Ok, here goes. It is election day. Very exciting election year. History will be made either way. The first African American president or the first female vice president. No matter what your vote, I hope that you do indeed vote. 

    Today we are looking for change and moving forward into a new chapter in America. This year has been difficult for all of us. Money is tight and stress levels are high. 

    I have been working with Good Morning America on a story about the impact of tight budgets on health (and waistlines).  I find it ironic that the "leaner" the food "fatter" the price.  Comfort food is cheap and so inviting when we are stressed and unhappy. It can be hardest to take good care of ourselves when we need to most. It is challenging to feed a family(or yourself) healthy food when you are trying to save money.  Gym memberships and trainers are an easy thing to cut out to save money.  

    In this blog I am going to offer ideas for food choices and recipes along with ideas and inspirations for the choices you will make on a daily basis. Sometimes the posts will be very technical and practical. Sometimes they will be my personal musings and honest thoughts about body image, life challenges and whatever thoughts or ideas sprout up along the way.

    I invite you to ask questions and chime into the discussion.  Wisdom comes in many forms. I know I can learn as much from you as you can from me.

    A lot of you have been asking for me to make a "food list".  I am going to do that on a regular basis. I am a big believer in feeding your body wonderful food that ignites a sense of adventure, variety and sensory stimulation. We all tend to eat in "patterns". Every meal very much the same from day to day. The same deli and same choice day after day. To get all of the vitamins and flavanoids we need to be healthy, we need to change it up and eat a wide array of colors (the colors of vegetables are great indicators of the nutrients they are rich in) and textures and types of food. There has been a lot of research lately about the many health benefits of spices and herbs and even oils we use.  

    I am going to start with a basic guideline of the kinds of food you want to eat EVERY day. These are foods you must fit into your meals no matter what style, ethnic flair or spices you choose.

Daily MUST eat foods:

1) 3 servings of lean dairy (high in calcium)

yogurt, skim milk, low fat cheese

2)at least 6 servings fruits and vegetables (serving sizes are not that big so this is easier than it sounds)

apples, oranges, kiwis,pears,kale, hijiki, broccolini,bok choy (I am trying to get you to think out of the box here. I like to buy anything I have never had and try it)

3)nuts and seeds

(these can be garnishes or snacks)

4)lean proteins

salmon, buffalo, cod, chicken breast, beans and tofu etc.

5) water

I will be posting tricks, tips and recipes for these foods. I am going to give a sample day to give you an idea of how to make this work:

breakfast:

Nonfat plain yogurt with berries, sunflower seeds and slivers almonds

coffee or tea with skim milk

snack:

sliced apple or pear with very lean cheese or celery with peanut butter

lunch:

spinach salad with chicken breast, red pepper, yellow pepper, broccoli and olive oil and lemon.

orange or plain yogurt for dessert

snack:

small handful of almonds or grapes

dinner:

broiled salmon with veggie stir fry (onions, mushroom, asparagus, red pepper, carrots and a small amount of brown rice thrown in)

desert:

baked apple or pear