Eating Outside Your Box

One way to combat the boredom many people complain accompanies eating healthy is to "eat outside your box," by experimenting with new foods and cuisines and by challenging your long held notions about what to eat and when. Iceberg is not the only kind of lettuce, apples and oranges aren't the only fruits and there is no law that says you can't eat mushroom lasagna for breakfast and a southwestern omelet for dinner. And just because your parents always eat turkey on Thanksgiving, fish on Friday and meatloaf on Mondays doesn't mean you have to. Dare to step outside your comfort zone and put an end to your eating rut, by accepting one (or more) of the following challenges to eat and live more healthily and creatively.

1. Make a list of 10 foods that you eat on a regular basis. Over the course of the next month, eat outside your box by avoiding these foods.

2. Try a new food every day. Have you knocked eating brown rice, tofu, sushi or kiwi without ever giving it a try? Don't allow the opinions of others to inhibit your pallet. Give your taste buds an opportunity to decide.

3. Look back at your food diary. Don't eat any of the same foods you ate last month. Use cookbooks to invigorate your mundane menus.

4. Do not visit any of the same restaurants you tried last month. If you eat out, it must be somewhere new. And don't forget to order something new and nutritious off the menu.

5. Look back at your food diary from last month. Use a cookbook to explore ways to make the foods you ate more nutritious ? and unusual.

6. Ask people from different racial, regional and religious and cultural backgrounds to share their favorite foods and recipes. Incorporate at least 2 of these into your menus.

7. Buy a new cookbook with recipes from a cuisine you have never tried. Prepare at least one meal a week from the cookbook.

8. Sit down with a healthy cookbook. Make a list of 30 recipes that look appealing. You don't have to use them immediately ? but they will be there when you need them.

9. Make a special trip to the grocery store to shop for herbs and spices. Buy at least 5 you've never tried and experiment with at least 1 new herb or spice each week.

10. Take a cooking class. Check your local YMCA or community center for course offerings.

11. Flip the script. Make a list of the meals you usually eat for breakfast, a list of meals you usually eat for lunch and a list for dinner. Then eat what you normally eat for lunch for dinner, dinner for breakfast and breakfast for lunch.

12. Each time you go grocery shopping buy at least 5 different brands than you usually do. You may be surprised to learn that different brands offer better taste, nutrition and price.

About The Author

Jackie Stanley is the author of a series of personal wellness and weigth loss journals titled Lettuce Is Not Enough. She can be reached at 336-854-8667 or at www.lettuceisnotenough.com. www.lettuceisnotenough.com

recurring cleaning service Mundelein ..
In The News:

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.
The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.
Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.
Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.
Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.
Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.
Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.
Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.
iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.
Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.
FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.
Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.
Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.
Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.
Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.
Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.
The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.
Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.
New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.
FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.
New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.
OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.
Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.
New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.

How To Prevent Hypoglycemia

Today's tip is on hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).Hypoglycemia affects both... Read More

Not all Fats are Bad

Fats have been unfairly lumped together as being all bad... Read More

Busting the Dairy Myth ? The Truth About our Health and Dairy

Millions of people around the UK consume dairy products on... Read More

Water, The Magical Drink

Glowing skin comes free of charge to you. Our simple... Read More

The Sugar-Coated Truth

It is believed that cane sugar was discovered before the... Read More

Healthy Eating

Recently I found the book : "Eating and health according... Read More

You Are What You Eat, Do You Dig Your Grave With Your Tongue? Boost Your Immune System

I know that the headline is a oldie, but it... Read More

Preventing Heart Disease: What to Eat

About 12.6 million Americans currently have heart disease.1.1 million Americans... Read More

4 Steps To Brain Health

New studies bring to our attention that high levels of... Read More

Is Vitamin E Beneficial Or Harmful? Cutting Through The Clutter Of Different Scientific Opinions

Numerous reports have recently appeared in both the lay and... Read More

Body Calling: Maintaining Excellent Health

Our bodies are truly incredible machines. What makes cells healthy?... Read More

5 Favorite Summer-Break Tips

You can trust me that I make sure to take... Read More

Let Your Freezer Be Your Ally!

Most recipes end with instructions to "serve immediately." You could... Read More

Green Tea and Your Health

Green tea has been used as for medical remedies in... Read More

Optimize Your Diet For Maximum Growth

The best weight training and cardio workouts will do very... Read More

Six Ways Soy Benefits Your Health

Soy, and most soy-based products, are nutritional powerhouses. Soybeans are... Read More

The Fountain of Youth - Right in Front of Us All This Time!

Can we really stop the aging process, slow it down,... Read More

pH and Weight Loss

THE RISKNo doubt you've heard of the increasingly popular "raw... Read More

Take Back Your Life 5

In parts 1-4 of this series of articles titled "Take... Read More

A Look at Lactose Intolerance

Lactose is the primary carbohydrate in milk. Cow's milk contains... Read More

Calculating Your Calorie Needs

In order to eat fewer calories than you need, you... Read More

Post Nasal Drip

Post nasal drip is a sensation of mucous build up... Read More

Prevent Constipation and Other Health Ailments with Papaya

Constipation is a condition whereby the fecal matter traveling through... Read More

Antioxidants - Add a Lean, Muscular Body to the List of Benefits!

I'm sure by now you've heard all about the amazing... Read More

Turning an Addictive Snack into a Complete Meal

The proliferation of fast food restaurants, convenience stores, and vending... Read More

tidy up service Buffalo Grove ..