I RECEIVED Presents, but CHOOSE Health

Here are a few things I had no control over this holiday season… what came inside all the pretty wrapped boxes, the weather, the fact that one of our chickens woke us up at 4 am with a “cocka doodle doo”, the number of shoppers out there on the 23rd competing for my parking spaces, to name a few. What I did have control over was the number of sticky buns and cranberry cookies I ate after making them, the play I chose to take my husband to, the simple vegetable meals I ate to compensate for extra holiday feasting and the water I was sure to drink all day long.

MORE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FOR BETTER HEALTH
I didn’t get to choose my height, talents, or family, but I do get to choose what I eat, and what I eat will determine to a great extent how I will feel, my energy level, and my overall vitality. “Eating more fruits and vegetables is one of the most important dietary habits you can adopt to prevent heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and hypertension and to manage your weight. Vegetables in particular will cost you little in the way of calories while offering huge health benefits.” (1) There are a few things about our health that we do have control over, and specifically, how well we fuel our bodies for life! Wouldn’t you like to be free from burdens that plague a body deficient in crucial vitamins, minerals and nutrients and feel as good as possible?

‘“HALF THE PLATE, FEEL GREAT!”
So let’s start the new year by rehearsing the Orange Tree Lane motto, “Half the plate, feel great!” What that means is, make it your goal to sneak more fruits and vegetables into every meal, even half your plate! Lots of little changes like adding fresh cut vegetables to snack on before dinner, increasing the vegetable ratio in recipes where they already exist, sneaking them into recipes to create texture, or learning to snack on fruit instead of grain-based carbohydrates are small adjustments that add up to powerful changes.

EXERCISE
In addition to good fuel our bodies need EXERCISE! For some of you that is like a dirty word, but either way, this is one thing you can take control of and your health depends on it. Using a menu planner like Orange Tree Lane will help you streamline your daily cooking and shopping so that you will have at least a little time every day to get out and move. If you need some creative encouragement, health coach Dana Demetree has self talk tapes to help the mental obstacles you might face, as well as many other little tricks to get you going.

MENU THIS WEEK WILL HELP YOU FIND TIME AND VEGETABLES
Our paired chicken recipes and the Portuguese Turkey Soup in this week’s menu streamline your meal preparation and include lots of healthy green vegetables to start you on our way to “half the plate”.

It’s going to be an exciting year filled with little steps that take you closer and closer to your health goals. Happy New Year everyone!

Striving to choose well right along with you,

Molly
Test Cook and Research Specialist for Orange Tree Lane

(1) http://www.oprah.com/health/Four-Weeks-to-Healthy-Eating

PS- Want to read more about our mantra? Go to http://orangetreelane.com/blog/half_the_plate_feel_great