TO YOUR HEALTH AND HAPPINESS

TO YOUR HEALTH      By Jennie Ritter Many of us have felt the need, at one time or another, to lose some weight or cleanse our system of toxins.  The world is full of inventions, concoctions, remedies and regimens that call out to us on our quest for good health and happiness.  There seems to be something out there for everyone and the diet industry bombards us with new things everyday.  But, why do most of us end up disappointed and disillusioned with the results? 
Making changes in our lives can seem restrictive and awkward, especially if we try something radically different from our usual habits.  And, we all know that maintaining good health and weight loss is the bigger challenge, not the initial process of achieving our “set” health goal.   One of the conflicts is our concept of the word “diet.”  Most of us, when we think of the word diet, think of it defined as “a restricted, regulated selection of foods, as for medical reasons or cosmetic weight loss.”  Changing our view of the word diet can potentially and permanently change our lives for the better!       Diet is first defined in the dictionary as follows: food and drink considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on health; anything that is habitually provided or partaken of.  This definition brings up a fundamental concept to consider - finding food and drink (and other behaviors) that you desire which have a positive effect on your health, and that become habit as you daily partake in them.  Now, imagine this fundamental concept working - transforming your lifestyle by making slow, permanent changes to your daily habits that you like and actually enjoy partaking in.  Wouldn’t that be something that you could really find satisfying?  Isn’t that something that everyone would want to strive for?  Imagine waking up and finding yourself healthy and happy? WOW! There is a diet concept out there for everyone, but they all have one basic flaw.  They were written by strangers!  There is only one person that knows you the best … and that is YOU!  Many of the books out there have great ideas and information about food and health, but can be very difficult to follow religiously.  So, what do you do with all of this?   Take a personal inventory of your lifestyle, and identify what areas need improvement.  Take a survey of your likes and dislikes, and what brings you discomfort or comfort.  From this point, slowly start making small changes, and strive to make them permanent changes.  The result will be a gradual shift to a healthy lifestyle that results in a happier, healthier YOU! Instead of purging your pantry of all junk foods and buying a bunch of foods that someone else says are good for you, start by substituting one favorite food at a time with a healthier choice that you like.  Continue this pattern until all your food choices are ones that you look forward to eating, taste good to you, and are good for you.  Instead of joining a gym or class that you end up never going to, try out different exercise regimens until you find one that works for you, and then invest in it!      My husband and I love to cook and experiment with ways we can satisfy our palettes, while minimizing the fat and salt in our meals.  We try to consistently identify ways to improve our lifestyles without restricting ourselves or feeling deprived of life’s many pleasures.  This lifestyle sets us up to try new foods that we would otherwise never experience, and by doing this we have discovered many new foods that we love!   When you consider what diet really means, everyone is on some sort of diet.  What kind of diet are you on?  There is no better time than NOW to start the journey towards a healthier, happier diet for YOU.  To your health!                 Here is a recipe that incorporates parsnips into quesadillas: HEALTHY QUESADILLAS You will need:  1 bunch parsnips, 1 can beans, shredded low-fat cheese, non-fat half-n-half, ground hamburger or chicken breasts, flour tortillas (try whole wheat or veggie!), olive oil, fresh salsa, and spring salad mix. 1.  Simmer in a small skillet until parsnips are soft: 1 cup shredded raw parsnips (cleaned and peeled), 1 cup low-fat shredded cheese of your choice, 1 can beans of your choice (red beans or white beans), ¼ cup fat free half-n-half. 2.  Cook:  ground hamburger or chicken breast for 4 servings.  Remove from heat. Drain fat, then add spices (garlic, and other spices to your liking) and let sit on meat for a few minutes.   3.  In a large skillet:  Put in 1 tsp. olive oil, put heat on medium high, cook first side of flour tortilla, then flip to other side.  Garnish with meat, then parsnips mixture for 1 serving.  Cook for a couple minutes until hot. 4.  Repeat for remaining 3 quesadillas. 5.  Garnish with fresh salsa and spring mix salad leaves.  Enjoy!                Nutritional notes:  Parsnips are rich in potassium, vitamin C, and folic acid.  They are sweeter and tangier in taste, compared to potatoes.