Podcast Episode 32 – One Sure Way to Upgrade Your Health

[00:00:00] Ready to upgrade your health. There's one sure and simple way of doing so. And today, Patryce and I discuss this simple idea and give you some practical ways of how to implement this into your lifestyle and why you want to do so. Let's go back to the basics of eating and preparing food.
[00:00:31] Hi, and hello. Welcome to the real food and drinks, lifestyle podcasts. We're building a community to talk about nutrition, lifestyle choices, and just feeling better. This is Shonda and this is Patryce. Let's just be real.
[00:00:57] Here's our disclaimer, we do not professionally practice in any of the various subjects that we discuss. We are only sharing our personal experiences with you to a healthier lifestyle. Please do your own research before taking part in any of these practices.
[00:01:15] Hi, Patryce and welcome everyone to today's podcast.
[00:01:20] We're at episode 32. Wow. Hi, Shonda 32. Wow. That's a lot. That's great. Yeah. So you found this article that you thought was very interesting and I find it interesting too. So go ahead and, uh, introduce that for us. Yes. I was just looking at my local neighborhood paper and it's an article under it's called the experts that happens to be from Dr. Rosin and Dr. Oz and it's entitled cooking at home can upgrade your health. I thought, wow, what a, what a catchy title. And I just wanted to read more about what they were talking about. So that's the title of this article cooking at home can upgrade your health. Wow. Yeah, that's good. I I'm sure that catches a lot of people's attention too. Right?
[00:02:16] Exactly. And especially the question that prompted this title and the question that they answered from someone who wrote in. The question is I'm sick of cooking all the time. Exclamation point. Why shouldn't I go back to eating out and ordering in more often?
[00:02:38] And you know what my response to that was, it was, it was a little bit of a joke, but it was like, I'm sick of cooking. It's like, okay, sick of cooking or be sick, you know. Diminish your health by eating out all the time. So that was why I was like, choose to be sick of cooking and then it'll just get better. Instead of, you know, allowing the other to happen.
[00:03:02] Yeah. I like your response. I don't know if it's the typical response and, um, they, they approached this question in a diplomatic a kind of humorous and then just very truthful way.
[00:03:18] Well, maybe you can do this, but one thing you might want to keep in mind is that, uh, Americans at least four to five of our weekly meals are already from drive-throughs, diners and pizza joints and chain restaurants. So we're already eating out at an average of $15 a meal, and that is a cost of four times more than making your own healthy home cooked meal.
[00:03:48] So the first response has to do with your pocketbook. Right! Yeah, I know. That's why we, we put a limit on going out to eat and it used to be once a month and now we don't even do that. So, wow you guys are really good. But yeah, I think people forget that it adds up and so they broke it down for you, how much money you're spending.
[00:04:13] And then again, if you're cooking at home, not only is it healthy, but you're really going to save and that's really going to impact your budget in a good way. Yeah, I think so. I think so. I'm all about budgeting. Exactly. Exactly.
[00:04:31] And if the, budget's not as much of a concern for you and your family. They went on to continue with saying there was a 15 year study that found people who regularly ate two or more commercially prepared meals a day were 67% more likely to die from cancer and 18% more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than people who rarely eat out or eat prepared meals. Wow! That's a big number. Very very. 67%. Uh, and wow. I was just blown away by that.
[00:05:15] Um, and I think people don't really think about it in that way, because it may not be instantaneous. You know, the first year or two, you might be eating out constantly and you're not suffering from cancer or cancer-like diseases, but it's a progression. Oh, What were you saying? Yeah, I was just going to say, remember how last night when we were listening. I don't know were you there on Dr. Baxter? I was listening in and he was talking about this patient of his said I've been eating this way for so long and then all of a sudden snap and that's what happens all of a sudden it's like snap. You know, and the health it just, it just goes. Unless you know how to turn it around and healthy eating, better, eating more, you know, um, targeted eating can turn it around quickly too.
[00:06:06] So. Yeah, let's get back to making those home cooked meals and preparing food at home, you know, not necessarily cooked. It could be salads, you know, and things like that. So, um, yeah. What else, what else did it talk about? 'CauseI have pieces, I have bits and pieces of it here in front of me, and I thought it had given, um, statistics on how often people eat out, but I actually don't see that now when I look here, 'cause I was amazed. Maybe there was some...Oh no, we spoke about that, that typically people are eating four to five of their weekly meals out.
[00:06:50] Yeah. That was it. And that was like, wow. That was like amazing to me. I just, I couldn't believe that. Yeah, that was before the money hit. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Four to five weekly meals. All right. Yeah. It takes time. Like we've been talking about it takes time. It takes, it takes preparation because time can be spent, you know, if you have small kids, you can bring them in. They can help with cooking and that's time spent together. So it can be a pleasant time. You know, I'm all about cooking at home.
[00:07:29] Well, I know, I know you're like four to five times a week because your family has developed a habit of only going once a month, if not even that now. So it's a habit to not go out. You know, the reason for going out was so we could come together and sit down and eat together because that's not a normal thing that happened here. Everyone was always so busy. So that was to go sit together and not be distracted and being able to talk. But then as you know, now they're pretty much grown adults, so we just don't do that anymore.
[00:08:08] Okay. Wow. Yeah. Wow. Well, I was just like yourself blown away by some of this information. And then on the upside, they wanted to say that, you know, as a result of the pandemic, there have been a lot of families that are cooking more at home and eating meals that are prepared at home versus just always, always eating out.
[00:08:33] So that was, um, an upside to the pandemic. And one report found that 11% of people are eating breakfast at home every day or more frequently because a lot of people skip breakfast, but due to the pandemic, people have slowed down and are now incorporating a new habit of eating... starting the day with some good fuel.
