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Natural Awakenings Space & Treasure Coast Florida

What's for Dinner?

Jan 01, 2015 07:33PM ● By Kris Urquhart

When answering the age-old question “What’s for dinner?” in my house, I often feel like I need a degree in nutrition to come up with an answer. We have many dietary considerations: gluten-free, dairy-free, weight-loss, heart-healthy, athletic training, as well as scheduling that may mean eating at different times. I have many cooking tools in my arsenal to help accomplish this daily arduous task. My slow cooker ranks as my favorite approach when schedules are crazy. I’ve recently purchased an electric pressure cooker and am exploring this new method of cooking. This new appliance is nothing like your grandma’s pressure cooker that could explode. It is smart, programmable, doubles as, a slow cooker/rice maker/yogurt maker, has many safety features, and significantly reduces cooking time, which is great for those last-minute dinner ideas. Now if only it could drive to the store and bring home the groceries!

“Our lifestyle and dietary choices strongly affect our metabolism and hormonal health, as do stress levels and sleep patterns. Eating at
the wrong time, in the wrong place or in the wrong order, and even poor combinations of healthy foods, can be almost as problematic as eating junk food,” says Sylvia Egel, national director of coaching and education for Metabolic Balance in our article Hormone-Happy Foods [page 32].

In our feature article It’s All About Metabolism [page 26], author Linda Sechrist tells us, “Doctors that specialize in functional integrative medicine strive to improve the health and well-being of patients by engaging them in their own healing process.” With diet, sleep, stress and exercise being major factors in overall health, engaging in our own process is critical. All of the dietary choices being considered in our house are a result of health issues. Having a functional medicine doctor that is able to work with us and make recommendations based on our personal situation has made a significant impact. We have seen real results and are committed to this lifestyle.

This issue is jam-packed with inspiration to start off the New Year with healthy change. In addition to It’s All About Metabolism and our Conscious Eating column Hormone-Happy Foods, our Fitbody column shares how exercise bursts can help keep blood sugar down [page 34]. Find tips for sustainable beauty in Eco-friendly Floors [page 30]. And enjoy tips from our cover celebrity, Louise Hay, on loving yourself to ageless health [page 24]. I hope you find encouragement from these pages to embrace a lifestyle change that can support an even healthier 2015.

We at Natural Awakenings wish you a healthy and happy New Year!

Kris Urquhart, Publisher