Well how is the second week of the New Year going? Are you settling into a good routine? For us, this is the week the kiddos are back in school and everything gets back on schedule. Scheduling and automaticity are keys to making successful changes to many lifestyle choices. When habits become more of a routine/automatic, life can be easier, and goals can be achieved. So, a life that has automaticity built into it can be more fulfilling and healthier.
Steve Jobs wore the same “uniform” to work each day, he took “what to wear to work” right out of the decision-making process. For him, he had other decisions that needed his attention. Food can be like that, the more automatic the meal planning and prep, the easier it is to eat. This is especially true for people who feel they are addicted to food, especially sugar. We have to eat, so meal planning and making it as simple and automatic as possible can be a great strategy.
Last week I mentioned Susan Pierce Thompson’s book “Brightline Eating” in the newsletter. I feel like this is a really good book to read and program to follow. She totally unpacks why it is so hard to lose weight and why we are drawn to poor food. I would encourage anyone to read her book and arm yourself with good ammunition to fend off the wares of the processed food industry.
Think of the food industry like Visa or MC (sorry if you have a big Visa bill due ?). When we don’t have a plan or budget for our money, Visa is there to “help” us. It is the same for the processed food world, they are happy to “help” us when we don’t plan our food choices. It is really hard to plan for everything, but a plan catches most of the stuff that is easily planned. Don’t fall prey to the processed food world’s eating plan.
The Cutting Board
I think that this is the most unheralded tool in the kitchen. Really!!! Last week, I cut up a boatload of veggies (2 bunches of carrots, one bunch of celery, one bunch of radishes, a watermelon radish and a cucumber). This was at lunch. By dinner they were mostly gone, and by bedtime they were polished off. No dressing, no hummus, just vegetables and gone! I was secretly bummed, at least as bummed as a parent can be when their kids are mowing down vegetables, but I thought I had cut up enough for two days! Oh well, back to the cutting board.
We have separate cutting boards for meat and cheese and then we have bamboo and wood cutting boards for fruit and vegetables. I use cutting boards morning, noon, and night. Every meal at our home has fruit or vegetables in it. Cutting boards are akin to a “canary in the coal mine” when it comes to our food eating habits. The more you use one, the healthier you probably are.
Wishing you a healthy start to 2019!
Your Farmer and Health Advocate,
Tristan Klesick
