So let’s take just one part of that task—finding new foods (and yes, that is actually only ONE part!)—and break that down. From now on, instead of thinking, “Oh God, I’ve got to start discovering new healthy things to eat,” I want you start thinking in terms of these four, concrete action steps. To wit:
1) Get a couple of decent cookbooks. This can be library, on-line (used or new), or a bookstore. Or, the next time you’re over at your super-healthy friend’s house, you can slip a mickey in his kale juice and then load up your arms with his books. Yes, there are zillions of healthy recipes on-line, but since you might not know yet how to assess healthy versus only SEEMING healthy, it could be safest to go with a book that’s well known to be reliable. I recommend getting raw food recipe books, not because I teach 100% raw food diet (I don’t), but because most people could use way, way MORE raw plant foods in their diet.
A couple of good ones:
http://www.amazon.com/Raw-Food-Made-Easy-People/dp/1570671753/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235348672&sr=1-1
Super convenient and tasty recipes.
http://www.amazon.com/LifeFood-Recipe-Book-Living-Force/dp/1556434596/ref=pd_sim_b_62
This one has some of the yummiest recipes I’ve ever found!
http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Smart-Raw-Kate-Wood/dp/0757002617/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235349336&sr=1-1
Also a nice, useable little book.
2) Make a date in your planner or Blackberry or stone tablets to spend a half hour or so looking through that/those cookbooks searching out yummy sounding recipes. Clever sneaky hint to get yourself to actually DO it: Tie this activity in with some enjoyable activity: Laying at the beach, sitting in a bath or in front of a cozy fire.
3) Schedule in your shopping trip. Fun hint: Make THIS activity fun by getting sloppy staggering drunk before you go. (Kidding!!!)
4) The last step to schedule in is, of course, time in the kitchen, making stuff. Two ways to make this less of a chore: First, listen to cool stuff (on your iPod or whatever). You can even listen to inspirational and educational health podcasts and so on. Here’s a link to a site with tons of free interview podcasts. I recommend Gabriel Cousens, Lindsey Duncan, Patricia Bragg, Robert Marshall, Douglas Graham, Andreas Moritz and Annie Jubb.
http://www.oneradionetwork.com/health_-_podcasts/
The other way to get yourself to work (play) in the kitchen is, gasp, put a TV in there and rent a fun show or movie to watch while you chop and stuff. Hey, whatever works!
