What to do, What to do...

[enlightenmentlover]

I completely understand the thing about natural food, however... I don't have any health food stores near me at the moment(I'm working on moving to a new home) and my cooking skills are as basic as boiling water, using the toaster, and TV dinners. I'd love to learn how to to make healthy/natural foods, but I really don't like having to follow more than 6 steps, and I don't like waiting any longer than necessary. Any suggestions on what to do?

[hafinnej]

You don't really need a health food store. Just stick to the outer rim of your neighborhood grocery store. Talk to the produce managers, ask them about the possibility of organic. If enough interest is there, they will listen.

Here's a link to "The Dirty Dozen" (most important foods to buy organic): http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/dirty-dozen-foods

Buy fresh fruits and veggies, meats if you're a meat eater. Since you're used to frozen meals, try preparing large quanitities of dishes you enjoy and freezing them to help you tranisiton into cooking more regularly. Ultimately, the healthiest foods are the most freshly-prepared.

Most of the work in cooking is preparatory. And most of that can be done ahead of time. (Cutting broccoli and cauliflower into florets, deseeding peppers, peeling & chopping carrots, etc.) Since you only like a few steps, you can get your prep work done when you have a nice block of time, and freeze it for when you're ready to use.

You could also buy frozen veggies if you really want. They're usually fresh. I like to choose my own fruits and vegetables for more of a quality control. (:

[Inedible]

Until you get the cooking thing figured out, you can always use supplements. A cheap multivitamin for under $10 will probably last just over 3 months - 100 days. A B-complex is good, too. Probiotics aren't just for people who are having stomach problems; they help you to absorb more nutrition from the food you are eating. I would also suggest a fiber supplement because it helps to regulate your blood sugar and prevents insulin spikes. I was reading a book by a doctor - sorry, forgot the title - that said that when insulin levels go up the body tends to store fat and even after your blood sugar levels go down your insulin levels can stay elevated. This means that you can find yourself tired, irritable, and hungry even if you eat something because it will be stored right away instead of being used until your insulin levels fall back down. For that matter, try to cut back on sugars and starches and add more healthy fats to your diet. Soda and chips are some of the worst things you can have in your diet. Walnuts, avocados, fish, flax seed, and other sources of Omega-3 fatty acids are not just good for you, but they are used in the body to remove deposits of bad fats. Belly fat is the worst kind, and you can have it even if you are otherwise thin and not in any way in need of losing weight. It tends to be there as a result of a habit of eating unhealthy foods. Stress, caffeine, and alcohol don't help either.

How is your green thumb? You can grow a lot of basic herbs in pots if you have decent light coming through a window even. Slow cooker recipes especially are helpful if you just want to grab some leaves and throw them in without so much as chopping them up. When the plants are tall enough, break off the main growth of the plants so they will start to develop sideways. It releases hormones that suppress developing branches. You can add a lot of flavor to food with herbs, but you also get a lot of chemicals that are beneficial to your health. Growing your own can save you money, too, and since you are here at this forum I would imagine you remember the people working with plants in the 3rd Insight. The funny thing was that the process they used wasn't actually explained until the 8th Insight, which was why they found that only some people could work with the plants when the main character was learning the 3rd Insight.

You can add herbs to the TV dinners, too, if you continue to eat them. There is no reason why you can't start by working on improving the foods you are already eating instead of starting over from scratch every time.

[seekeroflight]

The first thing I tried when I wanted the same thing is a fresh spaghetti. Very simple. Whole wheat spaghetti goes great with a fresh chunky tomato sauce, fresh basil, meat or no. Crushed tomatoes, onion. Making your own sauce adds tons of flavor and cuts out the processed sauce out of a jar, you know whats in this.

And you already know how to boil water so your already halfway done. just throw in pasta and boil it till it won't break your teeth

Grating some fresh garlic and olive oil (or butter) painted on french bread and toasted in the oven is a very easy side.

You will fall in love with the bold flavors of fresh food like I did and the meals can be as cheap and easy as this and can be a good start.

Good Luck!