Healthy Eating

Healthy Eating doesn't have to be boring, expensive or tasteless.  Learn some tips and tricks to spice up your meals.  Are all "healthy" foods really healthy?  How is yogurt colored?  Is it from real fruit?  What about sugar?  Are all sugar substitutes better than using the real thing?  Find out these answers and more.

Music composed and performed by V. Karaitis

Transcript

Hey!  Thanks for listening!  I’m Chris Wagenti, and this is Who Gets It, Naturally.  Music was composed and performed by V. Karaitis.  I’m not selling anything, diagnosing anything; offering any cures or replacing your doctor.  I’m just sharing my passion for natural products.  If you’re pregnant, please consult your doctor before trying anything new.  Everyone is different so you may need to tweak the recipes a bit to work for you.  Always start with the least amount of essential oils…you can always add, you can’t take away.  Remember, these remedies don’t last forever, you need to reapply as needed.  If you are allergic to any of the ingredients I use, please substitute for something you’re not allergic to.  Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean you can’t be allergic to it.

My goal of this podcast is to introduce you to alternative ways of, well, living. Basically…alternative ways to clean, heal, reduce wrinkles, treatments other than surgery or a lifetime of multiple prescriptions.  Today I want to introduce you to a new way of thinking.  I’m always talking about how everybody is different, one size doesn’t fit all, what works for one person may not work for another.  This can be applied to just about everything, including a pretty hot topic right now, Healthy Eating.  Healthy Eating isn’t just about eating only fruits and vegetables.  It’s about eating the right kinds of fruits and vegetables along with the right kinds of meat, fish, oils, fats and carbs.  Unfortunately, when someone mentions your “diet”, automatically you think of salads, restrictions, no treats, lean meat, sugar-free and fat-free everything.  

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, entry can be found at dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/diet...the word “Diet” can be used as a noun, an adjective and a verb.  

“Diet” can be used as an adjective to describe something… like diet soda, which usually means the sugar content was replaced by a sugar substitute and some other chemicals to make it taste good. 

When used as a verb, “Diet” means to limit the food and/or beverages you consume to reach a goal, usually to lose weight.  For example, I need to diet to get into the bridesmaid dress I have to wear.

As a noun, the word has 3 meanings: 1) the food and drink usually eaten or drunk by a person or group, for example, the French diet includes full-fat dairy, breads, sweets and alcoholic beverages;  2) an eating plan in which someone eats less food, or only particular types of food, because they want to lose weight or for medical reasons, like, if you go on a low-salt diet to lower your blood pressure; 3) a particular type of thing that you experience or do regularly, or a limited range of activities, for instance, streaming services offer a diet of syndicated TV shows.  

So, meaning number 3 doesn’t really fit for the purposes of this episode.  Meaning number 2 includes a multitude of possibilities, like South Beach, Mediterranean, Paleo, Keto, Carnivore, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Blood Type, the list goes on.  I will say that I have tried several of these, but I won’t endorse any of them.  Weather or not they worked for me doesn’t mean they will or won’t work for you.  And I don’t want to lock this in as what I’m talking about.  When I do use the word “diet” in this episode, I’m using it in the context of definition number 1, basically, what you eat and drink on a daily basis. 

First off, I think the French have it right…eat full-fat dairy products.  How processed is it by the time they take out the fat, and then all the chemicals they have to add to make it smell and taste at least similar to the full-fat version.  Sure, it may have less fat, but what harm will all of the substitutions (which are all chemically manufactured) do to your body?  When I was younger, butter was so demonized, there was something wrong with you if you didn’t use margarine.  ‘Butter’s a bad fat, use margarine.’  The big selling point?  It’s easier to spread than real butter, and better for you.  Newsflash…if the butter is salted, you can keep it out on the counter for up to 30 days without it going bad…it spreads real good.  Hmmm…why is margarine so soft, even after sitting in the fridge?  Because it’s made with vegetable oils such as soy, cottonseed, corn, safflower and sunflower.  Oils that studies are now showing are no good for you.  For instance, sunflower oil.  Sunflower Oil’s high oleic acid content can help lower inflammation; however, too much can actually cause inflammation.  The oil can also become toxic if cooked beyond its smoke point, or the temperature at which the oil starts to burn.  This is true of any oil, and they all have their own smoke points.  Even though Olive Oil has a lower smoke point than Sunflower Oil, it does remain stable at higher temperatures, which is why Olive Oil is one of the best for cooking.  Back to margarine.  Nowadays, margarine is mostly made from palm, palm kernel and soybean oils.  It’s a personal preference, but I’ve always felt like margarine was fake.  I found an article on Science Direct at www.sciencedirect.com/topics/food-science/margarine, that explains exactly why I don’t use margarine.  QUOTE:  ” As an engineered food product, margarine is an excellent vehicle for assisting research investigative teams in all scientific disciplines in supplying the specific type of fats for their experimental work. Spreads can be formulated with any ratio of saturated : monounsaturated : polyunsaturated fatty acids from any combination of natural and synthetic sources, as well as spreads with zero trans fatty acids or reduced calories to satisfy the needs of those on restricted fatty acid diets and those under the supervision of nutritionists and dietitians.” END QUOTE

