By Peter Roos
Tired of feeling sick and tired?
Medicare tells us:
“Eating a variety of nutrient-dense foods from each of the five food groups can help reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases, like high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.” Here are a few tips to incorporate into a healthy lifestyle:
- Choose foods with little to no added sugar, saturated fats, and sodium.
- Build meals around protein foods that are naturally low in saturated fats, like beans, peas, lentils, chicken, seafood, and lean meats.
- Be aware of how many calories you need per day. Visit www.myplate.gov to learn more.
- Avoid sugary drinks. Drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated.
This is all good advice, but it takes a lot of work. Our American food supply is controlled by corporations for whom profit is the primary if not the only motivation. Produce that is not organically grown contains pesticides and artificial fertilizers. Finding healthy food to eat these days can be both difficult and very expensive. As for animal protein, a limited amount of only grass-fed meats, dairy and cheeses are recommended for people with digestive issues.We first met Emmanuel Roux years ago as the owner/operator of Redwoods, next to the Detroit Hotel on Central Ave.
It was for years our favorite place for Valentine’s Day and other special dinners. He since made amazing flourless chocolate cakes, shipped worldwide, before he found his new passion, growing organic vegetables in the inner city. Organic produce is offered online and in person, and a newly opened dining space offers gourmet meals prepared with the farm’s produce.
The dinner series is funded by a grant from Healthy St. Pete and produced in partnership with Positive Impact, which helps source, cook, and serve the meals. Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck shortly after Roux debuted the commercial kitchen and event space. True to the farm’s mission, Roux and his team, along with Feeding Tampa Bay, pivoted to deliver meals to utility linemen and community members affected by the storms, underscoring EcoFarm’s potential role as a reliable food resource in times of crisis. Chef Zachary Crossman is the new Head Chef, and his story – from Buddhist temples to farm-to-table in St. Pete – is one we think you will love. Roux’s 15th Street Farm, at 342 15th St. N, St. Petersburg, 727-251-1879 has volunteer opportunities on Wednesdays and weekends, and 44 5-star reviews on Google.
Our friend Tim found another way that makes healthy eating easy and affordable. He represents a healthy food supplier that has made preparing healthy meals so easy, it is just like “add water and stir.” Super Greens in a breakfast smoothie is even quicker to fix with the supplied powders and portable mini blender than a stop at your favorite fast-food outlet and will help get you back on the road to health. You can replace your usual breakfast and lunch if you wish with delicious nutrient-dense foods and give your body the opportunity to heal itself so you will feel better. Try it for 90 days and let your blood test results convince you to keep it up. Give Tim a call for a no-obligation presentation at 727-488-8516 and get started toward a much happier future.