My Healthy Inspiration

My grandma is hands down the healthiest person I know, and not to mention one of the best cooks! Her story is part of the reason why I am so fascinated by health and want to pursue it as a career, so I thought I would ask her to give me a little insight in to her healthy ways. She has arthritis, and ever since she cut out certain foods that are known for causing inflammation, she has felt so SO much better... even better than any medicine ever made her feel! It is amazing to me how much what we eat can influence us in so many different ways. 

Here are Grandma Judi's words of wisdom: 

"I find that sugar is probably my biggest food enemy. If I make a smoothie, I use bananas instead of ice cream, fruit not fruit juice. Ice and Greek yogurt (0 sugar) add  good flavor and consistency. I try not to have fruit juice but have whole fruit instead as the juices have sugar. The only cereal I eat is oatmeal made from scratch, not the instant. I add fruit and yogurt, soy milk and sometimes apples, cinnamon and a dash of brown sugar. Honey would be good too instead of brown sugar. I have sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes, eat lots of vegetables, and use quinoa instead of rice. I had stuffed peppers that had ground cauliflower instead of rice in a restaurant and could not tell the difference. I take a recipe and like you, make it work for my needs. For extra fiber I have beans and snack on almonds and walnuts.  Processed foods are full of ingredients we do not need of course, so again, we have to be creative. We also have to incorporate what works for each of us."

Isn't she wonderful?! If my grandma isn't proof of how much nutrition impacts us, I don't know what is! Like me, she also believes in moderation.... and she still makes the best marshmellow Christmas salad around :)