An “engineered food product”.  How can anything “engineered” be safe to eat?  That’s like “bioengineered ingredients”.  What is that?  According to the USDA, bioengineered food contains genetic material that has been modified through

certain laboratory techniques and for which the modification could not be obtained through conventional breeding or found in nature.  Seriously?  I read the labels on everything now.  Bioengineered ingredients are in everything… mayonnaise, frozen waffles, potato chips, even in frozen vegetables!  Ok, not every brand has bioengineered ingredients…you have to read the labels.  And they’ve gotten tricky…now they’re including QR Codes on the labels with a note, “for more information scan here”.  This is one of the acceptable notations that can be used on labels to signify bioengineered ingredients.  You shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to see what the product is made of.  Look for the “Non GMO” icon to be sure.  Just because “made with bioengineered ingredients” isn’t on the label doesn’t mean the product isn’t made with them.

Ok, got a little side-tracked.  Let’s move on to sugar-free foods.  Just keep moving.  Seriously?  How much worse are the chemicals and sugar substitutes they are using than real sugar?  Let’s start with aspartame, otherwise known as Nutrasweet, Equal and Sugar Twin.  This is a chemical that’s 200 times sweeter than sugar and used in everything. It was the 80’s answer to saccharin, basically synthetic sugar, also known as Sweet N Low, which was found to cause cancer.  Now, studies are showing that aspartame is connected to vision problems; causes headaches and migraines; can affect diabetes risks; prevents weight loss; enhances mood disorders; can cause inflammation and joint pain due to an allergic reaction; causes stomach cramps; increases the risk of seizures; produces hearing problems including deafness and tinnitus; and is linked to cancer, specifically brain tumors, lymphomas and leukemias.  Way back when, I noticed not feeling well whenever I consumed anything with aspartame in it, and I noticed a funny aftertaste, so I stopped using anything sweetened with it years ago.  The easiest way to do this is to not buy anything that’s sugar-free!  Including soda!  Oh, don’t even get me started with soda.  I stopped drinking soda decades ago.  I admit, I still occasionally have a ginger ale or a root beer, but they are very few and very far between.  I drink water, coffee and lots of teas…black, green, Tulsi, Turmeric & Ginger, etc.  My iced tea is never “sweet”… ewwww.  In my late teens early twenty’s I drank my coffee light & sweet.  Uugggghh!! I can’t do that anymore.  I’ve been drinking coffee black probably as long as I’ve stopped drinking soda.  The thought of putting any sugar, milk or cream in my coffee is just, ewww.  But, that’s just me.  If you do add sweetener to your coffee or tea, stick with real sugar, agave, or maybe try some honey.  Honey is a natural anti-inflammatory with antioxidant, antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal properties that’s also a natural cough syrup, helps heal wounds, aids digestion, helps alleviate allergies and so much more!  Can’t handle black coffee?  Try adding some cinnamon.  Why?  Listen to the Cinnamon Episode – Season 1, Episode 8.  

When it comes to water, yeah, there are “flavor packs” you can add, but what kind of chemicals are those flavor packs loaded with?  Better idea?  Get a pitcher, fill it with filtered water and add fresh fruit.  Every once in a while I’ll get carbonated water, which is usually labeled as tonic water or club soda.  A lot of you are probably going “eewwwww” right about now… I’m a freak.  

Read the labels, and really learn about what you are putting in your body.  Just because it’s being touted as “healthy” doesn’t mean it is, or that you won’t have an adverse reaction to it.  Like yogurt.  Do you know how Yoplait makes their strawberry yogurt a pinkish/red color?  Not from strawberries!  Check the ingredients…Cochineal, crimson lake, carmine and natural red number 4 all refer to dyes made from bugs.  You heard me right, bugs.  Specifically, the dried shells of the cochineal beetle pulverized into food coloring.  Besides being disgusting, this can also cause allergic reactions.  

