"An Ounce of Prevention..."

This isn't yet another "eat right and exercise" page on the internet. Mainly what this section is about are ways to take better care of ourselves, and at the same time help take better care of our environment without running ourselves broke in the process. I know that each one of us has limitations, but we can still try to do the best we can with what we have. I do have opinions on food, and as with all my opinions I am always much too eager to share them with anyone who will listen, so here's what I'll say about food:

From what I've been able to tell, different bodies have very different requirements. Some people do well on a vegeterian diet. Others thrive on a low-fat diet. For some, the two combine for a perfect plan. Other people's bodies can't process carbohydrates properly and as such they need to eat in a way that keeps their blood sugar stable. They eat larger amounts of protein and fat (including saturated fats) than is typically advised yet are completely healthy. Some people have absolutely no health problems eating nothing but meat.

While watching these varied diets over the past six years or so, all of these healthy individuals, despite all their "goofy" ways of eating have one thing in common. Every one of them avoid processed foods and foods with high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, or sugar. They don't eat products made with white flour, even the unbleached variety. If they do eat grain they eat whole grains. They also avoid trans-fats like shortening, margarine, coffee creamers, and whipped toppings like the plagues they are. Instead they use lard, butter, cream, and plant-based fats like cocoa butter. Some will occasionally use artificial sweeteners, but most get their "sweets" from eating raw fruit. If they eat at restaurants or fast food outlets, they carefully choose their foods, eating the healthier bits and discarding the rest. They also don't buy into the labeling hype that food manufacturers trap people into right and left. They read ingredient labels. They read nutrition labels. They don't go for convenience. They go for health.

These people believe that if they are spending extra time shopping and preparing their whole foods themselves, it is but a small investment of time well spent toward staying healthy for the rest of their lives. Speaking from experience, I know first-hand it does not take any more time to shop for and prepare whole foods than it does to throw together a meal out of a box. That premise will be the focus of another website one of my daughters and I are developing. That site will contain the recipes we have put together over the past several years, many of which take no longer to prepare than a pan of Hamburger Helper, and are much more nutritious. Nearly every recipe will be simple to convert to whatever type of diet a person is on by simply omitting or adding an ingredient or two.