Cookbook Authors Use Knowledge As A Weapon To Fight Obesity
More meals need to be prepared in the home from whole foods and reduced fat/lower cholesterol/lower sodium products. We have really depended on too many outside sources for food.
(PRWEB) June 5, 2003
A decade before "Slender Meals And Morsels" was published, co-author, Linda M. Andersson spent many hours self-educating herself about basic nutrition. "I needed to lose some weight so I took it upon myself to put everything that I ate under a microscope. Once I knew what I was eating, I just made sure that I kept track of everything that I ate. The diet and exercise program that I put myself on worked fabulously. I lost 80 pounds over nine months."
Andersson admits that after awhile the "diet" just didn't work anymore, and going to the gym four times a week got old; and ultimately the pounds started packing back on. Other diets were tried during those subsequent years but only made matters worse.
Finally, after consulting her doctor, Andersson decided to give losing weight another shot, but this time things were going to have to be different, because being on a diet was not going to be the answer. It had to be a lifestyle change.
Also with a few pounds to lose, her longtime friend Theresa A. Maher decided that she was also up for trying this new approach.
Together they used basic nutrition knowledge and their flair for cooking to put together menus that kept their appetites satisfied and at the same time their waistlines shrinking.
This was the birth of their 2003 book, "Slender Meals And Morsels" - Recipes For A Low Fat Lifestyle. The book contains recipes that they created and modified to fit within their new healthy lifestyle.
"If I was going to go along with this, I was not going to go around feeling deprived all the time," says Maher. "That is why diets never worked for me for long periods of time. They are too stressful. With a lifestyle change, there is no deadline. It's a work in progress for life, so if you have a little "hiccup" and splurge one day, there is no guilt. You just go back to your healthy ways the next day."
"We really need to stress several things to people who want to try a healthy lifestyle approach. There are a few catches," both authors agreed:
"*More meals need to be prepared in the home from whole foods and reduced fat/lower cholesterol/lower sodium products. We have really depended on too many outside sources for food. Everyone is in a hurry; so they allow someone else prepare their food and control the portion sizes and ingredients.
*There may be some foods that you will just have to limit or stay away from completely. You will soon discover what those are once you have made your breakthrough.
*Education on basic nutrition. This is information that is readily found on websites such as the American Heart Association's www. americanheart. org. You will need to learn what your limitations are, and if you have any questions, by all means consult your physician.
*Learn about what is in the food you are eating. Read labels. Know how much fat is in a piece of fried chicken; how many calories in a large soda; etc. There are books that breakdown many fast foods as well as whole foods by calories, fats, etc. Many of the well-known restaurant chains offer breakdowns of their menu items on their websites. With this knowledge you will be able to quickly see where your efforts have fallen short in the past; and your new gained knowledge will allow you to correct them.
*Exercise is still necessary, so consult your physician again to get their input. Be sure to ask them how much more (if any) additional calories you should consume for the amount of exercise or sports in which you are participating.
*Visit our website www.2amdesign. com/cookbooks (http://www.2amdesign. com/cookbooks) for a free download of "Fat Facts". It is full of resources and information to help you get started in your new low fat lifestyle. Our cookbook, "Slender Meals And Morsels" is also available for sale online. Knowledge is the first step to winning the fight against obesity."
