Recently I’ve been going through the Golden Rules of Eating Healthy, just to help you kick start the new year with some healthy ideas and information.  This is the fourth and final golden rule of healthy eating – eating with awareness.

How To Eat With Awareness

In this fast-paced world you may often feel that there’s not enough time for you to pay attention to your diet, but eating with awareness is vital to your body’s ability to digest the foods you eat.  This doesn’t mean you have to be a slave to meal times, but here are some tips that will help your body to digest the food you eat much more easily.

• Eat in a calm and quiet atmosphere.  How we feel when we eat can actually affect how well we digest it.  Don’t eat when you are upset or angry; instead just hold off for a few minutes to give your body time to settle down a bit.
• Always sit down to eat, even if it’s just a snack.  Taking time to pay attention to what you’re doing will help to prepare your digestion and allow you time to check in on your true hunger level.
• Avoid ice cold foods and drinks as they tend to freeze the digestive ‘fires’ that you need to help with the healthy breakdown of foods.  It may take a little time to break the habit, but you’ll find after time you won’t miss cold drinks.
• Don’t talk while chewing (your mum probably already told you this when you were younger!) – instead focus inward, enjoying the taste, sight and smell of the food you’re eating.
• Eat slowly to give your body a chance to digest food properly. Put your fork or spoon down in between mouthfuls to help you to slow down if you have to.
• Sit quietly for a few minutes after your meal to allow digestion to begin.

Beware Of Quick Health Fixes

Many people struggling to shed unwanted weight often seek quick and effortless solutions, usually bouncing from one weight loss diet to another.  Sadly, quick-fix diets just don’t produce lasting benefits and are often not very nutritionally balanced.

Avoid crash diets.  Although you might see quick results at first, study after study has shown that the benefits are not long term.  You’ll have much better long term results if you drop ‘diets’ altogether and take up a healthy eating program today that will serve you throughout your entire life.

Alcohol As Part Of A Healthy Lifestyle

Red Wine

Studies have shown that there are natural health-promoting chemicals in wine that may have a protective effect against heart disease and cancer.  These natural disease-fighting substances have been shown to have powerful antioxidant properties that are most concentrated in the skins of grapes (red wine has the highest concentration).

If taking an occasional glass of wine as part of a delicious meal adds richness to your life, then by all means enjoy!  However it’s important to remember that too much alcohol can also have damaging effects on almost every system and cell in the body and can contribute to serious illnesses affecting the nervous system, so always remember – everything in moderation.

How To Have A Happier, Healthier Mind And Body

I’ve been concentrating mostly on what to eat, as well as how and when, but a healthy lifestyle for the long term requires a ‘whole body’ approach which also includes a sensible amount of exercise…

Exercise

Regular exercise will help you to burn fat and feel better within yourself.  You will benefit more from regular, light exercise than occasional bursts of intense exercise.  Walking around the block once each day with longer walks added in every so often can also have a positive effect on your metabolism.

Studies have shown that short bursts of activity burn carbohydrates, while longer, ongoing exercise burns fat.  Like eating, exercising your body should be enjoyable.  If you overdo it or force yourself to exercise then you risk causing yourself injuries or emotional stress – which is exactly what you’re trying to avoid!

It’s best to exercise between 6-10am and 6-10pm, when your body is stronger and more tolerant.

That’s it for my current series of healthy eating (and living) tips, I hope this helps you to enjoy a far more healthy lifestyle for a long time to come!

Now I will be getting back to sharing with you a whole range of easy food recipes for you to enjoy making at home!

Mick Reade

All Easy Food Recipes

Fresh foods are full of nutrients and energy, so first of all remember that fresh foods are always best for your body.

I’m sure you’ve seen the difference between a lettuce picked fresh out of the garden and one that has been sitting in the bottom of your fridge for a couple of weeks.  Frozen, canned, processed, reheated and leftover foods have much less ‘life’ than fresh foods – and organic food is free of chemicals.

As you begin to appreciate the food you put in your body you might even feel inspired to grow your own herbs, fruits and vegetables in the garden!

The Best Way To Satisfy Your Food Cravings

Giving in to unhealthy cravings can sabotage your efforts.  If you experience cravings, it’s usually for sweet foods, and it shouldn’t be ignored.

However you can make healthy choices from the ‘sweet’ family to satisfy your food cravings with more wholesome, healthy foods such as sweet fruits, whole grains and nuts.

