We have seen the enemy, and it’s laden with fat, cholesterol and calories.
Most of us know chicken fried steak, ice cream and potato chips aren’t good for our bodies. But when the munchies hit, who craves a stalk of asparagus or a bowl of lentils?
Nutrition researcher Dr. Neal Barnard says by picking the right foods, we can fend off cravings. Even better, he says a low-fat, plant-based diet can lower cholesterol levels and make our bodies more disease-proof.
“Changing our diet is more powerful than most of us have imagined,” Barnard said. “If we do it in the right way, we can reach our goal of knocking off weight, getting our cholesterol down, really getting healthy and living again.”
The founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which promotes preventive medicine and good nutrition, he has written seven books, including “Turn Off the Fat Genes” and “Breaking the Food Seduction: The Hidden Reasons Behind Food Cravings.”
Barnard wasn’t always a tofu-eating, steak-spurning vegan. He grew up in North Dakota in a family that put meat and potatoes on the plate every night. But after working as an autopsy assistant before going to medical school 20 years ago, Barnard switched to a vegan diet (no meat or dairy products).
According to Barnard, people should choose from just four food groups–vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains–and omit dairy and meat.
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Barnard says he is frustrated by doctors today who find it easier to write a prescription for cholesterol-lowering drugs than to tell a patient to change his or her diet, even though studies show that a vegan diet can halt–and even reverse–diabetes and heart disease.
“Instead of diet being viewed as alternative therapy and drugs as orthodox therapy, it should be the other way around,” he said. “A condition that is due to bad diet should be treated by getting the diet back to something more in line with what is natural for us as a species.
“There’s always a role for medical care, but the most powerful tool for good health is the food we put on our plate every day.”
8 ways to eat more healthfully
Dr. Neal Barnard says we can resist unhealthy food habits by eating the right foods.
– Plan breakfast to block cravings and snacking later in the day. Think oatmeal (regular, not instant) and cantaloupe, not white toast.
– Space meals evenly throughout the day, and change your schedule so you’re out taking a walk when cravings hit.
– Choose foods, such as sweet potatoes, green vegetables, lentils and peas, that hold blood sugar steady for hours.
– Boost your appetite-taming hormone leptin by eating a low-fat diet, not over-restricting calorie intake and exercising.
– Break craving cycles, whether they are daily, monthly or yearly, caused by hormones, winter darkness or a hectic schedule.
– Get plenty of rest and exercise.
– Enlist support from friends, family and co-workers.
– Remember the other benefits of a plant-based diet: cutting cancer risk, losing weight, decreasing blood pressure, getting more energy, living longer and developing new tastes.–COX NEWS SERVICE.