But, eating right should not be temporary. If we make temporary changes we'll see only temporary results. Healthy eating must be a way of life. This means eliminating CRAP food (C-carbonated, R-refined, A-artificial, P-processed) and adding new healthy options, which you may not yet have a taste for.
That's what I want to talk about today. The healthiest foods may be some that you've never had, or think that you don't like. I encourage you to give it a little more time. We instinctively reject the unfamiliar, but I promise you can acquire a taste for foods that you don't like at first. Try preparing it a new way. Some vegetables taste very different raw than cooked. Try adding new seasonings. A different flavor profile can change the dish entirely. And if you've truly given it time and tried different options but you still don't like it, don't give up yet. Try to "hide" it so that the food you don't like is masked by one that you do like.
Bone broth is a wondrous superfood. But guess what... I don't much care for the taste of bone broth. Guess what else... That doesn't stop me from having lots of bone broth. I use it as a base for soups, stews, and gravy. I use it in mac'n'cheese, cornbread, dressing. I sneak it into mashed potatoes. Just get creative. You'll find all sorts of ways to hide the goodness in. I also hide turmeric whenever I can. The health benefits are what matter and I'll find a way to love, like, maybe tolerate, or at least sneak in what my body needs.
But the greatest of these is love. So... back to trying to acquire a taste for it first. When I first started my healthy lifestyle, I decided to add in lots of superfoods. If it's something I need, I eat it. Through this process, some things I didn't like at all have become some of my favorites! The two that stand out most in my mind are fish and avocado.
We all know that the healthiest protein is probably salmon. This one was difficult for me. As a child, I couldn't stomach any sort of fish or seafood. I just couldn't keep it down. So, I completely stopped trying. I was just a person that doesn't eat fish.. simple as that. But when I was pregnant with my first child I CRAVED FISH, so.. I ate fish. My stomach handled it fine. After the child was born, the cravings left. I just considered it a pregnancy fluke and went back to being the person that doesn't eat fish... Until 20+ years later when I decided to get healthy! Since salmon is healthiest, I went straight for that. It was a little strong for my taste but I was determined to love it for its health benefits. I backed up and tried something milder, tilapia. After all.. me and fish don't have such a great history. I needed to ease into this. Tilapia was the only fish I ate for over a year. Then, I tried salmon again. Not so bad this time, so I added it in occasionally. After about a year of that, I switched it. I ate salmon frequently, tilapia occasionally. Another year later salmon is my #1 fish choice when I go shopping. So please believe, you CAN love a food that you don't like (or even hate) at first.
Avocado is another favorite of mine. Again, I didn't really care for it at first. My assessment was "I can tolerate it for my health". So I kept eating it and trying it in new ways. I tried it raw; I tried it cooked; I tried it with different seasonings and food combinations. One day I chopped it into taco salad and FELL IN LOVE! I have since figured out that I prefer avocado raw and I like it on tacos, burgers, and salads. I like quac, but I prefer it chunky, more like avocado salsa than a smooth puree. Although, as my love for it progresses, I'm even starting to like plain pureed avocado as a spread. Once you acquire the taste for it, you'll start to like it in more ways. I now love foods that I had been merely tolerating.
Whatever you have to do, find how you prefer each health food. Don't give up too quickly and try lots of variations. But again, if you can't like it... hide it! Get those healthy foods in any way you can. Your quality of life will improve exponentially!
Let's get Healthie!
