A couple of days ago, I came across a short article by a registered dietitian in the Miami newspaper. In it, she talked about being inundated by diet headlines when standing in the check-out line of the supermarket. I knew just how she felt. The magazines have sooo many suggestions… Detox, eat this, that or the other thing for a flat belly. Lose a gazillion pounds in a week by eating this superfood. Melt off the fat by doing this. Don’t eat THAT food. It will make you swell up like the purple kid in Willie Wonka.
I always consider it ironic that across the aisle from these self-help magazines are all of the magazines for cooking, recipes, great cakes, seasonal menus, etc.
Anyway, after seeing all of the headlines, the dietitian shared an approach that she highly recommends. She calls it getting SANE… as in adopting a food plan that is sustainable, approachable, nutritionally balanced and enjoyable.
It makes eminent good sense. Sustainable, as in picking a food plan that you can reasonably follow and maintain. A plan you can stick with.
The next step is to realize that healthy eating is an approach. We embrace it without becoming dictators to ourselves. Giving ourselves permission to splurge or have a treat sometimes will help us sustain the effort.
The dietitian is a fan of eating minimally processed food. Whole, natural products are desirable for the N – nutrition.
Finally, there’s the idea of enjoying the food we consume. Good food that tastes great, nutritionally sound meals prepared freshly with flavor — all make it easier to eat well.
S.A.N.E. doesn’t this sound like good common sense? I’m keeping it in mind as I plan my daily meals. Like the dietitian says in the article, eating this way won’t help us lose 15 pounds in a week, but following it consistently will help the weight come off.
Weighty Matters 
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