Eating well is a long-term healthy life choice, and there are some foods that can particularly help you to be a healthy weight and feel good about yourself.  Choose…

• Foods that are light, dry and warm; spicy, bitter and astringent (see the sense of taste chart for your health).
• Lighter fruits such as apples, pears, pomegranates, cranberries and persimmons.
• Honey is excellent (don’t heat the honey though).
• All beans.
• Light grains like barley, corn, millet, buckwheat and rye.
• All spices except salt.
• All vegetables, especially radishes, asparagus, eggplant, green leafy vegetables, beets, broccoli, potatoes, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, pumpkin, lettuce, celery and sprouts.
• If you do eat meat, try to choose cold-water (oily) fish and white meat such as pork, free-range chicken and turkey.

In the next post I’m going to run through the fourth and final golden rule of healthy eating, how to eat with awareness…

Mick Reade

All Easy Food Recipes

This is of course the new year period, and many people make New Year’s resolutions around this time, usually revolving around losing weight and getting fitter.

In the previous post I talked a bit about Ayurveda’s 6 essential tastes of life, and how they can help you improve your health in everyday life, and today I just want to elaborate a little bit on that with a helpful chart of some specific healthy foods that you should be looking to incorporate into your everyday meals.

It’s important that you don’t make choosing what to eat hard work.  Don’t worry if you get to the end of the day and realise you’ve missed out on one or more of the foods in a particular sense of taste – it will be a long-term lifestyle change that will balance out over time.

You’ll feel so much better when you incorporate food from each sense of taste that you’ll actually find it easy and fun to adjust your diet to include them!

Sense Of Taste Foods – Sweet

• Milk
• Butter
• Cream
• Wheat
• Ghee (clarified butter)
• Rice
• Maple Syrup
• Sesame Oil
• Apple Juice
• Coconut Milk
• Honey
• Raw Sugar
• Fresh Fruit
• Rolled Oats
• Raisins
• Cranberries
• Soy Milk
• Vanilla Extract

Sense Of Taste – Salty

• Salt
• Pickles
• Salty Pretzels
• Tamari Soy Sauce
• Seaweed

Sense Of Taste – Pungent (Hot And Spicy)

• Chilli Pepper
• Ginger
• Black Pepper
• Clove
• Mustard
• Radish
• Daikon
• Onions
• Thyme
• Oregano
• Salsa
• Asparagus
• Tomatoes
• Fresh Chillies
• Garlic
• Cinnamon
• Basil
• Rosemary

Sense Of Taste – Sour

• Limes
• Lemon
• Citrus Fruit
• Yoghurt
• Mango Powder
• Many Immature Fruits
• Tamarind
• Plums
• Blueberries
• Raspberries

Sense Of Taste – Bitter

• Green Vegetables
• Kale
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Turmeric
• Fenugreek
• Endive
• Chicory

Sense Of Taste – Astringent (Dry And Light)

• Apples
• Apricots
• Beans
• Berries
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Cherries
• Coriander
• Figs (dry)
• Grapes
• Green Tea
• Lentils
• Peaches
• Persimmons
• Pomegranates
• Prunes
• Strawberries

Your Sense Of Taste Needs Variety Every Day

There are foods that taste delicious to us, and those that don’t.  There is enough variety from this sense of taste chart for your health to provide options in a daily eating program that will not only taste good, but also be healthy for you.

You will always feel satisfied and you will start to crave healthy food that makes you feel good when you eat it… and that’s what you really want, isn’t it?!

In the next post, I’m going to share the 3rd golden rule of healthy eating – how to choose food that nourishes your body and emotions…

Mick Reade

All Easy Food Recipes

Pay Attention To Your Appetite And Only Eat When You Are Actually Hungry

Now this is one of those healthy eating habits that sounds like common sense, but you’d be surprised how often people will eat when they’re not actually hungry.  Your appetite is your friend, don’t think of it as the enemy.  A strong appetite is an important sign of good health, and if you listen to your body it will tell you when to eat and how much so that you can feel healthier and happier!

Don’t fight your body’s messages, instead be grateful about its fantastic ability to tell you what it needs through your appetite, and you’ll feel much better for it.

A lot of times people will tend to eat out of habit, to be social, because they are stressed or lonely, or because someone tells them that it’s time to eat.

What Is Hunger?

