Part 1: The Three Steps Every Adult Should Take to Age Well

The secret to aging well. This is the Holy Grail of medicine and wellness because whether you work in Hollywood or are raising a family of five in Toledo, everyone wants to live with vitality, look good, and delay the aging process as much as possible. In traditional medicine, we call this preventative medicine and we prescribe blood pressure pills, cholesterol medicine and diabetic medicines to lesson the effects of illness on our bodies. In the holistic circle, aging well can mean handfuls of supplements, cleansers, miracle fruit from some far off land and, of course, radical changes in diet to follow the latest fad.

All of this can be tiring and leave people chasing answers all the while forgetting to enjoy and live the life they are trying to extend in the first place. I must admit that I do spend time in both the traditional and holistic camps and it is very easy to get mired in the details. One morning I was contemplating how best to guide people in their health and I was inspired while watching all the animals in my backyard from birds, rabbits, to squirrels and how each went about living their lives in a changing environment without perceived angst as to what they need to do to survive well.

When I took away the "trees' and looked at the "forest" of modern human life it dawned on me that if we focus our health on a few major things everything else will fall into place like it does for all the animals in nature co-existing together.

Step 1: Embrace Home Cooking

First, think of why so many people fail when trying to change how they eat:

• Most people know which foods are health promoting and which are not, but we do not often know how we are going to plan our new eating schedule, prepare the food, or shop for the food. This leads people back to the familiar habits that they are trying to change in the first place.
• "Diets" exclude foods that you enjoy so following the diet makes your life less enjoyable right from the beginning
• Cravings intensify, and just like with kids, if you tell them what they cannot have, they instantly focus on that. How often do you start a diet and all you can think about are the foods you are not allowed to have.
• Most importantly, if the food you are trying to eat does not taste good you will not keep eating it. As humans we are programmed to want to savor food and share it with others. If you eat something only because it is good for you then you will be going against some of our fundamental wiring.

So the solution to this is to stop thinking about all the foods you can and cannot have and just commit to cooking at home even if it is only for a few meals a week. It sounds simple and you may be thinking, "if I just cook tater tots and cube steak at home how is this going to help"? However, by focusing on a tangible action that is different than what you are doing now, you give your self the best chance to make a change.

Why Home Cooking is Your Solution to Eating Healthy

1. You are in control! Instead of a diet dictating what you can and cannot eat you are in control of what you cook and how you cook it. Lifestyle changes are only long lasting when you are in the driver's seat. 
2. Everyone has specific tastes and cultural preferences and this needs to be taken into account when choosing what to eat. Food is cultural, and can bind us to our past and current heritage. How better for a family to get healthy together by building family traditions and nutritious recipes that can be passed down and shared?
3. Cooking at home forces you to eat whole foods. No diet recommends eating chemicals you cannot pronounce. In addition, processed pre-packaged foods have preservatives in them that increase specific fats in your body that cause inflammation.  Simply by eating whole foods you will allow your body to become less inflamed and thus you may feel less pain.
4. You can throw out the food journal task that you never seem to do because when you cook you have buy your food. This makes you very aware of everything you are putting in your body.  As an extreme example, would you still drink your soda if your had to put 10 spoonfuls of sugar into one small glass of carbonated water? At the very least you would be aware of what is going into your body and what could be affecting your energy.
5. Cooking is fun and can be done in just minutes! If I mention exercise or diets many people instantly have negative emotions. But cooking can add pleasure and diversion to your life without being very energy draining. I personally use many basic recipes that have passed my kids taste test. The good news is that I can make most of them in less time than it takes to drive to a fast food restaurant and wait in line for poor quality food that makes you feel tired and bloated afterward.

        

Tips on Starting to Cooking at Home

1. Start simple. Pick one or two meals a week to make at home so that you can build confidence and start to learn what you like and what you do not like. Remember most people only cook 6-7 recipes in the repertoire so in time if you remove 2 unhealthy things and replace them with 2 healthier recipes you just changed 33% of your diet. Or, if you change only your breakfast and leave your lunch and dinner the same you have again already changed 1/3 of your meals with minimal disruption to your life.
2. Find a recipe you can make in 15-20 minutes that will have minimal dishes. If you spend too much time cooking and cleaning it will make it harder for you to look forward to your kitchen.
3. Let God/Nature provide you with side dishes. Nature is a pretty good cook and there is nothing wrong with an apple, grapes, a green leaf salad with nuts, or some hummus with veggies to compliment your cooking. This also cuts down on dishes which is always a plus.
4. Make cooking an enjoyable experience. Put on music, wear comfortable cloths, enjoy a nice cup of tea or glass of wine, and make this an escape. Do not forget to laugh! A sense of humor is important for cooks of all levels and makes everything taste better.

My Featured Recipe

This is one of my staple recipes that I use several days a week. It is quick, easy, and versatile. I will put the Mediterranean Medley on egg whites in the morning, at dinner I will use it with fish or chicken and it can even go on whole grains. This takes me five minutes to cook and offers three different colors of vegetables with lots of flavor.

Click on the recipe to see it in it's entirety in the recipe section: Mediterranean Medley

Recommended Cook Books

There are many great cook books out there, but I will list a few that I have enjoyed using from time to time. For beginners, some of the recipes may be a little advanced or more time consuming so I will continue to add the simple recipes that I use or have created on the recipe section on this site.

Occasionally I may also post on my twitter or facebook account what I am making or eating any one day as well.

1. The Healthy Kitchen by Andrew Weil and Rosie Daley
2. Sara Moulton Cooks at Home by Sara Moulton
3. The Longevity Kitchen by Rebecca Katz and Matt Edelson

Enjoy developing your new passion and taking some important steps securing a healthy future.

Be well,
Dr. Lane MD