Chef Nicks Kitchen

Ten Ways to a Healthier Lifestyle
by Chef Nick Cavataio

In my opinion a healthy lifestyle is the
harmony of the mind, body and spirit. At
first I thought it would be easier for me
to look at this in three different steps.
And I guess you could, but all they are so
closely related it's really easier to work
them together as one. There are a lot of
things in life we do not have any control
over, but we can choose to have our own
mind, body and spirit "diet"

My day always goes better if I put Spirit
first. It's a conscious choice not to think
(mind) about what lies ahead for the day.
Now we are free to make that choice to work
our brains and feed out bodies in a positive
way. So, let's make it a habit to eat the
foods that reduces risk for complications
such as heart disease and stroke. Start
by eating a wide variety of foods.
Such as: vegetables, whole grains,
fruits, non-fat dairy products, beans,
poultry, fish and lean meats. Portion
control is also a major factor to a
healthy diet.

Remember, our stomach is a small organ
so it's important to eat smaller portions.
Choose from each food group and go for the
highest quality nutrients you can find.
Find the foods rich in vitamins, minerals
and fiber over those that are processed.
It will take some planning but you can eat
your favorite foods and still manage your
blood glucose (sugar), blood pressure and
cholesterol.

The following information is a guide to a
healthier lifestyle. Of course you should
always seek advice from your doctor about
what is best for your eating and exercise
habits.

If you smoke, it would be a good idea to
quit. There are many support groups,
smoking sensation classes and medications
to help you. Please take advantage of them
and QUIT. I know you can do it.

1. Eat lots of vegetables and fruits. Pick
the bright colors available to maximize variety.
Some good choices would be spinach, carrots,
broccoli or green beans.

2. Choose the whole grain foods instead of
processed grain products. Use brown rice
verses white rice or whole wheat pasta with
some veggies.

3. Try dried beans like kidney, pinto beans
and lentils. They're great in soups and
chili.

4. Eat fish 2-3 times a week.

5. Pick out only the leanest meats. Look
for cuts of beef and pork with the least
amount of fat, such cuts as pork loin and
sirloin. Remove the skin from chicken
and turkey.

6. Go for the non-fat dairy products,
such as skim milk, non-fat yogurt and
non-fat cheese.

7. Choose water, water and more water.
If you must have the other "stuff" then
go for the calorie-free "diet" drinks
instead of regular soda, fruit punch,
sweet tea and other sugar-sweetened drinks.

8. Use liquid oils for cooking instead of
solid fats.

9. Cut back on the high calorie snack foods
and desserts. You know what I'm talking about.
Those yummy cookies, cakes and chips. Try
some low fat or no fat ice cream instead of
the full-fat ice cream.

10. Like my Dad always said "Eating too much
of one thing is not good". Even eating healthy
can lead to weight gain. Watch your portion sizes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chef Nick Cavataio is the author of "Conquering
Healthier Recipes and Beyond," an cookbook
packed with more than 300 mouth-watering recipes
you can cook quickly at home.
http://www.conqueringhealthierrecipes.com
 

Nick Cavataio 99 Hall Road Owego NY, 607-687-5654 mailto:ncavataio@stny.rr.com