One of the first recommendations you will typically receive in my practice, is to start cooking your own food! There are many reasons for this recommendation,the first and foremost being: you have full control of what you eat! And what you eat is what fuels your body, and if your body is receiving the right "fuel", it is most likely to function efficiently, without trouble i.e. symptoms or illnesses. So if you are to take control of what you eat, you must put in the effort for making as many of your meals as possible. Of course, a trip to the restaurant or ordering take-out can be left for special occasions or for long days that you could not anticipate or for which you could not prep ahead. Last September, even the American Medical Association (AMA) released recommendations for home cooking. Based on the American College of Preventive Medicine's (ACPM) guidelines, the AMA recommends "prescribing" home cooking to patients to reduce the risk of obesity and type-2 diabetes since it helps with:
Needless to say, there are additional mental-emotional benefits of family members participating in shopping, preparations and the cooking process.
Knowing all of this helps the patients get motivated but very often, when they are not used to cooking at home, this simple prescription can be very daunting and often can increase patients' anxiety around meal preparation and planning; and if not given the right tools/resources, can ultimately result in patients sliding back into old, comfortable but not healthy, eating habits.
In this 2 -part series, I am excited to share ideas that I commonly discuss with patients to alleviate this type of anxiety & get them settled into cooking at home with ease! I hope these will be helpful in your efforts towards a healthier lifestyle! Let's begin!
If you have ever tried opening a wine bottle without a wine bottle opener or cutting veggies with a blunt knife, you already know the importance of having the right tools for the right job! Today's fast paced kitchens need gadgets & tools that can save us time AND energy. Here are my 4 of my favorites and "must-haves" in any kitchen with a summary of their most important features:
You probably have heard raving reviews about it and are skeptical about it. So let
me tell you this: all my skepticism (and there was a huge chunk of it!) flew out the
window from day one of using it!...and now I am the proud owner or not one but
two of Instant Pots! Here's why I highly recommend it:
2. Food Processor
There are lot of choices when it comes to a good food processor. Choose one that
suits your family's needs. It is great for meal prepping and when cooking large
quantities. Here's what it can help with:
3. Hand Held Blender
Again, there are many choices with brands and additional attachments for
whisking, batter mixer etc. A simple one will suffice & here's why:
4. Air Fryer
This is a relatively new addition to my list of must-haves and I am still exploring
new recipes! Here are the main features:
As you probably noticed, there was a lot of repetition above that was intentional: "Saves Time & Energy". That is the recurring theme of this blogpost. Cooking at home should be enjoyable and not burdensome. After cooking a tasty, healthy meal, you should still have energy to enjoy it with your family; that's what makes it all worthwhile!
Empowering patients to help them take charge of their health is the goal of naturopathic medicine and the constant effort in my practice. Please note, that I do not have any financial gains in any of the appliances listed above! I am passionate sharing ideas that help with living a healthy lifestyle and have received a lot of feedback from my patients, that specific tips like these help them in transitioning to cooking at home.
Next week, in Part 2 of the home cooking series, I will share some tips & ideas for efficient meal planning & prepping.
Please feel free to share your comments & feedback below!
