second step in the 12 challenges to a healthier you: home cooking

2nd step : 12 challenges for a healthier you

Practicing home cooking

If you want to eat healthy you just have to give up eating outside on a daily basis and buying precooked foods. I know many parents are busy with work and commitments but You can cook very simple and healthy meals, you don't have to do a complicated dish to taste good and you don't have to be a chef.you just need to master a few simple recipes and do them over and over with just a little bit of a change and it ll feel like new.

Cooking food at home is the single most important thing you can do for your health and your family's. When you do the cooking, you have control. You know exactly what everyone is eating. You control the quality and quantity, and you can cook to meet everyone's needs and preferences. You can also be sure of the cleanliness of the facility.

Cooking at home (from scratch using fresh ingredients — not microwaving a frozen dinner) means the meal is fresher, which is a great start to obtaining more nutrients. You can maximize nutritional value by the cooking methods you use and by picking quality fresh foods without preservatives.

Home cooking introduces our children to good eating practices. It is also educational and will improve their knowledge of nutrition. If they show the slightest interest in food – get them involved! It will inevitably mean more mess but it is so worthwhile. It helps them to develop life-long skills which they will hopefully pass to their own children.

Breakfast which is the most important meal of the day it will set up your energy mood and metabolism for the rest of the day.If your one of the millions who probably grabs a whole grain cereal for breakfast or some kind of white baked goodie this is what you are starting your day with:

Boxed cereals – Toxic Grains

A typical breakfast consists of a bowl of cold cereal, which is made by a process called extrusion.

An extruder is an industrial machine that produces little flakes, O's and other shapes and puffed grains using high temperatures and pressures. The cereal industry has convinced the FDA that extruded grains are no different from non-extruded grains and has contrived to ensure that no studies have been published on the effects of extruded foods on either humans or animals. However, two unpublished animal studies indicate that extruded grains are toxic, particularly to the nervous system.

Studies Show Extruded Cereal is Toxic

Paul Stitt described one in his book "Fighting the Food Giants". Four sets of rats were given special diets. 
1-One group received plain whole wheat, water, vitamins and minerals. 
2-Another group received Puffed Wheat, water and the same nutrient solution. 
3-A third set was given water and white sugar, 
4-and a fourth given nothing but water and the chemical nutrients. 

Results:

1-The rats that received the whole wheat lived over a year on the diet. 
2-The rats that got nothing but water and vitamins lived for about eight weeks.
3-and the animals on a white sugar and water diet lived for a month. 
4-But [the company's] own laboratory study showed that rats given vitamins, water and all the Puffed Wheat they wanted died in two weeks. It wasn't a matter of the rats dying of malnutrition; results suggested that there was something actually toxic about the Puffed Wheat itself. Proteins are very similar to certain toxins in molecular structure, and the puffing process of putting the grain under 1,500 pounds per square inch of pressure and then releasing it may produce chemical changes which turn a nutritious grain into a poisonous substance. 

The other study, described in "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon, was performed in 1960.
 Eighteen rats were divided into three groups. 
1-One group received cornflakes and water; 
2-second group was given the cardboard box that the cornflakes came in and water; 
3-and the control group received rat chow and water. 

Results:

1-The rats in the control group remained in good health throughout the experiment. 
2-The rats receiving the box became lethargic and eventually died of malnutrition.
 3-But the rats receiving cornflakes and water died before the rats that were given the box – the last cornflake rat died on the day the first box rat died. Before death the cornflake rats developed schizophrenic behavior, threw fits, bit each other and finally went into convulsions. Autopsy revealed dysfunction of the pancreas, liver and kidneys and degeneration of the nerves in the spine – all signs of "insulin shock." The startling conclusion of this study is that there is more nourishment in the box that cold breakfast cereals come in than in the cereals themselves.


Anther extremely unhealthy option for breakfast is pastries and white flour baked goods:

Baked goods that are made up of white flour that has been stripped from all of its nutrients so they are considered empty calories,  plus some sugar and some fat which probably is trans fat will spike your blood sugar up and in just a little while crash down leaving you tired with no energy looking for anther quick meal or a cup of coffee to be able to make it through the day... Refined white flour has been linked to heart disease and cancer.


 Healthy Alternatives for breakfast:

1- soak organic whole wheat kernels, barely, whole oat grain, millet , quinoa or any grain u like, discard the soaking water, put it to boil until done ( this ll vary according to your soaking time, I soak it overnight and it cookes in about 30 min).

Add your grains to the bowl , add warm or cold raw milk, sweeten with raw honey if u must, I like to add pure ground vanilla beans to flavor, and some pecans. My daughters love it specially my one year old.

Tip: make a big batch it will hold up in your fridge for the whole week and you can warm some up every morning won't take a minute and you have a homemade cereal.Also don't skip the soaking it helps remove toxins in the outer shell and make it easier to digest.


