It's late evening, the kids are in bed and you are unwinding after a long, stressful day at work. You're flipping through the channels on TV and find a show that captures your attention for an hour, but every commercial seems geared towards food. Even though you just ate 2 hours ago, the clips of pizzas with multiple toppings and cheese-filled crusts or the batter-fried chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy are tempting you.

The show is over and you head into your kitchen to rummage through your fridge. As you swing open the door, is your fridge your friend or foe? Is it filled with an array of colorful in-season fruits that are ripe and juicy? Do you have cut up fresh veggies in clear containers, waiting for snack time? Do you have a tasty dip made from greek yogurt, herbs and spices just begging for dipping? How about a pitcher of filtered water with slices of limes and oranges?

It used to be easy to eat when food was simple. You ate what you grew from the land. Now you have to choose from hundreds, if not thousands of products in huge supermarkets that offer the public whatever it demands. And since we live in such a fast-paced, high-stress society, the public has been demanding quick, easy food. Most of this food equates to processed food filled with preservatives, salt, fat, sugar, and chemicals your grandmother would never recognize and certainly not want to ingest. As much as we'd like to blame the food industry, they would happily increase production of healthy and organic food and at a more reasonable cost if that's what we demanded and if stopped buying processed food. It's all about supply and demand and always has been!

Thirty years ago, when my children were babies, I had to buy healthy food from the "health food store". No grocery stores carried organic or "healthy" food and my grocery bill was huge but the health of my children and myself far outweighed the cost. No, you can go into any grocery chain and buy these foods.

Knowing what foods to buy and keeping your fridge stocked with healthy choices ensures:

• Your success in weight loss
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Eating foods that nourish your body
• Reducing your risk of health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes & cancer
• Boosting your energy

Although eating the "right" foods is important, so is eating food that you like. Food should be enjoyed, so when shopping, choose foods that are good for your body and bring you enjoyment. As you sit down to eat, focus on the food in front of you, eat slowly and savor each bite.

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Grilled Fish With Tropical Relish

Ingredients
4 fish fillets, such as cod or halibut, about 6 oz each
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Relish
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and finely chopped
1 sweet onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon salsa

Instructions
1. Rinse the fish fillets under cold running water and pat them dry
2. Brush them with the olive oil and season them with salt and pepper.
3. Preheat grill or broiler.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the relish: Stir together the mango, onions, peppers, basil, capers, vinegar, and salsa in a bowl.
5. Grill the fish on high heat or broil, about 2 - 3 minutes per side or until desired doneness.
6. Spoon the relish over the grilled or broiled fish.

Serves 4 Per serving: Calories 227,
Fat 9 g,
Saturated fat 1 g (35% of calories from fat)
Protein 36.5 g,
Carbohydrate 13 g,
Cholesterol 54 mg,
Fiber 2 g
From Dr. Andrew Weil Balanced Living Newsletter

By Jan Hempstead

Jan Hempstead, RN and Certified Health Coach, is founder of Inspired Health Coaching. Her practice is dedicated to improving the lifestyles of her clients through transforming their health with a process that will assist individuals with both achieving and sustaining optimal health. Services include One-on-One coaching and Group Tele-classes. Call 1-888-963-9963 for a complimentary exploratory session. Visit Jan's web site to sign up for her free email newsletter.

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