December 17, 2012 - Decorate YOUR Plate for Christmas!

Sorry this is late, I have been a busy girl. :) For those of you who know me well, you know I am a girl of color! I THINK that's one of the reasons I love Christmas so much. It's not the gifts, but the color and the decorations. I think one of the greatest delights of healthy eating is all the colors available to us. Meat and potatoes people - or people who don't eat veggies - have a somber eating experience, I think. Bringing color and creativity to the meal selection is really important to our survival. Someone asked me last night if not having starches meant my meals were boring. I guess that's a matter of semantics??? What they would consider boring could be different than what I NOW consider boring. Yes, lean proteins, fruits and veggies sounds simple - but it's really not. They felt deleting pastas and rice dishes limited my meals. But I reminded them #1 - meals are about refueling and I don't live for meals to bring me happiness any longer and #2 - I CAN EAT what I wan, but I CHOOSE to eat what brings health to my body. That's a shift in perspective. She asked about eating out - I told her I can eat anywhere. It's my choice. If the only item on a menu was a loaded hamburger, (which it never is) I can eat the meat, the veggies, and throw the bun away. Then, I told her I usually always have an apple close by which can add some color and fiber. BAM.............I told her, "if you want to be healthy, you can be. But, you must desire it more than the taste of rice and pasta." The moral of the story - rice and pasta don't have the color or the nutrition of steamed veggies or a salad. Decorate your plate for Christmas and give the gift of health to YOURSELF! PS - start planning now for our first Healthy 4 You Life Group on January 6th at 6:00 at my house. It's chili night - bring your best, healthy chili or soup. Please let me know you're coming so I can prepare. PSS - sliced jicama is a great addition to your salads. It provides GREAT nutrition, low fat, no sugar, slightly sweet taste and the crunch! YUM!