Is Eating Out Eating Out You?

Eating out may be eating out your stomach, your liver, your heart, and your lungs. Because of our busy schedules, many of us find ourselves eating out several times a week; some of us eat out almost every meal.

Restaurant food is some of the most processed food you can put in your mouth. The commercial fake food arrives in big-food company trucks (90 percent of all restaurants get virtually the same food) and is lovingly prepared using can openers and microwaves. If you’re counting on restaurants to promote your health, you are making a serious miscalculation. But everybody eats out (including me four on occasion), so what do you do?

First, you have to plan on getting healthy somewhere other than the restaurant kitchen. Even if you are going to eat out for lunch or supper, give your body what it needs first. If you do, then you won’t eat nearly as much commercial cooking at the restaurant. Second, if you must, seek out cafés and restaurants that prepare organic, heirloom, homemade, non-processed foods. More and more of them pop up all the time. Look for living foods on the menu like raw or steamedveggies, fresh fruits, organic, wild-caught fish, and free-range beef and chicken. Order your fish and red meat cooked medium or medium rare because it will have more enzymes and nutrients.

The bottom line is this: Don’t rely on eating out for your health! Get your living food before or after you go to the restaurant. It will take a little effort and planning, but it’s much more convenient than diabetes, open heart surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy. It’s your life, and if you don’t protect it, no one else will.

Too Poor for Organic? Some of you may be thinking, "all this wonderful food and nutrients in my body really sounds wonderful, but how in the world will I ever pay for it? I am barely getting by as it is. Now you’re asking me to spend even more?" Believe me, I do understand why you might feel this way. I am a very busy single working mother of a very hungry little boy. That said, buying healthful food may not cost you nearly as much as you think.

Less Food Is More Food. Remember, one reason we suffer from food cravings and binges is because our bodies are literally starving for more nutrients. Cheaper, processed, fake foods are stripped and sucked dry of these necessary nutrients. In an attempt to make up for this emptiness, our bodies must consume massive volumes of fake foods.

Think about the humongous portions served to us at our local restaurants, cafés, and diners, not to mention all-you-can-eat buffets. Portion sizes across the board are exponentially larger than they were only twenty years ago (bigger portions, bigger profits, bigger people). When living a truly CLEAN lifestyle, you are consuming much more powerful, nutrient-dense foods, so your body is not forced to eat quite as much in order to feel satisfied. This may not seem possible at first, but you will see that it does work. (Just as better fuel takes your car farther.) And less food equals less money spent at the market. So your food costs a little more, but it goes a lot further. And you’re going to love how it makes you feel (no more bloating after dinner).

Home Is Where Your Heart Lives. These days only half of what we eat is food we make ourselves; the other half is mostly defrosted, microwaved, and reheated food we consume from fast-food and sit-down restaurants (much of it from the same food trucks that stock most restaurants). If you really want to save your family’s health, determine now to start preparing and eating more food at home (more like 75 percent). Kids alone consume 55 percent more calories when eating out, compared to eating foods prepared at home. You may be thinking this is a good idea in theory, but impossible to achieve with our busy schedules. I truly understand, but you always have time for what’s really important to you. Here are a few time-saving tips that work well for me. When I’m in a hurry, I simply bypass the fast-food joints and head straight home to my slow cooker.

Eating at home can be much easier and much more affordable than you realize!

Plus, you might actually get some quality time with your family members. For more healthful foods, check out our website.

Don’t Let Organics Stop You. The important thing is that you start feeding yourself and those you love the most healthful foods that you can afford. So please don’t let the price of organics be an excuse for you. Get out there and get the best nutrient dense foods you can afford. Pay the farmer now or pay the doctor later. We are now learning the hard way that, when it comes to food, you get what you pay for. It may be time for us to put our money where our mouth is and decide to eat to live.

Pressed for time? Make the slow cooker your new best friend. I promise you it will be the best spent fifty bucks. I am a huge fan of the slow cooker for many years, but especially now with my little son. It saves SO much time. You can virtually cook while you are sleeping. I am making short ribs with mango as I type this Newsletter! Yuuum!! You will NEVER burn any food (or your house if you forget to turn it off). Not to mention one of the greater benefits: your food cooks SLOWLY, retaining all the wonderful enzymes and nutrients. The more you overcook your food, the more dead it becomes. The more "dead food" in your diet, the more of YOUR energy has to go into turning it into energy for YOU. Always opt to eat HEALTHY LIVING FOODS. Remember, we are what we eat - and what we eat, eats too...

http://www.cookinglight.com/food/top-rated-recipes/slow-cooker-favorites

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/kid-friendly-slow-cooker-recipes

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/spicy-short-ribs-lime-basil.aspx

If you or someone you love is diagnosed with heart disease, cancer, or another chronic illness, it’s going to cost you much more in money, time, and lifestyle. As acancer survivor myself, I can confirm this from my own experience. If you start now, eating fewer calories by choosing powerful, nutrient-dense foods for your meals, you can actually lower your grocery costs. If you reduce your expenses by avoiding the top four things typically purchased in grocery stores (sugar, caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol), you will certainly decrease your budget. Buy your food from local farmers and farmers markets, and you can often save big on produce and get more healthful foods into your body. Your bodies will start craving these powerful nutrients, and over time, you will seldom reach for junk foods.

Like anything in life that is truly valuable, it will take time and effort, but the outcome is indeed worth it. Picture the people you love living healthy, long, energetic lives, free of chronic illness, debilitating disease and pain. What’s that worth to you?

A slow-cooker Arroz con pollo with peas, peppers, green olives and chorizo