The modern day consumer confronted with TV and radio advertising and thus making their decisions on food to eat is not only being misled but being programmed for death! Think of it. If you eat the way millions upon millions of hours of radio and TV air time would have you convinced here’s what your choices would likely be and are for most of the sheep.

Latte’s consisting of cream, hydrogenated vegetable oil, sugar, artificial flavoring, and caffeine too many people make a twice daily habit of these and wonder why their weight and blood pressure balloon. Coffee with creamers and sugar another way to increase blood pressure while adding fat calories as sugar is stored by the body as fat.

Alternative: Organic green tea. If you must have it sweetened use stevia. Green tea has thermogenic properties that allow the body to burn fat and you can actually lose a few pounds a year consuming this natural store house of antioxidants. Swishing green tea through your gums can actually prolong healthy teeth by killing decay and plaque.

Pizza-For the most part empty calories consisting of saturated fat, fibreless starch, lots of fatty oils, and the human body craves fat as it has been part of a survival mechanism to overcome times of starvation and famine thousands of years ago and perhaps a way of life still in Communist regimes, but that is not the normal pattern of today. Pizza will cause overweight and constipation. Sure it tastes good but can you accept the consequences?

Alternative: Afghan bread is sold in stores like Tom Thumb. It is light and chewy.  It is a more healthy crust containing fiber. Use part skim milk mozzarella, low fat turkey sausage, and plenty of vegetables to go along with the sauce such as mushrooms, black olives, green olives, bell peppers and seasoning such as parsley, oregano, and dill weed to enhance the flavor. A small amount of parmesan cheese adds flavor without so many calories used in moderation.

Burgers, chili, spaghetti, using ground beef or pork sausage add a great deal of saturated fat to the diet and the resulting arterial sclerosis (Hardening) of the arteries. The American diet has been bombarded with ground fatty beef and pork, and Americans 50 pounds or more overweight wonder why? Properly seasoned ground turkey makes great tacos and burritos as well.

Alternative: Ground chicken and ground turkey present a welcome alternative to the heavy fat and greases that come from using these meats. Many people can’t stand ground turkey because of its gamey flavor and this is because they do not know how to season the meat. In general turkey is raised in a range fed environment, higher in protein, much lower in fat, and can be used for anything ground beef and pork are used for. Simply season it right! I can’t believe the dummies at the Food channel with their ridiculous ways of seasoning turkey that don’t work! What is wrong with these supposed experts? I used soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper, seasoning the raw meat before ever doing anything else to it. Since turkey has little fat even the 85% product I use some filler to help firm it up and extend the yield out of a pound such as oatmeal, some people use bread crumbs, an egg for binding, chopped mushroom, cucumber, onion, celery, or bell pepper. You can combine some or all the above mentioned finely chopped and you will have a flavor full burger or meatball recipe. Some people like to use a little parmesan to flavor their turkey meatballs. I agree.

For chili simply add cumin and chili powder to the meat and you will have an award winning meaty and satisfying alternative. Chicken is not as hard to flavor as turkey. Some seasoned salt and soy sauce and you’re off to the races! When grilling on a barbecue though you will have to use a grill mat or oiled foil for turkey burgers so they don’t fall though the grill while cooking. Turkey accepts smoking very well.

Ham or ham hocks as a bean or rice seasoning meat? Both are incredibly fattening but because of the salty and smoky flavor, many people like to use them to flavor northern white beans, lima beans, white rice, and even red beans.

Alternative: Why not use smoked turkey thighs or legs. The meat is less fatty, flavors the beans or rice very well and holds its texture well under crock pot cooking too.  It has just as satisfying a smoky flavor too. Your pork flavoring will not be missed.

It’s funny on the Food Channel how they will warn against using too much soy sauce saying it’s high in sodium yet every damn thing they cook from cake recipes to soups, they will incessantly use salt and pepper. In my cooking I almost never use table salt or kosher salt as I simply don’t need it. Soy sauce has often been called the Eastern cuisine equivalent of salt and pepper. If we used more herbal seasoning and less salt or chemical flavor enhancers we’d be better off and remember that the FDA allows restaurants to get away with preservatives they will not approve of for home use! I hope this helps making every day cooking for you more enjoyable and healthy.