CHOPRA CENTER FOR WELL BEING
PRACTICAL WELLNESS WITH FOOD
By; Leanne Backer; Executive Chef
Taking Time To Enjoy The Art Of Eating Well
I am often asked, "How do I make good eating a part of my life?
I am always on the run, I travel, I commute, I take the kids to their lessons,
I get home late. I need help."
There is no doubt that living in the 90's challenges us with the difficult
task of balancing. We ARE always on the run. When I look at my
own life, I realize that left to me we'd eat macaroni and cheese almost every
night. Something easy, something fast. But nutritious?
Not really. You and your family need more.
In order to better care for ourselves and our families, we need to make
a commitment to it and realize the true value to eating well. I have
always had a hard time staying on a "diet," because I could never make a
whole hearted commitment to losing weight and eating better, healthier foods,
I lost my craving for sweets and I didn't overeat as much. I still
love a good sweet every now and then, but I don't find myself wanting chocolate
cake everyday at 3 p.m. BALANCING YOUR BODY WITH GOOD FOOD AND MODERATE
EXERCISE HELPS YOU ACHIEVE YOUR NATURAL WEIGHT. EATING WELL PROVIDES
THE NATURALLY BALANCED FOUNDATION WE NEED FOR OUR OTHER BODY FUNCTIONS TO
OPERATE CORRECTLY. Like a finely oiled machine, a tuned piano, or a
well crafted recipe, all the components of our bodies function better if
they have the right combination of care and attention to detail.
We all need to understand the true value of eating well. In our busy
lives, we reach out for what is fast, convenient, and comforting. "I'll
just stop and get something on the way home. We'll eat fast, run to
open house....then the store, then home." Making a commitment to eating
well does mean making time to do it. While not every day will be picture
perfect, the effort and success of each day you can actually sit down to
a meal will be very satisfying. Here are some suggestions that I hope
will assist you in this task of balancing life, family, routine, and healthy
food.
In Ayurvedic cooking, the most satisfying part of themeal is the freshness
and the "prana" or life force of the food itself.
Visualize a healthy plant with bright green leaves coming from a far with
rich "prana" infused organic soil. Vegatables picked fresh from the
vine and bursting with flavorand vibrant color. Then visuallize the
plants picked from farms with pesticide and chemically riddled, barely brown
soil. The color of the plant is subtle and dull. Fresh is best.
Organic or naturally grown is prana, our life force. I advocate using
the best frest foods possible. Some of othe following examples will
suggest leftovers. Although leftovers are not truly Ayurvedic, in my
thinking, I would rather eat a freshly made salad from yesterday than a stuffed
pita salad from a fast food restaurant. At leaast I have some control
over the salad I'm eating. I do not know anything about the salad from
the restaurant, the ingredients, source and storage of the vegetables.
If I make it, I have all of this information available to me. Sometimes
eating well takes a few compromises.
When we shop, we tend to grab things that look good, but we don't always
see what we are buying. Foods that are labeled non-fat or low-fat often
have more calories than their full-fat counterparts. Look at those
labels and dates and choose foods that have "prana" or life in them.
Fresh foods are best and bottled juices, whole fruits and vegatables.
Try to buy organic food when available. By supporting organic farmers,
we support the continuance of life in our food supply.
SHOPPING:
When we shop, most of the time we don't even know what we are shopping for. If possible assign a day when the major shopping will be done. Make a list of four dinners to start with. For example;
Dinners- plan on providing salad greens, a grain and veggies at each meal. Add them to your shopping list.
THESE ARE SIMPLE DINNERS THAT CAN BE MADE FOR ONE PERSON OR SIX .
Cheese and vegatable whole wheat pizza, serve with salad.
Pasta with basil and tomato, with salad or steamed vegatables.
Moroccan fish or vegatables, with tomato curry sauce, rice and veggies.
Tortilla pie withblack beans, salsa, salad and rice.
Make a list of all your ingredients and stick to it.
Plan to make a little bit extra for lunch the next day. Make an extra
salad, put it in a plastic container, and keep the dressing on the side.
Make an extra piece of pizza and extra dish of pasta, or save a bit of the
meal from the day before. Allow yourself to be fed well and realize
that you deserve it. Pack yourself a lunch with a cloth napkin, real
silverware, and a thermos of soothing steaming tea. Try to eat in a
peaceful place.
Get your family and friends involved. True health comes from sharing
it. When we give we receive. Being able to share in the tasks
of shopping, preparing, and eating food reminds us that the simple action
of sitting down to a meal is a gift that should be shared. Talk with
each other about the days' events, keep the conversation at your meals light
hearted and caring.
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