Eating healthy doesn’t have to cost a small fortune.  Use different herbs and spices to flavor your meals.  Start your own herb garden…unless you’re like me and can kill weeds.  Adding 3 or 4 meals of chicken to your diet doesn’t have to be monotonous, or boring…use Italian seasonings one night, Spanish seasonings another night…grill it, stir fry it…get creative!  

Beef isn’t as bad as you think…it’s actually very good for you.  Besides being a great source of protein, beef offers large amounts of vitamin B12, iron, calcium, Vitamin D, DHA and other nutrients important for proper body functions.  And you can mix that up, too.  I like to make some Jasmine rice and break out the wok…I’ll cut up a nice rib eye or filet, cook it in the wok with some olive oil, add onion, garlic, mushrooms, peas, peppers, corn…whatever, then add the rice and some soy sauce and make my own version of fried rice.  Or get some shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack and a few tortillas…slice up an avocado & you’ve got a nice meal.  Simple things to do to eat well.  And, I only get meat at a butcher shop.  I don’t buy meat from a chain, local or national.  Oh, and I guess I should mention organ meat…uhhh.  I can’t get myself to eat liver, but if you’re into it, more power to you!  It’s pack with iron, protein and B Vitamins.

I’m not big on fish of any kind…I’m allergic to some, and really not into others, but you can use the same recipes.  Swap out the beef or chicken for your favorite fish, or add some to the beef or chicken for a bigger variety.  

The colder weather makes this the perfect time to experiment with soups and stews.  They’re great to add to your diet.  I’ve got a crock pot, and a large sauce pot, and have been trying different kinds of soups.  Hamburger-Vegetable, German Vegetable, Beef Stew variations.  I have a bunch of different cookbooks I’ve accumulated over the years & have been going thru them.  You don’t need to go out and buy a cookbook, you can search for recipes on-line.  Have a favorite recipe you want to share?  Send it to me and I’ll start a blog to share them all.

During the summer, salads are a great go-to because you can make a salad out of almost anything and still have a lightness about it.  Add grilled chicken to some Romaine lettuce; cut up a few hard boiled eggs, cooked bacon and some avocado and add to a bowl of shredded cabbage.  Top with a blend of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, your choice of vinegar and some herbs, and you’ve got an awesome dinner.  Don’t get me wrong, soups and salads are good any time of the year. 

Let’s talk about eggs.  They got a bad rep.  Undeservedly so.  Eggs are actually really good for you.  And, they’re versatile.  You can scramble them, make an omelet and add veggies, cheese, grilled chicken or steak…hard boiled, soft boiled, over easy, sunny side up…don’t be afraid to have some eggs.  They’re better for you than you think.  Remember, your body needs fats, cholesterol, protein, even some sugar, but it needs the right kinds.

You should probably keep cheese to a minimum.  I was eating a lot of cheese, every day.  A friend suggested I stop the cheese to lower inflammation.  I decided to experiment a bit.  I did stop all cheese for a few weeks.  The inflammation in my body did go down, and I lost a few pounds.  I do still eat cheese, but not as much.  Moderation.     

Homemade pasta is so much better for you than boxed pasta, which has a bunch of preservatives in it.  Also, fresh pasta will fill you up faster, which means you’ll eat less.

Same with bread.  If you can’t bake your own bread for whatever reason, start buying fresh bread, like a French Baggette or Italian round loaf.  If you don’t think you’ll eat it all before it starts getting hard, put ½ of it in the freezer.  When you’re ready for more, let it thaw a bit, then pop it in the oven at about 350 degrees for like 15 minutes.  This will soften it up a bit and make it warm.  

Try making small changes to your diet every other week or so, building on the new habits you’re forming.  You’ll notice you start feeling better, and may even lose some weight.  Start by staying away from processed foods.  You don’t have to go organic, or try growing your own veggies and herbs.  

You can still have a glass of wine, or a beer, or two, just remember, moderation is the key.  

As always, If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to email me at vobyjypsee@usa.com, or send a text from the podcast.  You can follow me on X and Instagram … @vobyjypsee; or LinkedIn…search either Chris Wagenti, Who Gets It, Naturally or Voice Overs by Jypsee.  Please download this episode, and make Who Gets It, Naturally a favorite on your preferred channel so you don’t miss an episode.

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