The High-Protein Cookbook - Linda West Eckhardt [2]
Add one cup of leafy green vegetables, ¾ cup cooked vegetables, plus medium-size pieces of fruit (oranges, apples, and pears), or 1 cup of berries. Fruits and vegetables give you needed fiber, which protects the bowel. It’s like your mama said: Eat your vegetables.
The body is a wonderfully adaptable machine. Just as it has adjusted to your former bad eating habits, given half a chance, the body will adapt and quit crying out for cookies and cakes. Then you are more than halfway to success. Eat sufficient protein, balance it off with a generous serving of the right vegetables and fruits, and you will succeed.
When There’s No Time to Cook
Don’t even have time to look at a recipe? You belong to a huge club; some would say an enormous society. In fact, if you think we use recipes every night to make terrific meals, you have a fantasy about the life of a food writer. Many a night, we do nothing but grill or sauté a chop, rip open a bag of salad, and eat. Part of this new way of life is making food less central to your existence.
We can teach you how to improve your skills with a sauté pan and grill so that you’ll soon be whipping up sweet little suppers without cracking a book. That’s what we’re here for.
Yes, you may have to break the muffin—breakfast cereal—sugary doughnut habit. Those convenience foods have come to dominate America’s breakfast and the cessation of that habit may be the most important change you make. Stop the hypoglycemic yo-yo that starts with a big jolt of sugar for breakfast, and you’ve made a heroic beginning on a high-protein plan.
Eating the Rest of the Day
The recipes in The High-Protein Cookbook are intended primarily as dinner entrees, although many could be made in larger quantities and served for lunch the next day. We recommend that you decide on a basic breakfast and lunch strategy and simply stick with it, day in, day out, saving your energy, creativity, and best recipes for the evening meal. Before you protest that this will be too limiting, think about what you eat for breakfast now—it’s probably just as limited a menu. Do not skip breakfast; simply substitute a healthy, high-protein option, such as cottage cheese and berries, or eggs with a piece of thin toast, or even a cheese omelet. Make that your “regular” and be done with it. Soon it will feel as natural as that bagel “with a smear” or that bowl of oatmeal does now. Make sure you get sufficient protein at every meal. Eat five vegetables and fruits every day and drink lots and lots of water—at least 64 ounces per day. Load your refrigerator and purse with acceptable emergency provisions, such as string cheese, hard-cooked eggs, and hard salami. If you’re so hungry you can’t wait for dinner, spread a tablespoon of chunky natural peanut butter on a couple of celery ribs and munch away. It’s about 6 grams of carbohydrates and quite satisfying. And don’t forget, a glass of red wine has been shown to promote good cardiac health. So eat well, drink wisely, and feel good about realigning your eating habits into a more healthful, life-affirming pattern.
THE QUESTION OF VITAMINS
Supplements have gained acceptance among professional nutritionists, medical doctors, and dieticians. The old argument that you should get all the vitamins you need from your diet seems to have melted away. We believe a sound supplementation program, in addition to your new dietary regimen, can only increase your health benefits and make you stronger and more vigorous. For openers, we recommend a good all-purpose multivitamin. Don’t snatch up the cheapest bottle you see on sale. Read the label. Pick