THE SKINNY ON EATING FRESH

 AUTHOR DEBORAH BROOKS LANGFORD new cookbook eating fresh and staying healthy ~ recipes from all over the world at your disposal for fresh eating your way to being and staying healthy.
 You can find it on lulu.com.

http://www.lulu.com/shop/deborah-brooks-langford/the-skinny-on-eating-fresh/paperback/product-23694267.html

http://www.lulu.com/shop/deborah-brooks-langford/the-skinny-on-eating-fresh/paperback/product-23694267.html

EVERYDAY COOKING

BY

AUTHOR DEBORAH BROOKS LANGFORD

Since I am prone to high cholesterol and fibromyalgia, cooking healthy means so much to me. Although I feel like I have a real problem and not making headway, I remember the doctors telling me that if you eat the right way, food will heal you faster than pills.

          I refused the medications that were shoved in my face and decided to change the way I cook. But I have worked to modify my diet to help reduce some of the cholesterol that I intake. I know I am a borderline diabetic which means that I have to watch starches, sugars and carbs. I also have to be careful of calories because I am overweight.

So for me, cooking is an experiment in keeping myself healthy and off as many medications as possible. Right now, everything I eat is diet controlled. So every day is a challenge to see how different foods and ingredients affect my sugar levels. I also have to consider the amount of cholesterol in my ingredients. I had great cholesterol levels when I was younger but times change and within the last five years my cholesterol levels have steadily increased. Now it’s time to work even harder to cook healthier, better food that will work on my overall health and help me lose weight at the same time.

I’m well over 50 pounds overweight, but my goal is to get back down to 130 for now which will mean losing another 40 pounds. It’s coming off slowly but it is coming off. Six years ago my husband was in a wheelchair following a motorcycle accident and could not walk without assistance. I had worked out everyday but when I had to start caring for him daily I quit the workouts and my weight added on fast. After talking to my doctors I eat all fresh with no fast foods and nothing from the middle of the grocery store. The raw foods are the best. I have found that I hate to eat my vegetables real soft. I love my crunchy vegetables and have come up with some great recipes.

I have published five cookbooks with my poet and author friends from all over the world. But I am sorry to say they are not about real fresh foods. Since I have started eating fresh I now want to publish nothing but fresh and lean cookbooks. I have researched ways to reduce belly fat and I have found that, of course, it’s the foods we eat.

“If you want to get a flat belly fast you MUST eat plenty of the right kinds of fat. Not just any fat will do...some fats are no good at all while others are health boosting and fat-burning rock stars! Here are a few of my favorites that I personally try to eat just about everyday...

1.      Avocados - Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats as well as loads of vitamins to boot (E, K and C to mention just a few). Not only that, but they pack a serious fiber punch, 5 grams in just a small half cup! Between the fiber and healthy fat content, you'll have no problem staying full for hours after enjoying a delicious avocado. It makes for a great snack, side dish with dinner, addition to salads and of course there's always guacamole!

2.      Eggs - Eggs are a great source of fat as well as high quality protein. Just make sure you don't skip out on the yolk! Why? The yolk is by far the most nutritious part of the egg, providing over 11 vitamins and minerals including nearly 100% of the daily RDI of energy-boosting B12 from just 3 eggs daily. They are a great breakfast item but of course they can be enjoyed at any time of day!

3.      Coconut oil - Coconut oil is one of the richest sources of perhaps the most beneficial fat known to man, medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). MCTs have been shown to improve brain function, lower cholesterol, improve skin and hair health, and best of all - burn more fat!

Combine all three in an omelet for breakfast and you'll be well on your way to feeling full and burning fat for the rest of the day!

I grew up cooking hamburger helper and whatnot because I was the oldest child. My father was in the Army and quite often off to war. My mom worked all the time so it was my job to cook for us eight kids. Since then I have learned to use wine and herbs in my cooking to improve flavor and have learned to use little to no oil in almost everything I cook. I have learned some techniques that serve me well in the kitchen and I get a great amount of praise for the things I do cook from friends and neighbors that have sat in my house and eaten what I’ve prepared.

         

I really thought about going to some culinary school or Olive Garden to learn much more than what I know now and eventually possibly write my own healthy recipe books. So that is why I am writing this book. I hope to make more items from scratch, use fewer shortcuts and be able to cook tasty healthy foods that will be good for anyone with any type of medical condition that puts them on dietary restrictions.

All my recipes can be modified rather easily. I don’t cook with much salt, preferring herbs for flavor. Plus I have my own herbs I grow in my garden. I love spicy foods but I cannot eat them like I used to. I do realize that not everyone does and I know that sometimes people will need to cut back on some of the heat I add to many of my dishes. I love hot peppers…just not too hot. I don’t eat any hot peppers anymore but at one time I was not afraid to try anything. I see foods at the market that I have never cooked and I am always tempted to buy them because I want to experiment. I’ll take a recipe someone else has done and turn it around to suit me. Once I’ve experienced what they have created, I love to modify things to find new flavors, new combinations and new techniques.

Cooking isn’t just a passion for me; it’s a way to survive. It’s a way to make sure that I’m going to live another 30 or more years without having serious problems with my health. I have a chronic illness called fibromyalgia so I should not have any prepackaged, canned or frozen foods, etc. All my foods have to be fresh. I need to stay off bread, potatoes, rice, noodles, beef or pork. My meals contain lots of filtered water of course.

BANANAS

 


Breakfast.... Oatmeal with 1/2-teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of honey and 1/3-cup fresh blueberries 


Snack… Apple or peach fresh

Lunch… 2 egg omelet with onion, mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, 1/2 cup cheese or whatever vegetables you want to use
or eat a salad with red wine vinegar...

DO NOT EAT STORE DRESSING. THEY HAVE CHEMICALS YOUR BODY DOESN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH.

Plus, I make my own dressings with mostly oil, vinegar and herbs.

I need to have protein.


1/2-cup coffee or tea and milk


Water, water, water


Snack fruit


Dinner. Grilled Chicken Breast or Salmon (any fish)


Salad, steamed vegetables or grilled vegetables

This is the best way to eat for my condition.

Finally… walk, walk and walk. This is the best for our bodies and drink lots of filtered water always.