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your way
Eat
Your Way To Better Health
By Monique N.
Gilbert, B.Sc.
Published July 2002
Making the right dietary choices can have
a profound impact on our health and longevity.
As a society, we have the largest assortments
of foods in the world, both good and bad.
However, this availability can tempt us
to eat unhealthy foods. Fortunately, overcoming
these temptations is easier than you think.
A few simple changes in your diet can make
the difference between being healthy and
unhealthy.
So, you may ask, what kind of diet do researchers
recommend for promoting and maintaining
good health? According to the American Institute
of Cancer Research (AICR), the smartest
strategy to promoting good overall health
is to eat a balanced, predominantly plant-based
and nutritionally dense diet. Most of your
daily calories should come from vegetables,
fruits, whole grains and beans.
Take advantage of our highly developed
food distribution system, which allows a
vast array of fruits, vegetables and other
plant foods to be available throughout the
year. Eat less fat and more fiber. Make
plant-based foods the largest part of every
meal. Limit the amount of animal-based foods,
such as meat and dairy products, which are
loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol.
Use olive oil or canola oil instead of butter
or margarine to reduce your intake of saturated
fat and hydrogenated fat (trans fat).
Moderate your consumption of fried, salted
and smoked foods. Eat portions to satisfy
hunger, not to clean the plate. The AICR
recommends these steps to help protect against
several cancers, lower the risk of heart
disease and promote good health.
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) links
one-third of all cancer deaths to diet.
They state that we can reduce the risk of
cancer and other chronic diseases through
dietary means. Both the AICR and the NCI
believe in the benefits of eating a plant-based
diet. They feel it is reasonable for most
of us to include products like tofu, soymilk,
tempeh and textured soy protein as part
of a healthy diet. If nothing else, these
foods can be excellent and complete alternative
protein sources when decreasing your consumption
of meat and dairy products.
However, researchers do not want people
to consider plant-based foods as a magic
bullet to counteract bad eating habits.
They don't want people to rely on adding
just one or two plant-based products to
their diets while continuing to eat foods
high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Nor
do they advise people to consume large quantities
of supplements to try to achieve health
benefits. Balance, moderation, and variety
are the keys to a healthy diet. Nothing
should be excessively consumed. Loading
up on any one food or nutrient is never
wise. Each food item provides a different
chemical composition.
The best way to take advantage of the various
beneficial nutrients and compounds, is to
adopt good eating habits which include a
wide assortment of nutritionally dense foods.
Many researchers advise looking at the typical
Asian diet and method of cooking for inspiration,
which is high in fruits, vegetables, rice,
green tea and soy. They mainly derive protein
from plant-based sources such as beans,
tofu, miso, soymilk, tempeh and other plant-based
products. This type of diet is low in meat,
fat and dairy products, with a moderate
amount of fish.
Meat is mainly used as a condiment than
the main course. The quick method of cooking,
characteristic of Asian cuisine, also plays
an important role in the Asian diet. Steaming
and stir-frying reduces the amount of fat
needed to prepare foods, and allows foods
to retain much of their nutrients. In contrast,
the average American or Western diet is
high in meat, dairy, starches, sugars, sodas,
fast foods and junk foods. Beef, pork, fish
and poultry are the main sources of protein.
This type of diet is generally low in fiber
and high in saturated fats and cholesterol.
Deep-fried foods, such as french fries,
potato chips and onion rings, are popular
but very unhealthy. It causes foods to absorb
a high amount of fat, and the oils used
to deep-fry are not always the best. Often
vegetables are overcooked, causing them
to lose many of their nutrients.
Fast foods and quick eating, characteristic
of American dinning, also play a detrimental
role to our health. The convenience of ready
made and processed foods often provides
a diet high in calories but low in nutritional
value.
Altering our way of cooking and eating
is one of the easiest ways to improve our
health and increase our vitality. Making
choices based upon nutritional content is
the best guide. Choose to eat foods that
have bright colors and are high in fiber,
vitamins, minerals, and complex carbohydrates;
moderate in protein, and low in saturated
fat, hydrogenated (trans) fat and cholesterol.
Adopting this way of eating will promote
good health and offer you protection against
heart disease, stroke, cancer, osteoporosis,
diabetes and kidney disease.
Looking for a great cholesterol-free recipe
to start your day off on the right foot?
Then try this hearty nutritious and delicious
breakfast item. It's high in fiber, iron,
potassium, phosphorus, vitamin C, thiamin
and niacin, low in saturated fat with a
moderate amount of protein.
- 5.3 ounces tofu - diced (1/3 of a 16-ounce
block firm tofu)
- 3 cups potatoes - diced (3 medium or
4 small potatoes)
- 1 cup onion - diced (1 large onion)
- 1-1/2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/8 teaspoon black ground pepper
- Dice tofu into 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes.
Peel and dice potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes.
- Heat 1 teaspoon canola oil, add diced
tofu, turmeric, 1/8 teaspoon salt and
a dash of pepper. Stir until all cubes
are thoroughly coated and get a nice yellow
color. Saute tofu until golden brown and
firm. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil, add diced
potatoes, black ground pepper and 1/ teaspoon
salt. Stir to coat all the potato cubes
with oil, salt and pepper. Cover with
a lid and allow to steam for 3-5 minutes.
Uncover for a minute before flipping potatoes
over, this will prevent any sticking.
Then flip potatoes, cover and steam another
3-5 minutes. Uncover and flip potatoes
again. Keep flipping until all potatoes
are golden brown.
- When potatoes are golden brown, mix
in tofu cubes and push to one side of
the pan. Add 1/2 teaspoon canola oil and
diced onions to empty side of pan. Stir
and cook onions until translucent, then
mix thoroughly with potatoes and tofu.
Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with juice
and toast.
Makes 2-4 servings
This recipe is from Monique N. Gilbert's
book "Virtues of Soy: A Practical Health
Guide and Cookbook" (Universal Publishers,
2001, pp. 86-87).
References: National
Cancer Institute; American
Institure of Cancer Research
Copyright © Monique
N. Gilbert - All Rights Reserved.
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About
this writer: Monique
N. Gilbert, B.Sc., is a Health Advocate, Certified Personal Trainer/Fitness
Counselor, Recipe Developer, Freelance Writer and Author. Visit her site
at http://www.geocities.com/virtuesofsoy/
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Monique
N. Gilbert, Soy Food Connoisseur, Recipe Developer and
Author of... "Virtues of Soy: A Practical Health Guide and
Cookbook" (Universal Publishers, 2001).
Monique
N. Gilbert, B.Sc., has received international recognition for helping
people get healthier, feel better, look younger and live longer.
Through her coaching program and writings, Monique motivates, inspires
and teaches how to naturally enhancing your health, happiness, energy
and longevity with balanced nutrition, physical activity and tranquil
living environments. Monique believes it is her mission to educate
and enlighten everyone about the benefits of healthy eating and
a vibrant stress-free lifestyle. For more information, visit her
website - http://www.MoniqueNGilbert.com
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