Wellness Made Easy
Plymouth’s Saga Stevin uses a touch of research, a pinch of ingenuity, and a lot of body awareness in her flawless recipe for healthy living. You won’t believe some of the ways she’s come up with of eating just a little bit better.
by Ann Nolin and Saga Stevin,
Photo by Todd Buchanan for Plymouth Magazine, November 2005
Plymouth resident Saga Stevin, author, international speaker, life coach and founder of Success Strategies International, Inc. has spent her life studying ways to eat and live a healthier lifestyle. From creating an all natural foot soak that eliminates foot fungus after a horse stepped on her toe at the age of 19 to finding the best combinations of vitamins and minerals for healing her leg after it was severed during an accident, her tried and true methods have helped keep her body working at its maximum potential. Here are Stevin’s top 10 tips to use when cooking:
When making any kind of red sauce or dish with tomatoes or beans in it, I add a teaspoon of baking soda to the pot as it is simmering to help get rid of the acid – and the gas!
To help build good cholesterol, I substitute olive oil for butter or margarine when cooking my favorite egg – be it scrambling or frying. It is also good to add to pancake or waffle batter instead of vegetable oil. I also substitute olive oil and a touch of balsamic vinegar or lemon juice for mayonnaise when making those yummy summer salads. It’s great in everything from egg salad to chicken salad or my favorite mixed veggies.
When baking, I substitute applesauce for oil. This gives the cake, muffins or whatever I am baking the moistness without the fat.
Oh so good oats! They lower cholesterol, and are high in fiber, protein and antioxidants! Throw a handful into your pancake mix, top off your cereal, add to salads, or use as a nice porridge on a cold morning. Don’t forget to add your favorite berry, raisins or nuts. Also try mixing in applesauce for a bit of variety.
To battle free-radicals and boost brain power I grab a handful of blueberries*, cranberries, cherries, strawberries or concord grapes! Pint for pint the blueberries win hands-down for antioxidant power and phytochemicals. All these delicious jewels are rich in antioxidants that combat free-radicals. I try to think of this as body armor that helps generate healthy cells.
To boost protein, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E, and calcium, I trade peanut butter for almond butter. Almonds have the highest protein content of any nut, and are also high in the mono-unsaturated fat which helps lower the bad (LDL) cholesterol.
When choosing veggies that pack a wallop with minerals and nutrients, I go for color. The more my plate looks like a box of crayolas, the happier my body will be. How I learned this was to think of ROY Green: Red, Orange, Yellow, and Green veggies.
Speaking of color, I opt for the sweet potato** instead of the white potato. Sorry to say that the white potato is full of starch that immediately gets turned into sugars, which makes a beeline for the blood. As a bonus, sweet potatoes are filled with potassium and beta carotene.
To build up the good bacteria in the body, which is essential when you are taking antibiotics, simply mix plain nonfat yogurt with real maple syrup for pancakes, waffles or in your oatmeal.
The best health tip of all is good ol’ H2O! The easiest way to determine how much water a day is right for you is to drink half your body weight in ounces. For example: if you weigh 150 lbs. drink 75 ounces per day. Remember the body is mostly water and needs to be replenished daily to keep all your parts (blood, bone, brain, tissues, etc) functioning at their best.
*Blueberries are brimming with vitamin C, fiber and potassium. Preliminary evidence also suggests that a component in blueberries might enable cells to break down fat and cholesterol, which helps keep arteries clear. Buy the best: Year-round, you can buy frozen berries marked unsweetened.
** These flavorful orange spuds are one of the richest sources of antioxidants (such as beta-carotene), which may help prevent heart disease, strokes and certain cancers. Sweet potatoes are also rich in fiber and immune-boosting vitamin C. Buy the best: Choose sweet potatoes that are firm and have clean, smooth skins. Don’t confuse this vitamin-rich veggie for the less nutritious yam.