[00:08:56] If you're preparing it at home, it's hopefully better food. That's being prepared than what you buy on the go or just a coffee cup, a cup of coffee, so that there's some bright sides to the pandemic. And then also some benefits too. Um, Uh, learning to, uh, learning a new habit of eating at home or preparing more meals at home. So that was good.
[00:09:20] So they give us some suggestions on how to cook at home and how to continue to cook at home. Right?
[00:09:28] They sure did. Um, one was to cook once and eat three times. And I think this is something you've done over the years and I, is it called batch cooking? Uh. I suppose, so I do more like... I'll just cook a big pot of grains so that I can have 'em over and over, you know, maybe even two different grains, you know, and have them over and over again, or, you know, cause I, I like, I see that it talks about soups.
[00:09:59] I'm gonna pick on the soups, the stews. And even, um, pasta sauces and things like that. Because like in a soup, you know, it's just like... take all your ingredients and throw it into the instant pot for me, you know? And then you come out with a soup or stew. But then I, I really focus on bowls now. Where I just, I just create a few different, uh, what many people would call side dishes, but put them all together in a... with a bowl and a salad dressing.
[00:10:33] It's a great idea and a good reminder that people can go to the real food and drinks website and find the video, or on YouTube, wherever you want, uh, to find that what is the title of it?
[00:10:46] Well, the last one was, um, vegetable bowls I think. I'll definitely put a link there. Is that the one you were thinking of? I think that one, I think you had two, but uh, whatever videos you had about the bowls were excellent. I love how, like you can have your chickpeas and then you have your vegetables and then you have your grains and, and maybe another vegetable and you have enough prepared so that throughout the week you can mix it up and put together different combinations of these grains and vegetables to make up bowls.
[00:11:24] Or I love to add in my green salads, the grains or beans, I even have done that. To make a full meal out of a salad. Yes, not just a side salad, but the salad is the main meal. Yeah. Yeah. Those are really easy, yeah. Okay.
[00:11:42] Did you mention casseroles? It don't make many casseroles, but...Okay, well, that's something I'm experimenting with and I just made a huge or a pretty big uh, cauliflower one. And I've noticed... because my husband, he eats meat and I don't. And so I made this tray of it, but half of it had the ground lamb on the bottom. The other half did not, and it was just cauliflower with green peppers, yellow peppers, red peppers, onions, some herbs ,spices, and then a can of diced tomatoes. Or you can just use your... cut up your own tomatoes. All that sauteed together. And you put in the oven for about 20 some minutes and, um, you can opt to put some vegan cheese or, or put something on top, some parsley. But it was yummy.
[00:12:31] Yeah. It's just all about being creative, you know? Um, I heard just yesterday about eating pasta. Now we do want to eat whole grain pasta. It's really not, uh, that different it's just nuttier, tastier. You know, it has some more bite to it, but it's really good. So start slow. You can start, um, half and half, half whole wheat and half of, you know, what you used to do and just kind of gradually build up.
[00:13:00] But in that pasta sauce, you know, you can buy a store bought pasta sauce, but add some zucchini, some extra onions and bell peppers and you know, different vegetables or greens or spinach to that pasta sauce and make a really nice meal.
[00:13:18] Delicious. I'm hungry now. Sounds delicious. Yeah. And one other example they... Well, another thing they suggested is make it fun by learning about new recipes, because there are so many videos now available. So even with your family members, you can say, Hey, let's watch this video, this new recipe, uh, and then cook it together.
[00:13:42] Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Sounds good. So I know we've given our own tips so far, but what about just a, a final tip or word of encouragement to everyone listening?
[00:13:54] Yes. I, I, we need to all be encouraged that we can start small by just doing something differently.
[00:14:03] Maybe if we're eating out several times a week, decide, okay, this is the one day of the week we're going to eat out and, and make it a challenge. Let's see, can I be creative or how can I intentionally prepare to make my meals for the rest of the days of the week? And then look forward to that one day of the week, then that I will eat out.
[00:14:26] Right? Yeah. And then that day that you do decide to cook something, make something that, uh, for more than one day. You know, so, you know, you may not have it the very next day, but maybe you can have it the day after that, you know. And you know what is always good. I think sometimes, you know, I like to warm my food up in the toaster oven, not in a microwave, there's just a whole different taste or experience from having warmed food in, in a, in a warm oven. Uh, it's just very different than microwave. So if you've been microwaving over and over, give it that little extra time and put that in a dish in an oven or a little toaster oven and warm it up and try it that way. Try your leftovers in a different way and add a new little sauce or a new side to it.
[00:15:19] That's a great idea to add spices to your already prepared leftovers. And I love how you bought that you don't always have to go to the microwave because I don't like the microwave either, because to me, it, it messes with the texture of my food and it takes away from how delightful it is. So I'm like you, I'm not only will use my big old oven, but I'll also use the stove top whenever I can and warm it up. But you're right. Even my children who are young adults, I have noticed sometimes they're like, Oh yeah, can you warm it up on the stove for me? 'Cause they don't want to use the microwave.
[00:15:56] Yeah, great thing. There's a difference. So hopefully someone will hear this and say, yeah, maybe that's why I don't like leftovers, you know? That's true. Might be why they don't.
[00:16:09] Yeah. Thanks for finding this article. It's really good. I'll I'll link, you know, the more notes below. And, um, happy cooking at home everyone. Yes. Enjoy cooking at home and invite your family to join you or friends even. Yeah. Okay. We'll see you next time. Bye.
[00:16:32] Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoyed today's podcast. Remember you can catch show notes and additional details at realfoodanddrinks.com under the podcast menu. Also subscribe to our podcast if you aren't already a member of our community. And if listening through Anchor, please send us a message of topics you would like to hear us have conversations about.
[00:16:59] Until next time. Let's just be real.