2- Eggs are a healthy nitrous filling choice and I love to add baby spinach to my omletes since they need no preparation time or cutting.

3- Smoothies,  homemade fruit smoothies will give you the energy and calories you need to start your morning, get the fruits of the season wash cut and freeze so they are handy in the morning just add a couple to your mixer and your good to go... If you want to add more nutrition to your smoothie try adding ground flaxseeds, or vegetables like celery or spinach, ginger adds a unique flavor, for your kids add a raw beet it ll give it a vibrant pink color and a sweet taste. You can add some yoghurt for a probiotic boost.

4- Beans ; foul Medamess, hummus, lentils any sort of cooked beans you prefer, just season with lemon, salt, pepper, cumin and olive oil




Lunch:

This is anther tricky meal since most people are at work and it is not easy to grab a healthy meal outside home, there are some restaurants that carry healthy choices if you are one of the lucky people who have access to one, if not then you have to plan In advance and pack a healthy snack with you to work, school, or where ever you will be.

Ideas for healthy on the go lucnh:

1- nuts and dried fruits ( kids love these) prunes and raisins
2- fresh cut up fruits, some fruits don't even need cutting like berries and bananas
3- you can prepare a wrap the day before just put some sour cream avocados lettuce and grilled chicken or smoked salmon and wrap it up to take it with you in the morning ( I leave a bag of sliced grilled chicken in my freezer for quick wraps)
4- whole wheat bread with some cheese and veggies ( celery,  lettuce, carrots)
5- bean dips with veggies or whole wheat bread


Dinner:

Here is where you can get creative, some people love cooking and experimenting new foods and don't have a problem but others just panic from going in the kitchen.experiment with foods that have very short preparation time.this is the meal were most likely all family members are home and this should be a spiritual nourishment to the body and mind.so make time for it and plan ahead for this important nourishing meal.

Importance of family meals:

Research shows that children who have regular meals with their parents do better in every way, from better grades, to healthier relationships, to staying out of trouble. They are 42 percent less likely to drink, 50 percent less likely to smoke and 66 percent less like to smoke marijuana. Regular family dinners protect girls from bulimia, anorexia, and diet pills. Family dinners also reduce the incidence of childhood obesity. In a study on household routines and obesity in U.S. preschool-aged children, it was shown that kids as young as four have a lower risk of obesity if they eat regular family dinners, have enough sleep, and don't watch TV on weekdays.

 Here is why you shouldn't have dinner outside on a daily basis:

1-A study in the American Journal of Public Health found that unhealthy restaurant foods contain an average of 642 calories more than people estimate. If you're like the average American who eats out five times a week, that's 47 pounds a year you didn't know you were consuming—and will have to work off, or learn to live with.

2- High in fat and sodium

Foods prepared in restaurants as well as packaged foods are often high in sodium, even those that seem healthier. A McDonald's Premium Southwest Salad With Grilled Chicken and Newman's Own Creamy Southwest Dressing has more sodium (1,300 milligrams) than a Big Mac (1,040 milligrams).


A whopping 96% of main entrees sold at top U.S. chain eateries exceed daily limits for calories, sodium, fat and saturated fat recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.


3- Usually contain preservatives and is precooked and reheated.

4-Restaurants accounted for 41% of food-borne disease outbreaks between 1990 and 2006

5- The portions of restaurant food is way too big and lots of times you end up eating it to avoid throwing it away.

Tips for simple home cooking:

1- plan your kitchen well, keep it organized,keep your spices in an easy to reach place, don't over crowd your fridge, make sure everything is easy to see and use.

2- plan your meals ahead of time, possibly before you do your weekly shopping write down the list of foods you ll cook for the week, have all the ingredients bought to reduce shopping and thinking time.

The first step is to brainstorm with your family for meal ideas. If they don't like it, they probably won't eat it. This is most important when it comes to snacking. If everything in the kitchen looks unappetizing, your family will find their snacks somewhere else.


3- cook bigger meals to accommodate two days.

4- pick easy simple meals that don't require lots of preparation time but includes healthy fresh ingredients.

Examples: fish fillet season with salt and pepper grill for a few minutes, roast some veggies in oven with olive oil and spices, have easy to eat veggies if your too lazy to cut up a salad. I also love 1 pot dishes where u cook your meat or chicken with some onions, add the veggies add the rice leave it all to cook in the stock and add all the necessary spices.

5- anther useful tip is investing in a slow cooker, it is a very handy tool for working or busy people, season your meat or chicken the night before , throw it in the morning and daaaa, when u come home drop in some veggies and you have a delicious meal

6- get support and make everyone involved in clearing up the dishes afterwards so you don't feel overwhelmed.



"The reward of seeing your family eat a healthy clean and nutritious meal will keep you motivated to cook again"