Ready? Set? Go!

While sitting at the dinner table, I often think about my Southern roots. I stare at my plate of quinoa, nestled next to colorful vegetables sautéed in olive oil with fresh herbs and spices, and I sometimes wonder how I got here.

I’m a Southern girl, from the heart of Dixie. I grew up on a steady diet of meat and potatoes. Vegetables, if they existed on my plate at all, were generally cooked to within an inch of their life. It's difficult to envision these colorless, soulless portions of carbs and animal fat unless you've visited a restaurant south of the Mason-Dixon Line. If you have, you know exactly what I’m talkin’ about

Even with all the media surrounding our nation's declining health, and increasingly foolproof evidence that the American food "culture" is the primary cause of that decline, I don't see many in this country changing their deep-seated habits anytime soon. We are just biologically engineered to love fat, sugar and salt. It’ll take baby steps to make progress.

So, I start to think about the baby steps I’ve taken in my adult years while learning about more healthy food choices. In two decades, I went from the typical Southerner to a Fairfield County foodie. When I moved to the Northeast many years ago, I went into a mild state of culture shock. American fast food was far less ubiquitous here. The European influences in the New York area exposed me to previously unknown alternatives for my meal options. And the one advantage to being in such a densely populated area of the country was that the population allowed for these alternatives to thrive. I recognize it now as the first step in my whole food education.

Then I learned to cook.

Then I grew my first garden. It was disastrous, of course. But through the adventure, I still learned a bit more about what belongs on my plate.

As I matured, I traveled to international destinations and witnessed a food culture that went beyond just eating to survive. It was relationship centered. Food was at the heart of the community. People feasted, and were joyous in their feasts. And I realized the value of eating to live.

I now embrace a personal belief system: Food is medicine. It is the Spice of Life. Good food just makes everything about life more enjoyable.

My colleague and friend, Lisa Corrado, recently helped me reach the next level of my food education. She's a nutritionist here in New Canaan, and has developed a whole foods-based nutritional program called, "Ready, Set, Go! Detox!" Now, I've never really been a believer in detox programs. Perhaps, it's ignorance, but my theory was always that the sudden change in eating habits shocks your system, causing more damage than good. (I'm willing to admit I may be rationalizing the "need" for maintaining my toxic consumption habits of ice cream, chocolate and cheese).

I had looked into the trend of detox diets before, even purchasing the programs! But I never committed to anything. In the end, I thought, protein shakes don't seem very appetizing; let alone a joyous experience to share with friends and family.

Luckily, through the experience of Lisa's Ready, Set, Go! Detox! program, I learned how to minimize foods that she refers to as "noisy" foods. These are sugary sweets, baked goods, caffeine, alcohol, and the number one agent of evil: high fructose corn syrup. The idea is to gradually decrease these types of food, while increasing other foods that truly serve your body's nutritional needs. The program isn’t about protein shakes and supplements to sustain you. Just whole foods. Whole - healthy - food you can easily feast upon with family and friends. That's a detox program I can support!

Does the thought of removing all your favorite things from your diet sound like torture? Yeah, I thought so, too. But Lisa keeps you motivated with daily encouragement, wonderful easy-to-make recipes, and interesting facts about how our food supply affects our energy. I also appreciated the support of other detoxers in the program as well, some of whose comments made me laugh out loud most days. I didn’t feel so isolated knowing others were on a bumpy learning curve, too.

Check it out and consider whether it's a good move for you and your family. She has a new group starting September 25th.

Get Ready, Set, Go!