FOOD LOVE: Learned Experimented And Written by Reginald A. Craig

FOOD LOVE: Learned Experimented And Written by Reginald A. Craig 

E85 MAY LEAVE UNDESIRED DEPOSITS:

Food is the fuel your body needs to perform task through connectivity of the mind, body and soul. With the right meal intervals, portion control and adequate rest, you can be ready to achieve a harmonies total body performance. Our bodies digestive system and temperature regulation requires proper hydration to function. Daily physical activity helps to circulate nutrition efficiently, which in turns burn excess stored energy. Without routine movement an accumulation of fat will develop, and if persist especially around the torso you’ll become more susceptible to health problems including heart disease and diabetes. Viruses like the common cold and stomach flu lives in the digestive track. Regularity in your restroom schedule is key to expelling germs that otherwise would linger and may trigger illness. Another tremendous benefit of being regular is the reduced onset of indigestion and bloating. In my research I’ve learned developing a stable gut flora will aid significantly to keeping your digestive system in proper working order. If you include roughage and good bacteria in your diet this goal will easily be met.

RETURN TO YOUTH:

Now before I proceed I want to give full disclosure that I’m a person eating tasty animals as I write this.  As a matter of fact I’m also the first to accept a slice of cake at a party. However, saying all of that, I’m still a strong believer in the philosophy junk in junk out.  Anyone who knows me can vouch that I am a man of moderation. Heck, I even refuse to watch a TV marathon lasting longer than two hours because my urge to be active eats at me.  Being health conscious won’t guarantee me I’ll live to see tomorrow, we’re all going to die of something in this life. Striving to be comfortable at living motivates me to be a participant more frequently than a spectator. 

My eating, sleeping and activities are all driven by my desire to feel balanced.  Back when I was 25 years young I experienced for the first time my body calling for the return of childhood. You see, prior to this moment I’d gotten away from the joys of riding bikes, playing basketball and eating fresh fruit. Adulting can really wear down your overall health as we abandon play time in exchange for building capital. Since the awakening of my mortality and that youth is not indestructible, I have gotten back on the bike and eating healthier these days.

WE’RE EQUAL BUT DIFFERENT

Making the commitment to learn your being will give you the tools to improve your total attitude and excitement for life. Doctors really need to get back to basics and stop prescribing drugs as the first line of defense against conditions such as anxiety and depression. Personally I take every mundane task and covert into a positive opportunity for exercise. It is important to associate the word diet with the ideal selection of foods that powers your body. For generations many people had a negative connotation with this word for meaning less and eating bland food. Remember you’re not on a diet, you’re on “your” diet. Dietary structure needs to best compliment your age and lifestyle. For the athlete’s out there your diet will require special tuning and best recommended to be guided by a nutritionist. The average person is compatible with the general nutrition recommendations, except minorities of color. However everyone should be mindful of their overall salt and sugar intake, but blacks especially need to be watchful to consume reduced amounts. Really we all can enjoy our favorite foods but best in moderation. Condition yourself to seek portion suggestions on packages under the nutrition facts, they’re usually based on each serving size.  Personally I don’t keep track of all the random percentages or its totality throughout the day, I just practice moderation.

FUN FACTS:

• Bananas are full of potassium and calms your Azz down; in more ways than one.

 

• Cherry’s may be a favorite topping on desserts but also improves joints function.

 

• Pomegranates has crazy flavor and the little seeds inside sounds like a chalkboard across your teeth, but it helps to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

• Apples are quickly fulfilling and somehow seems to provide temporary relief from airborne allergies. I don't know if this is a scientific fact but it sure has a placebo effect on me.

 

• Celery helps lower blood pressure and is a friend to hydration. 

• Peaches have an unmistakable taste that contains a powerhouse of protein. 

• Yogurt is my preferred replacement over ice cream and is also available in an assortment of flavors. More importantly yogurt is the ultimate source of good bacteria to help build gut flora.

SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES vs. COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES:

Don't be tricked believing carbohydrates are bad for you. The major difference is how quickly the food breaks down into sugar. Now for a guy like me who is done growing vertically I favor the Complex Carbs. Complex Carbohydrates converts into sugar much slower and your body has quality time to receive the benefits of just what it needs and exits the waste. However, Simple Carb breaks down so quick it almost goes straight to the blood stream causing unreliable spikes in energy and sharp crashes. You’ll be more likely to become lethargic long-term and seek to eat more just to feel alert. What’s problematic about this cycle is that the body can’t burn the unused energy quick enough before ultimately turning into fat. My suggestion is enjoy these types of food in moderation.  Furthermore all meals should be eaten slowly to allow your brain to communicate with your stomach to say “I'm satisfied”. Remember sight is quicker than sound waves. Food is like lightening and digestion is like thunder, comes from the same source but with different effects. Also skipping meals is a bad idea too because your metabolism will slow down and just store more unused energy, AKA Starvation Survival Mode.  Many times our bodies are smarter than we are. It gives us warnings even when we’re not listening. People who have adverse reactions to food must respect the chemistry of the body and understand that food is like a drug. Sometimes food allergies or simply the wrong diet is being practice. My suggestion is learn or be taught by a nutritionist. Maybe conventional approaches won't work and may need to be supported by medical intervention, but of course that is if best efforts fail.

LIQUID FOOD:

Beverages are a form of liquid food and also needs to be selected with care. One of the things I often talk about is preparing yourself for dinner. It all begins from when you wake up in the morning. Start casually drinking water before you shower and in between breakfast and lunch. Just be careful not to over compensate and get intoxicated by water or max out your bladder peeing all over yourself. Please hydrate at a pace you can handle. Continue this process periodically during the day, just don’t come to the table thirsty and start guzzling juice down like it’s water. Your body needs to stay hydrated throughout the day and come dinner time your beverage of choice should be only a complement to the meal. Furthermore; juices, soda, tea and practically any sort of drink has a recommended serving amount. If you lack preparedness and attempt to quench your thirst with soda pop, the sugar alone will surpass a reasonable daily allowance during one meal. Many avid soft drinkers get defensive and quick to speak of the downsides of fruit juices, but the difference is pop has no nutritional value. Good quality fruit juices aren’t labeled cocktails either. Be sure to select 100% juice with only natural sugar, not added sugar.

Just like anything else, even the best quality juices should be enjoyed in moderation. If you want to take it a “better digestive” step further, have a warm cup of plain black coffee, freshly squeezed lemon water or Herbal tea with your meal (Common Chinese knowledge; never drink Green tea on an empty stomach or before breakfast, nauseous feelings may occur). Green tea blocks free radicals, but if consumed too soon before or after a meal it may block some beneficial nutrition too, best had only between meals. Warm drinks are better for digestion and to you vocalists out there, keep your purified drinking water at room temperature. I think we’ve been sold the idea for non perishable beverages to be chilled. Just imagine how dead pop would taste straight off the shelf, it would expose it self for the syrup it really is, plus cold drinks are overrated anyway.

 

WESTERN DIET ABUSE:

Part of the problem in america is the population has adulterated the typical western diet into adopting excess and indulging in party food. The grocery stores stock so much preserved processed foods and artificially flavored “liquid sugar” for cheap, that families on struggling budgets buy these low quality digestible items (made from a chemistry set) that they ultimately pay with their health. Thankfully in recent years American households are slowly becoming more educated about this madness and are now making better purchasing decisions for whole foods. Here is one quick example of how a single change in thinking can be the springboard to multiple improvements. What’s in a name? Just because it’s called Cheese doesn't mean it’s quality; Swiss Cheese has way less sodium than American “Processed” Cheese. For a bonus; Yogurt isn't created equal either, I call the worst offenders "Candy Yogurt". Quality Greek yogurt provides a generous amount of protein and only contains natural sugar, none added. As a super bonus familiarize yourself with unsaturated fat vs saturated fat, both have their advantages and disadvantages depending on your genetic health risk.

