I am once again hoping to get healthier in the New Year. I am not making any resolutions, I am just committing myself to eating better, exercising more often, and treating myself right. As inspiration for how to do the things I really already know how to do, and just don’t, I have been reading. Reading is good, doing is better, but at least I have started the process.
The Pritikin site had some great information that most of us probably already know, but it got me re-inspired, see if it helps you:
“Eat mostly foods of plant origin.
Advised the international panel of cancer experts: Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day, and eat relatively unprocessed whole grains and/or legumes (beans) with every meal. “These, and not foods of animal origin, are the recommended center for everyday meals.”
All these foods contain “substantial amounts of dietary fiber and a variety of micronutrients, and are low or relatively low in calorie density.”
One easy way to get a lot of veggies into your day, as your Pritikin registered dietitians taught, is to start each lunch and dinner with a big satisfying salad. We stress “big.” This is one case where “super sizing” is a very good thing.
At salad bars, start with a big bowl and pile on the greens. Then add lots of colorful veggies and some lean protein, if you’d like, like beans, tofu, white meat chicken, or seafood. Beans are really high in fiber, so they will satisfy your appetite for a long time.
According to the WCRF/AICR report, red meat, including beef, pork, and lamb, as well as processed meats like sausage, bacon, hot dogs, salami, and ham “are convincing or probable causes of some cancers,” including cancers of the colon, esophagus, lung, stomach, and prostate.
Moreover, “diets with high levels of animal fats are often relatively high in calories, increasing the risk of weight gain.”
The cancer experts recommend that the population average consumption of red meat be no more than 11 ounces a week, very little if any of which is processed.
Instead of red meat, the experts advised, select white meat poultry and seafood. “Flesh from wild animals, birds, and fish, whose nutritional profiles are different from those of domesticated and industrially reared creatures, is also preferred.”
For optimal protection against cardiovascular disease, the Pritikin Program recommends no more than 3.5 to 4 ounces (cooked) of animal protein each day. Your optimal choice is seafood, except for some of the higher-in-cholesterol selections like eel, conch, and squid. Once a week, you may opt for skinless white poultry or grass-fed, free-range wild game such as buffalo, elk, and venison. Try to limit other red meat choices to once a month – or not at all.”
Pritikin is an eating and hear healthy program that has been around for as long as I can remember. I know that this program has helped countless numbers of people to avoid a second heart attack. Because it is so full of good thing, and so scarce on the bad ones, it can be a difficult regimen to adapt. But it has a proven track record for keeping the people who embrace it, healthy.
Here’s to a Happy and Healthy New Years for you and yours!
Valentina Boonstra
