cooking for you and your family, you may consider that you need a separate protein, vegetable and starchy vegetable for each dinner meal. For example, if you are cook- ing at home for 5 dinners (Monday through Friday), you will need 5 separate proteins, 5 separate groups of vegetables, and 5 groups of starchy veggies. This largely depends on what is available at the grocery store. You may choose to alternate between beef and poultry and fi sh for the various dinners.


For natural protein, here are some examples: Monday: Split breast chicken Tuesday: Wild salmon Wednesday: Grass-fed steak Thursday: Turkey tenderloin Friday: Grass-fed stew beef


For vegetables, you will need to see what is available and fresh at the store, but here are some examples: Monday: Broccoli Tuesday: Green beans Wednesday: Brussels sprouts Thursday: Kale Friday: Zucchini and yellow squash


For starchy veggies, here are some examples: Monday: Spaghetti squash Tuesday: Sweet potatoes Wednesday: Mixed multicolored potatoes Thursday: Acorn squash Friday: Rutabaga


For fats, you can use any of these options


to integrate into your meals: Extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil or avocado oil to cook with or mix into your prepared dishes. Avocadoes such as guacamole, nuts and seeds to mix into prepared dishes, or cook with them; such as pistachios encrusted wild salmon or sunfl ower seeds mixed into cooked kale or sesame seeds tossed with roasted broccoli and avocado oil and lemon juice.


Let’s Get Started Initially, this process may seem


awkward. But overtime, if you stick to the simplicity of meal preparation, the process will start to feel more and more innate. The key to long-term success with maintain- ing a healthy diet throughout the year is to be prepared. For all of us, there will be nights where we just don’t have time to cook because of a late meeting or some other type of obligation. In these instances, utilize the slow cooker. There are thousands of slow cooker recipes online. The key to a tasty slow cooker meal is some basic preparation that can be done in the morning before you leave (for example, searing the meat before you place it in the slow cooker to lock in the juices). Surfi ng the web is always fun during our free time to fi nd unique and creative recipes, but remember that keeping it simple in the beginning is always easier for long- term success. The most important thing to remember is to keep your food fresh.


For more great tips on healthy meal planning for breakfast, lunch and snacks – see the extended version of this article at www.naturalnutmeg.com.


Dr. Ayelet Connell, PhD, PT, IMT,C is President and owner of Integrative Well- ness & Physical Therapy in Bloomfi eld CT, a wellness center offering Physical Therapy, Integrative Manual Therapy, Chiropractic, Acupuncture, and nutritional wellness. Ayelet is a natural health expert and has written and published many articles on the subject. She is a Physical Therapist and Certi- fi ed Integrative Manual Therapist and has taught courses all over the world in Holistic Physical Therapy. Ayelet is also a local of this community and has been living in the Greater Hartford area for many years, where she integrates a healthy lifestyle at home with her wonderful family. See ad on page 17 and 23.


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