MAKING IT ACHIEVABLE:

Diet is not a punishment, its empowering to the body to operate most efficiently. As I mentioned earlier I love to eat much of the food society promotes to us as fun. Many of these items I either eat occasionally or switch out the ingredients for something more beneficial. If I gotta have potato chips I snack on Sweet Potato chips.

If a bagel is what I desire for breakfast I’ll have it multigrain. Years ago my first attempt at altering a staple meal was spaghetti. To this day I still use ground turkey and whole grain pasta. When I season during cooking I avoid salt and substitute with Mrs Dash. Pretty much any store bought tomato sauce, soup, or canned items will already have ridiculous amounts of salt anyway. Often this is done to preserve shelf life and a cheap unhealthy way to make aging food still burst with flavor. Our bodies do require salt but at amounts significantly less than the average consumer ingest. Tonight for dinner will be baked chicken rubbed with olive oil and sriracha sauce; I put that stuff on just about everything. To complete the meal I’ll add a vegetable and some other side. Thank goodness veggies come in the convenience of flash freeze. Studies have shown frozen vegetables provide just as much nutritious vitamins as fresh. When I want a less serious moment away from food during the week I dabble in candy, actually it’s not candy at all, it’s 85% Dark Cocoa.

The higher the percentage the purest and greater benefits for improved blood flow and sharper brain function. The only problem is that it melts in your hands before you can open your mouth. But on the real I do have one rule that I won’t budge, my cereal ingredients must not start with sugar. The days of Kellogg’s Candy Loops are long gone. My children probably don't even remember what these taste like. I choose not to eat a product that masquerades as a breakfast meal when in reality is something you should hand out to trick-or-treaters. I’ve got much love for our Michigan brother in Battle Creek though, I like myself an occasional bowl of Special K… HA Ha!

- CULINARY SNIPPET -

Now before I happily indulge into a sample of my culinary discoveries, I just want to thank you for entertaining my thoughts. Hopefully you too have been inspired to follow the voice inside and living in the benefits.

 

Post Great Grains crunchy pecan cereal:

Slightly subdued taste at first bite but easy to get accustomed to by the help from the quality texture. Generous amount of pecans that adds flavor and keeps you interested. Fantastic foundation to start the day for whatever greasy trash you may eat later. 

Wheat bread Deli sliced Turkey sandwich with Swiss Cheese:

Classic on the go lunch option with tweaks in effort to reduce sodium. Delicious and appetite satisfying without pasty dough sticking to the roof of your mouth. 

Baked Boneless skinless chicken breast:

When cooked with TLC this poultry staple can be tender and juicy. Vinegar and Olive Oil sure does wonders especially when steaming under aluminum foil. Chicken is always in style and can coordinate with almost anything.

Cube Steak, AKA Poor Man’s Steak:

Wow! what a treat for cheap. No knife needed for this wannabe slab, makes perfect for young children. Preheat your skillet and let the pan kiss the lightly seasoned meat on each side before  adding cut onions. Once Searing is accomplished add home-blended liquid tenderizer mix, reduce heat to simmer and cover until cooked.

Pho with pork meat balls and broth:

Prepared as a special meal adopted in Hmong celebrations or simply for an anytime snack. Served to your personal desire with a sprinkle of fresh cilantros, green onions, fish sauce, sriracha, black pepper, limes and whatever else you create. Pho is truly a unique rice noodle dish that two interpretations at the same table probably will be completely different, enjoy!

CLOSING REMARKS:

Food should be interesting and if eaten in moderation you’ll never feel guilty. Remember to rinse your mouth and floss often afterwards, because what get stuck in your gums stinks and becomes bad bacteria that gets absorbed into the blood stream straight to your heart.

Happy Eating!

PS. Vegetarians and Vegans please be well educated about your preferred diet. Carnivores usually expose their dietary errors outwardly, but it’s much more difficult to identify similar problems for the latter. Possible skin complexion changes may be a window into detecting a deficiency in your health, but I have no clue. The point is herbivores must be even more on their A Game to live comfortable on this journey of life.