Food is NOT the enemy. Is it OK to cheat?

Do you eat when you're sad, angry, frustrated, bored, etc? This is otherwise known as emotional eating.
If you answered yes, it's likely you reach for the unhealthy stuff, which from time to time is fine.

Our relationship with food can be redefined. You can be in control where you can treat yourself to some indulgences but plan those times, i.e., frequency (number of times per week), the length of time (of the treat meal itself), and other specifics (which day and what time the treat meal begins). The cheat/treat meal is actually necessary to avoid plateaus; think of it as a reset button for your metabolism. And psychologically it's needed so we don't feel as resentful or deprived of certain favourite foods.

And just as important is fuelling your body with healthy food. We have one body so take care of it as it's with you for life. The benefits from eating healthy extend beyond weight management or fat loss. It also helps other physiological systems within our body as well as our mental state, i.e., alertness, ability to focus and function more effectively, sleep, improves mood, boosts energy, helps prevent other health issues and even increases your chances of enjoying a longer life.

Is healthy eating too complicated? It doesn't have to be. When in doubt, single ingredient foods that come from the earth are generally healthy, i.e., fruits and veggies. Being from Ontario, I like to support the local farmers and buy much of my produce from the Farmer's Market every week. It's fresh and always tastes much better than imported food.

Food itself is not the enemy. Our choices of what we eat can affect us either negatively or positively. Learn how to eat smarter, which isn't healthy all the time but it's important to plan both healthy and unhealthy meals. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Why not start planning now?

Is there such a thing as a healthy fries recipe?

Yes! Nutritious and flavourful sweet potato fries in less then 20 minutes.

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato, cut into pieces 2 inches (5 cm) long and 1/2 inch (1 cm) wide

3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

2.  Place the sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl and add the rest of the ingredients.  Toss to evenly coat.

3.  Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.

4.  Remove from the oven, heat the broiler to high-broil, and place the potatoes under the broiler to finish with a quick 1-minute blast.

Makes 2 servings.

Source:  http://www.deliciousdetoxcookbook.com/