Website design By BotEap.comYears ago, before I began my weight loss mastery journey with myself and my clients, I didn’t know much about healthy cooking and didn’t like many non-starchy vegetables. Prepared/boxed/frozen/canned foods and fast foods were my staples. Forget salads – I didn’t eat them as a kid and I didn’t like them! And she had the body to show for it: a size 13 and nearly 160 pounds.

Website design By BotEap.comIf this sounds like you and you think you can’t change, or aren’t sure how to try, take heart. I did it so you can too. Here are my success strategies, along with some of my favorite recipe resources.

Website design By BotEap.comMy uncle/aunt and cousins ​​on my mother’s side of the family were always very active, fit, and ate well (lots of vegetables and fruits, not much sugar). I used to envy how good they looked and wonder how they could like vegetables and salads so much. I certainly didn’t get that “gene”. I always felt like I was on the fat and unhealthy side of the Lister family (my mom has struggled with her weight most of her life) and blamed it on my “bad genes.”

Website design By BotEap.comIt wasn’t until I started working for a hypnosis center 9 years ago that I learned about healthy eating, ways to prepare and enjoy healthy food, and began my new career as a health and weight loss coach (lose and keep off 25 pounds in the process) and I stopped blaming my DNA.

Website design By BotEap.comHOW I LEARNED TO EAT HEALTHY, AND YOU CAN TOO

Website design By BotEap.comOne of the things my clients seem to have a hard time with is finding healthy recipes that they like (and that don’t take hours to prepare). I can empathize, because I used to have that same struggle. Not only did I not like the taste of many foods, I worked about 60 hours a week and didn’t like spending a lot of time in the kitchen after a long day. I also used to have lunch and eat at my desk. The pizzeria a block away was my typical place (carbs and fries were the fare of choice).

Website design By BotEap.comWhen I began my quest for health, I had to learn new eating habits and incorporate foods into my diet that I once rejected. Obviously, this didn’t happen overnight and it wasn’t without a lot of trial and error. The same will be true for you, although you can speed up that process by using the 8 easy and effective strategies below to change your taste buds.

Website design By BotEap.com1. Find healthy alternatives to some of your favorite foods; Sometimes that means just swapping out one or two ingredients (like replacing butter with olive oil; sugar with honey, stevia, or xylitol; sour cream with plain yogurt). Other times there are completely different ways to revamp an old recipe, like replacing the fattening cheesecake with tofu cheesecake (trust me, it tastes a lot better than it looks and I’ve fooled a lot of people with my chocolate tofu cheesecake recipe).

Website design By BotEap.com2. Find new ways to cook fresh foods that are less fattening or steal fewer nutrients. After making the transition from canned to fresh or frozen vegetables, I had to learn how to steam vegetables instead of boiling them. I got a steamer for Christmas about 8 years ago and wouldn’t be without one now (it also makes great long cook rice).

Website design By BotEap.com3. Learn to season food with natural foods and low in fat/cal. options like herbs (fresh or dried), garlic, olive oil (remember, only cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil and unrefined nut/seed oils), curry, vinegar, and reductions, etc. You can find many resources in specialty cookbooks or online. Look up things like “cook with herbs” or “healthy seasonings.”

Website design By BotEap.com4. Train your taste buds with small amounts of some of the less desirable, but not repulsive, foods that you want to be able to enjoy (for me, it was things like broccoli, fresh green beans, tomatoes, lettuce, and fish). that did not come in a breaded or fried stick). Your taste buds will get used to them over time (especially if you find good seasonings). Now I actually LIKE (rather than tolerate) these foods. If I, one of the pickiest eaters of all time, can do it, so can you (although I’m not sure I’ll ever get over my mushroom phobia).

Website design By BotEap.com5. Mix the foods you like less with things you DO like, so you don’t notice the taste as much. Also be willing to try something new from time to time, especially if it’s inexpensive and you can mix it with other foods you like. This is how I learned to like broccoli, tomatoes, quinoa, brown rice, lettuce and many other foods.

Website design By BotEap.com6. Try new foods when you are eating at a restaurant (try something someone else at your table ordered) or at someone’s home. If you like it, ask for the recipe (harder to get a recipe in a restaurant, but not impossible). The first time I tried a Caesar salad, I loved it! Still my favorite (low fat dressing versions).

Website design By BotEap.com7. Try using “mind reconditioning” techniques such as hypnosis, NLP, or EFT to help change your mental perceptions and attitudes about food. I have experienced it and so have my clients. You can find books, CDs, or YouTube videos on hypnosis or EFT that focus on this, or you can work with a professional trained in these techniques.

Website design By BotEap.com8. Experiment with healthy recipes that have ingredients you already like (or at least tolerate). Below are some good resources to get you started.

Website design By BotEap.comCOOKBOOKS OR BOOKS WITH GOOD RECIPES:

Website design By BotEap.com* Debrah’s Natural Gourmet Cookbook, Debrah Stark

Website design By BotEap.com* The Fat Flush Cookbook, Anne-Louise Gittleman

Website design By BotEap.com* Eat to Beat Cancer, J. Robert Hatherhill, PhD.

Website design By BotEap.com* Power Foods, Stephanie Beling, MD

Website design By BotEap.com* Linen for Life, Jade Beutler

Website design By BotEap.comWEBSITE RESOURCES: (More than just great recipes, these sites have a lot of useful information about food.

Website design By BotEap.comhttp://freedomyou.com Click on the Recipes tab

Website design By BotEap.comhttp://www.omeganutrition.com Click on the Recipes tab

Website design By BotEap.comThe Healthy Living page on msn dot com also has a great section on recipes.

Website design By BotEap.comOf course, there are many more out there. See what you can find to help you transition from the Standard American Diet (SAD) to one that keeps you healthy, happy, energized and fit!