Healthy Eating Habits Include Fresh Fruit

Hunger is a signal from your body that it wants to eat and is ready to metabolise food properly (in other words it will use the nutrients it needs and dispose of the rest easily).  If you’re not hungry then your body doesn’t need anything at that time, and more importantly, your body hasn’t prepared itself properly to digest what you do eat.

Next time you go to eat something, place your hand on your stomach and check in – are you actually feeling hungry?  If the answer is no, then don’t eat!  You might like to drink a glass of water or fruit juice instead if you don’t feel those hunger pangs.

Healthy Eating Habits

If you are feeling those hunger pangs, then make sure you only eat until you start to feel satisfied, and then stop!  It can sometimes take 10 or 20 minutes after eating for that feeling of a satisfied or full stomach to really settle in, so you really don’t need to keep on eating.  Avoid eating to the point of heaviness, dullness or discomfort (like the way you might feel after you’ve attacked an all-you-can-eat buffet or smorgasbord!).

There is a flip side to this however.  It’s also important to never let your body feel too starved, because the body’s ‘intelligence’ might start to think that there may not be any food for a while and it could reset its metabolism to protect against starvation by storing more of the food you eat.

This is why the less you eat, the slower your metabolism can get, and the more weight you can gain!  Healthy eating habits include eating good healthy food only when you are hungry, and this can help your body to maintain an efficient metabolism.

A Simple Approach To Healthy Eating Habits

Here’s a simple exercise if you need to break out of bad eating habits, and start applying healthy eating habits:

Eat Whenever You’re Hungry,

But When You’re Not Hungry, DON’T EAT.

Healthy Eating Habits vs Bad Habits

Just do this for 2 weeks and it will be enough time for you to figure out your body’s signals.

Also, it’s best to eat your heaviest meals earlier in the day, breakfast, and especially lunch.  Digestion is stronger at midday and is much more efficient at converting food into energy instead of fat.

If you do this for a while then soon you won’t even feel like eating a heavy meal at dinner – a time when digestion is not at its strongest.  Even if you still go out to dinner, then just check your appetite and eat something delicious in small portions until you begin to feel satisfied, but not uncomfortable.

This approach to eating has nothing to do with dieting, but simply paying attention to your body and its level of genuine satisfaction, to build longer term healthy eating habits.

In the next post I’ll discuss the 6 different tastes that occur naturally in foods that you should be trying on a daily basis…

Mick Reade

All Easy Food Recipes

I’ve been on a bit of a theme lately – getting and staying healthy, with plenty of easy food recipes that are also good for you.  Now this doesn’t really have anything to do with New Years resolutions (I don’t believe they really provide much long-term benefits), it’s more about just feeling fitter and healthier to enjoy a better lifestyle.

People usually focus on either exercise or eating healthier, but it tends to be rare that both of these are taken into consideration at the same time.

I’m not going to make out that I’m some sort of expert on this matter, but I do keep a very active lifestyle, as well as obviously being very aware of the sort of food I’m eating.  So I’d like to share what I know about the benefits of eating healthy, as well as plenty of easy food recipes to get the process started for you, and I hope that this helps to give you more energy and time each day.

4 Golden Rules Of Healthy Eating

• Pay attention to your appetite and only eat when you are actually hungry.
• Sample each of the 6 different tastes each day, and eating fresh, healthy and delicious foods that you enjoy.
• Choose foods that nourish your your body (and emotions).
• Eat with awareness.

These all sounds reasonably easy and simple, but it’s very easy for people to ignore these things in the fast-paced life that we all tend to lead.

In the coming posts I’ll be going into each of these golden rules of healthy eating in a bit more detail.  I look forward to helping you to improve your health and well-being in everyday life by sharing the benefits of healthy eating.  Until then, please enjoy looking around my blog for plenty more easy food recipes to try at home!

Mick Reade

All Easy Food Recipes

Free Recipe Glazed Roast Pork

Recipe Preparation: cooking and baking

Recipe Serves: 12

Ingredients for Glazed Roast Pork Recipe

5 lb Pork loin roast
2 ts Minced ginger
1/4 c Orange juice
1/2 c Apricot jam

Glazed Roast Pork Preparation

Put meat, fat side up, in a roasting pan.

Roast in electric oven at 325F until meat thermometer registers 160F, about 1-3/4 hours.

Combine jam, juice, and ginger; brush onto meat.

Continue cooking and baking until thermometer registers 170F, basting occasionally with sauce to form glaze.

