just keep it simple by finding some great recipes (like the ones you get here hehe) and have fun eating a variety of foods.