FOOD AS ENERGY AND MEDICINE

There are a lot of elements to being healthy and strong but the one element that gets the most attention is what we eat-digest and absorb.  It is now Jan 11th 2024 and I bet your inbox has been bombaed with all things Food.

So this week we are going to talk about Food: Are you rolling your eyes? I didn’t say Diet though.

Probably the first thing we should do is shift our inner voice and the way we think about food.

I don’t mean we shouldn’t enjoy food or savior food, I am saying that we might make different choices if we changed our thinking.

FOOD AS ENERGY AND MEDICINE

What if we saw food as Fuel? (Energy) or food as Medicine, or as a Building Block for new growth, like tissues, organs, hair, skin etc, etc , What if  also saw food as blessing and as nourishment? Hmmm.

Once I saw food as Fuel, Energy, Good Skin, Flexible joints, Less inflammation, stable weight etc, etc, I made different choices. That being said I struggled to have good food ready and available. Shopping, Prep, Cooking can feet overwhelming at first.  That is when I developed a system!!

A system that when you eat GOOD WHOLE FOODS FOUND IN NATURE you not only enjoy better health but you also save a ton of money by not eating out and having home delivery.  Two birds (New Years Desires/ Goals ) with one stone.

BUSY OR JUST A LAZY COOK

I am a bit of a lazy cook however, I want to eat home cooked, organic, simple meals that are good for my family and me. I also want to feel good, have high energy and know that I am getting the minerals and nutrients I need each day. Food is Fuel and Food is also Medicine. It is one of our top wellness tips.

One of my strengths is a Maximizer so I had to come up with a plan.  I call it my My Sunday Batch Method.  I have been doing this now for many many years and it works.

The top questions I get asked in clinic are about Food Choices and Food Prep. So here is my blueprint that you can adapt to your unique needs/culture. It will give you the idea, so you can develop you own plan.

The life Changing Art of My Sunday Batch Method:

Before I explain how my batch method will literally free up time and change your health, let’s have a quick look at the diet landscape.

It seems that there is an idea out there, that there is one specific diet that is great for everyone. Each category whether it is Keto, Vegan, Paleo or something else, seems to have found the holy grail of protocols. This can be confusing, leaving many of you not quite knowing what to eat for good health. All the above mentioned have some deficiencies or gaps that need to be filled.

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FOOD SHOULD BE THE FOCUS

The research continually points to personalization and diet variation as keys for overall health, yet in the online world, it often seems like many are trying to tout that their own method is the best.

1. In general, we all largely agree that we should eat whole organic free/wild foods that are free of pesticides and hormones, yet we spend 90% of our time debating the 10% we disagree about.

2. Those saying they have “figured out what has worked” have figured out what works for them. That doesn’t mean it will work for everyone because we are all a little different. I do think however that there is value and something to learn in every approach. Heck I have experimented a lot over the years to find what works best for me.

A PLANT FORWARD PLAN

We can all say that one of the biggest challenges most of us face is getting enough veggies into our diet. It doesn’t matter which type of diet you follow it always is the area where we fall short. A whopping 90% of  the USA population is deficient in macronutrients Veggies are one resources and sometimes we need to fill in gaps and supplement.

The other thing about this is that Veggies are often only an afterthought in most restaurants, quick food pick up places and order in food services. The small amounts of veggies that they do include are not all that tasty. (In my opinion of course.) So that means in order to get more veggies into your daily diet that are organic and tasty you must prepare them at home. It can feel like a lot of work and planning, right? Well I have a short cut that I think might help. No more excuses.

My Sunday Batch Method: Fast, Quick and Nutritious VEGGIES

All you have to do is add your favorite source of  extra Protein like wild Fish, Turkey, Organic meat etc etc

PURCHASE

I go to the store or farmers market and I load up on a variety of organic veggies, green leaves including herbs like parsley and cilantro. I also grow my own herbs so I can grab them fresh. I also load up on good fats, like Avocados at various stages of ripeness, olive oil and raw organic seeds and nuts.

PREPARE

Once I am home:

I wash everything and trim off leaves of the root veggies, like carrots, radishes and beets. I also trim the asparagus and put them in a glass jar like I would a bunch of flowers. I then preheat the oven to 400-410 degrees:
While the oven is warming up, I roast the nuts and seeds: Once the oven is at 400 and the nuts and seeds have been roasted, I take them out and then roast the beets, and squash. That takes about 35-40 minutes.

While those veggies are roasting:   I lightly steam the following: (Better for digestion and if you have a Thyroid Challenge)

Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cauliflower
Sweet Potatoes etc.

While they are lightly steaming and the oven is roasting, I chop the veggies that I like to eat raw and store them: Things like radishes, celery, carrots, peas, peppers etc.: You can also wash and store zucchini, squash, mushrooms, tomatoes and other veggies.

To save time I buy the pre-packaged boxes of mixed organic greens that include spinach or arugula so I can just grab a handful of mixed greens easily. I can then add kale, parsley, cilantro, sprouts, ginger, garlic and anything else I like to include in my salad base.

If you eat eggs and like to have some of them ready to throw into a lunch container then add another pan to the stove and boil to your taste.

All the above takes me about just over one hour. It might take a little longer on your first try but once you get the hang of it your prep time will get shorten.

Once everything is cooled and in glass storage containers, I now have my fridge stocked with a variety of raw, slightly steamed and roasted veggies, good fats and nuts and seeds. Tadah!

HOW TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER

Grilled Veggies: Add a little olive oil, and Himalayan sea salt to one or more of the following:

Sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, zucchini, mushrooms, asparagus, peppers, cauliflower etc. and grill along with your favorite protein. For me it is usually WILD Fish. This is a simple, tasty and nutritious meal.

Big Bowls: My Favorite BTW. Add a handful of green and red leaves to your big bowl, now add broccoli, roasted beets, nuts, onions, avocado and finally add some cilantro and parsley. Toss in a simple dressing and you are good to go. Optional and small quantities (lentils, shellfish, chickpeas, and quinoa)

Bone Broths: Warming and great for cooler evenings: Sauté onions, garlic, and grated ginger, add your organic bone broth of choice, add protein if uncooked and raw veggies of choice (I like carrots and celery) bring to the boil and simmer till protein is cooked. Add in already steamed broccoli and rough chopped kale. Cook for another minute. Ladle the broth into a bowl and add avocado slices and chopped cilantro and serve. (You can experiment with adding Asian spices, or coconut crème, lemon grass and mint leaves.) You could also add Chicken or Turkey for your Protein source.

Veggie Frittata using already prepared Veggies. This is a very simple and nutritious meal. Serve with a simple green salad for added nutrients.

Veggie Stir Fry. Add a ton of veggies to a Stir-fry using your favorite spices. Top with some chopped roasted nuts or seeds for added crunch.

Insta-pot or slow cooker for easy meals. You have all your veggies already ready to go for no fuss preparation.

Those are just a few simple ways to have a tasty and nutritious lunch or dinner using my Simple Batch Method. This way you are not starting from scratch every night. Meals are ready in less than 20 minutes and you have more time to spend with family and loved ones.

I hope you found this information useful and see the batch method as a way to always have hint hint  …. have lots  and lots of Veggies ready and available.  Yummy…

Have a Healthy Week…

Dr Pia