We are beginning a 3 week wellness series with tips we’ve found to stay fit and happy, and therefore avoid unnecessary trips to the doctor running up a bunch of extra bills.
To begin this series I thought I would point out a few ways to improve the quality of what you eat everyday. I may not be a huge Heath nut, but I do like to take care of my body and improve what I’m consuming in easy ways. One way I accomplish this is by picking the better of two ingredients:
Yogurt that is lower in sugar and higher in protein
Fruit instead of sweets
A variety of fruits and veggies
Lean meats
Whole wheat instead of white flour, bread or noodles
Brown or wild rice instead of white
By choosing more whole grains, your body is able to distribute these carbs more evenly over a longer period of time which allows you to not overload your system with carbs that are processed into sugar and ultimately excess fat.
Picking these ingredients helps in baking too. When I am cooking I like to slip in a couple extra ingredients that make the dish healthier for me. For instance I transformed a simple cookie recipe. Now I make oatmeal cookie bars with whole wheat flour, dark chocolate chips and add a cup of plain Greek yogurt. They still taste great and I’m covering more of my nutritional bases. I also altered my carrot cake recipe to triple the fruit and veggie servings by adding a zucchini and a banana to the mix. This also added great moisture and depth to my cake. Yum! Be sure to read next week’s post for these recipes.
Another quick tip came from my husband. When I used to sauté meats or veggies I would use cooking oil to prepare the food. My husband suggested that I first sauté the meat and veggies using water and then when the food is almost cooked drain extra water and add oil to taste instead of cook. This greatly reduces the amount of oil needed to prepare delicious food. This way you won’t be taking in unneeded grease without sacrificing flavor.
This blog was written by Marissa, a contributing writer and employee of The Health Insurance Specialists.
