Day 12: A Picture of Something You Love

Look at all that beautiful deliciousness! As I mentioned in my "about me" blog (blog #1), I LOVE LOVE LOVE produce.  I love everything about it; I love the bright colors, the texture, flavors, pairing different flavors, and especially the wonderful nutrients that come from it!  Before I even started taking any nutrition courses, I used to look up the nutritional value of the foods I was eating; if it wasn't delivering substantial nutrients or health benefits, I considered it wasted calories (aside from my monstrous sweet tooth cravings which seem impossible for me to get rid of).  Nutrient dense foods are those that deliver the most nutrients per amount of calories.  For instance, a baked potato vs. potato chips.  Per amount of calories, which do you think is more nutritious?  (I find black beans, corn, and salsa to be tasty baked tater toppers!). 

FOOD IS MEDICINE.  The very things that keep us healthy and allow us to age healthfully come from food.  Some think their cholesterol medication is keeping them healthy; however, if you eat a balanced, varied, moderate, and adequate diet you most likely wouldn't need cholesterol medication, fiber supplements, multi vitamins, or any other supplements for the most part.  Your blood pressure would be well controlled along with your blood sugar. The number one cause of death is heart disease and even though I am not yet a professional, I can tell you that many cases of heart disease are related to poor diet habits. Cancer is the number two cause of death in the U.S; did you know that approximately 35% of all cancer deaths in the U.S. may be related to poor diet?


Cooking for a garden meeting :o)

As much as I love produce, I also love cooking!  In this picture I am making a roasted vegetable soup.  It was really delicious and got some really good feedback from the group.  The next purchase I make for my apartment will definitely be a fully loaded spice rack.  My favorite Disney movie is Ratatouille because I feel like I can relate to 'little chef.' I like to smell all the different herbs before adding them to my dish and really appreciate and understand the importance of every ingredient I add.  I would love to go to culinary school or some shorter version of it, if one exists :o)  That's it for now; happy eating!