Eat for Health

A few posts back I wrote about bicycling as a way to keep fit, be healthy and contribute to the environment. Well, from April 1st I started biking to and from work again, and has been doing this for 2 months now with great enjoyment, pleasure and enthusiasm. In these 2 months I biked 293 km / some 14 hours in April, and 262 km / also some 14 hours in May. In May I also walked a total of some 50 km with Anne Sophie in a stroller or in a baby carrier on my back (actually all of those walks were done during our holiday in Portugal).

Another important aspect of well-being is healthy food. In our affluent Western society, the biggest killers of people are cardio-vascular diseases and cancer. According to many, the principal cause of these ailments is our unhealthy nutrition.


I've been trying to improve my diet for years. I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, etc. But still I was gaining weight. Recently, I came across the book called Eat for Health by the American nutritionist Joel Fuhrman. The biggest conclusion I made when reading this book was that I needed to review my whole diet: eat much more foods rich in nutrients, and much less nutrient-poor foods. Dr Fuhrman provides a lot of advice and lots of great recipes for gradual transition from SAD (Standard American Diet) to healthy diet.

Two weeks ago I started experimenting with his diet. And I must say - it's just great! I started by making healthy breakfast for all three of us (and now four with my mother visiting), which includes freshly pressed orange or mandarin juice, and some kind of oatmeal with berries and nuts or a fruit salad. Also I make a smoothie for myself and for them to eat at lunch. For lunch I also take a bunch of green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, cucumbers, crisp bread and humus (my colleagues find it very funny). In the evening I'd make a healthy desert, such as poached pears with raspberry souse or some blueberries and bananas mixed with nuts and seeds.

This past long weekend I cooked most of the meals myself. Today for dinner I made broiled fish (tilapia) with braised bak soy, and a delicious raisin/apple/cinnamon/nut desert. I must say that I really enjoy this healthy cooking, which I thought I never would. The downside is that it still costs me a lot of time to cook. I am not yet experienced in doing many things at the same time. But I am getting there!

So if you wish to improve your diet, try this book:
Eat For Health: Lose Weight, Keep It Off, Look Younger, Live Longer

Bon appetit!