For more delicious gourmet food recipes, and a free download of a healthy eating cookbook, please visit www.alleasyfoodrecipes.com

Free Recipe Greek Pork (Or Chicken) Pita Pockets

Recipe Preparation: chill

Recipe Serves: 4

Ingredients for Greek Pork (Or Chicken) Pita Pockets Recipe

1 lb Boneless pork loin
4 tb Olive oil
4 tb Lemon juice
1 tb Prepared mustard
2 Cloves minced garlic
1 ts Dried oregano
1 c Plain yoghurt
1 Peeled; chopped cucumber
1/2 ts Crushed garlic
1/2 ts Dill weed
2 Pita loaves

Greek Pork (Or Chicken) Pita Pockets Preparation

Cut 1 lb. boneless pork loin into thin strips. Combine 4 T. each olive oil and lemon juice, 1 T. prepared mustard, 2 cloves minced garlic, and 1 t. dried oregano.

Pour over pork. Refrigerate 1-8 hrs.

Stir together 1 C. plain yogurt, 1 peeled, chopped cucumber, 1/2 t. crushed garlic and 1/2 t. dill weed. Cover and chill.

Remove pork/chicken from marinade. Stir-fry in non- stick pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.

Halve two pita loaves and open to form a pocket.

Fill with pork, top with cucumber mixture.

Garnish with chopped red onion. (I usually add shredded lettuce and diced tomato, too)

For a free healthy eating cookbook to download, please visit www.alleasyfoodrecipes.com

Free Recipe Green-Pepper Steak

Recipe Preparation: cook

Recipe Serves: 4

Ingredients for Green-Pepper Steak Recipe

1 lb Round steak; 1/4-inch thick
1/4 c Soy sauce
1 tb Oil
1 c Water
1 lg Green bell pepper; cut in strips
1 tb Cornstarch
Hot cooked rice or noodles

Green-Pepper Steak Preparation

Cut steak in 2-inch by 1-inch strips & toss with soy sauce. Brown on one side with oil.

Add green pepper & cook until meat is browned.

Combine water & cornstarch, add to meat.

Cook over medium heat until sauce is thickened and peppers are tender.

Serve with rice or noodles.

For a free healthy eating cookbook visit www.alleasyfoodrecipes.com

Free Recipe Hamburger-Mushroom Quiche

Recipe Preparation: cooking and baking

Recipe Serves: 6

Ingredients for Hamburger-Mushroom Quiche Recipe

1 lb Ground beef
2 c Cheese; grated
1/2 c Mayonnaise
1/2 c Milk
2 Eggs; beaten
1/4 c Green onions; chopped
1 tb Cornstarch
2 oz Mushrooms; sliced
1 Unbaked pie shell

Hamburger-Mushroom Quiche Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degreesF.

Brown meat; drain. Mix together cheese, mayonnaise, milk, eggs and cornstarch. Stir in onions, mushrooms and meat.

Pour into pie crust and bake 40 to 45 minutes, until puffed across the top and brown.

Serves 6 to 8.

This can be frozen, you want a dry bottom crust, put the pie crust in the oven for 5 minutes before pouring thc ingredients in.

For a free healthy eating cookbook to download visit www.alleasyfoodrecipes.com

Free Recipe Gyros Souvlaki

Recipe Preparation: cook

Recipe Serves: 4

Ingredients for Gyros Souvlaki Recipe

1 lb Ground lamb or beef
2 tb Water
1 tb Lemon juice
1/2 ts Salt
1/2 ts Ground cumin
1/2 ts Dried oregano leaves
1/4 ts Pepper
2 Cloves garlic; crushed
1 sm Onion; chopped-about 1/4 cup
2 tb Vegetable oil
4 Pita breads (6-inch diameter)
2 c Shredded lettuce
1/2 c Plain yoghurt
1 tb Chopped fresh or
1 ts Dried mint leaves
1 ts Sugar
1 sm Cucumber; seeded and chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1 md Tomato; chopped (about 3/4 cup)

Gyros Souvlaki Preparation

Mix lamb, water, lemon juice, salt, cumin, oregano, pepper, garlic and onion. Shape into 4 thin patties.

Cook patties in oil over medium heat 10 to 12 minutes, turning frequently, until done.

Split each bread halfway around edge with knife and separate to form pocket. Place patty in each pocket. Top with lettuce.

Mix yogurt, mint and sugar. Stir in cucumber.

Spoon onto lettuce and top with tomato.

Serves 4.

For a free healthy eating cookbook to download you can visit www.alleasyfoodrecipes.com