...eat? Feeding on the minutia

No carbs, low carbs, or lots of carbs?  Paleo, Atkins, or South Beach? Macrobiotic, Vegan, or Nutritarian?  With the litany of contradictory health claims it's hard to know which "expert" is right.  One nutritionist says to eat red meat and one says to only eat fish.  Next thing you know, some celebrity (as if they are automatically an expert on anything) is telling us we need to only eat raw vegan food and drink warm lemon water 3 times a day.  Am I starving my child by giving him vegetables?  Should he take a multivitamin? Is "from scratch" better than "store-bought"? Is tofu going to make him act feminine?  Does my Marine husband need more protein?  How do I save us all from getting cancer, heart disease and diabetes? How do I know what to eat, how often to eat, and/or what combinations to eat?  Can somebody please tell me???!!!

The crux of the matter is that all this stress surrounding the minutia of eating, something that is supposed to be a pleasurable activity, is actually doing more damage to my body than if I decide to serve my family bacon and eggs every morning and homemade biscuits with butter every night (actions that some would consider absolute health "no-nos").   Don't misunderstand me, there are some eating habits that are truly unhealthy and there are different types of stress, some of which are positive (check out eustress).  Chronic stress is not one of those.  Chronic stress is dangerous and absolutely unhealthy.  The symptoms and side effects of chronic stress aren't pretty, ranging from simple memory problems and moodiness to compromised immune system.  If the stress cycle continues, and your body gets worn down for long enough, the stress can actually lead to serious health issues (heart disease, depression, obesity, etc).

The point of all of this?  Don't stress over every calorie and every meal.  Just do your best.  Nobody has the exact same set of dietary needs as anyone else.  Some people can't eat nuts and others can't eat gluten.  They obviously don't need more peanuts and whole wheat in their diets.  If you have specific dietary needs, factor those in to your eating plan.  There are, however,  some general rules when trying to eat healthily: Eat more fruits and vegetables (cooked and raw).  Eat less meat and more beans.   Nuts and seeds are a great snack and a healthy fat.  Try to cut down on salt a little.  Start drinking water during the day.  Switch to whole grains and unrefined foods  (yes, that means avoiding white sugar and flour, brown sugar and artificial sweeteners).  Try to ween yourself off most processed foods, most of which have very little nutritional value.  If you can't pronounce the ingredients, do you really want that in your body?  But keep in mind, it isn't an "all or nothing" deal.  Don't feel as if you have to change everything at once (unless you are the kind of person who can just "flip the switch", as my husband calls it), just make one or two changes each week or so.  Eat a carrot today instead of that bag of chips.  Grab a handful of almonds and raisins instead of the bag of cookies.  Make a salad and eat it before you eat your dinner.  Give it a try!  Every small change is better for you, your family and your peace of mind.

There's something important to mention here.  I've heard lots of people tell me, "But I don't like vegetables",  "It's great that you like that kind of food, but I just never could", or "I don't want to be miserable every time I eat, and I like chicken fried steak and ice cream!"  I'll admit, not everyone is going to love chomping on chard and collards right out the gate.  I definitely didn't.  I was what my mother referred to as a "token vegetable eater".  I would eat a spoonful of canned green beans or a typical dinner salad.  You know the kind:  small bowl of mixed greens with lots of ranch dressing.  I actually gagged the first time (and the second time) I tried to eat kale.  It tasted bitter and gross.  HOWEVER, I put the kale aside for a while and just focused on eating the other more "acceptable" veggies: carrots, lettuce, cucumber, onions, etc.  I tried to ease off the dressing and use little to no salt when I cooked vegetables.  After a very little while, my family started to notice how sweet the carrots were and how much flavor onions added to a soup.  It took time and it took patience.  Mostly it just took getting the junky food out of the house.  When you don't have a house brimming with candy and cookies, but instead have it well stocked with nuts, apples, raisins and carrot sticks, you reach for those healthy snacks instead.

I'm proud to say that all of us (yep, even the 5 year old) had big helpings of steamed/sauteed collards and rainbow chard with our dinner tonight.  And we followed it up with fresh, in-season fruit salad topped with fresh whipped cream and homemade graham crackers.  Wonderful.

If you're curious how I prepared the collards/chard, here's how I did it:

1 bunch chard
1 bunch collard greens
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (a clove or two of fresh minced garlic would work well too)
1/8 teaspoon salt  (and start with less)

1. Trim tough ends off the greens, discard or save for use in another meal. (I chop them up and stick them in a bag in the freezer to toss in soup later) Roughly chop the leafy portion of the greens.
2. Add approximately 1/2 cup water to a large skillet (with a lid), add greens, oil and all the seasonings except the salt.  Cover and cook on medium low for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Adjust heat as needed.
3. Just before serving, sprinkle with salt, give dish one final stir and serve!