I know there are people out there who love spending time in the kitchen, preparing fabulous meals, while thoroughly enjoying the process. Unfortunately, I'm not one of those people! So when my husband was diagnosed with cardiovascular disease and early stage diabetes, we were faced with the challenge of completely redesigning his diet. This meant I needed to start preparing healthy meals every day - meals that were low-fat, low in sugar and high in nutrition. And that meant I needed to get busy in the kitchen - not my favorite place to be.
But it's amazing what you can do when you want to keep someone you love healthy and alive.
The meals I came up with not only had to meet our new nutritional goals, but needed to be simple and easy to prepare. As a reluctant cook, I had no desire to tackle complicated recipes with long lists of ingredients. So I started with simple recipes, then modified them to eliminate as much fat and sugar as I could. I then calculated the calories, fat, carbohydrates and protein by creating an Excel spreadsheet (I'm more comfortable with computers than pots and pans!). By looking at each meal and each day on a spreadsheet, I could see the "bottom line" of that day's totals, and with my husband's help, we could decide what to leave in and what to take out.
This whole process was a team effort - while I focused on diet and nutrition, my husband researched the medical, physical and pharmacological aspect of heart disease. (See Health Smarts Online to learn more about his journey.)
And happily, our efforts have paid off. (Yes, diets DO work - especially when you stick with them!) My husband has lost weight, and his cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose are now within normal limits. And a side benefit of this new eating plan is that I have lost weight and gained energy!
Furthermore, I know the foods we eat are not only good for prevention of cardiac disease, stroke and diabetes; they are also powerful defenders against cancer and many other health problems.
If you are facing a similar challenge, I hope you might find these recipes and tips helpful. I wish you good luck and good health!
-- The Reluctant Cook