A Dietition and Nutritionist in the Kitchen
posted in Health News byWouldn’t it be great to have a dietitian and a nutritionist plan and prepare our meals. If we want optimal health and if we want to prevent certain diseases; obesity, cardiovascular and type 2 Diabetes, we could use their help. Most of us know that we should eat a balanced diet but, how about an optimal diet. And just what is an optimal diet? One of my trusted sources of information on how to stay healthy is Dr. Andrew Weil,M.D. In his The Healthy Kitchen cook book co-written with Rosie Daley a former cook for Oprah, he states that an optimal diet should be one that has variety, includes freshness and an abundance of fruits and vegetables, and is low in unprocessed foods. He is so bold as to suggest that while our diet should supply our needs for calories, macronutrients and micronutrients, it should also provide the pleasure that we expect from eating. Believe me, the recipes that I have tried; white beans and fusilli, applesauce muffins, vegetable lasagna, and the Santa Fe Chicken all provided pleasure. They were absolutely wonderful.
Aside from all the great recipes, you will find information on choosing organic, the importance of reading labels, use of garlic, sugar, salt and many more interesting and relevant subjects.
According to Dr. Weil, our dietary needs are divided into two main categories; micronutrients and macronutrients. Micronutrients, or the “small foods”, include vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and fiber. Macronutrients, or as he calls them “big foods”, are the proteins, carbohydrates and fats. An optimal diet contains all!
