By Cathy Wilson
Guest Columnist

Are you getting through the holidays by saying to yourself that “on Jan. 2 I’m going to start taking control of my health and get back on track with what I’m eating?”

Good, glad to hear it; we all need to take control after the holidays.

Let’s not get crazy and think you can do it all on day one because as we know New Year resolutions tend to go by the wayside in February and that is not what we want.

When I say “‘look for small sustainable changes” you must understand that it does not mean french fries, cokes and hot fudge sundaes are okay for now as long as you give up cake.

Whether you are 45 or 85 right now, eating healthfully will make a positive change to your body. Even if you feel well, it doesn’t mean things are going well inside.

A cheeseburger and tater tots can make you feel good, but you know darn well they aren’t the healthiest choices you can make and in order to be healthy, you need the healthy choices 95% of the time.

Ultra-processed food are 50% of dietary intake in the U.S. which means 50% of food intake is junk.

Let’s start right there — get rid of the ultra-processed foods. No drive-through meals or lunch meat for starters.

If you make chicken, use a moist cooking method instead of frying or broiling. Sauté it in water or broth or bake it. Don’t gasp when I say reduce meat intake to one meal a day. It’s bad on the arteries, it’s inflammatory, and it’s not raised as it once was, but the majority comes from concentrated animal feeding operations. Reducing or eliminating meat should be replaced with whole-foods, not junk foods.

Plan it out: eating well takes planning. Stock up on items that you can use in multiple ways. Look to fill your meals with

• Greens Beans.

• Fruit.

• Vegetables.

• Whole grains.

Your taste buds change when you continue to eat healthfully, seriously, they do. You will crave the fresh tastes and it will be fun to concoct meals. If it’s a whole food, eat it. A goal would be to eat 200 different foods a week. That sounds difficult but think about a salad or home-made vegetable soup; I throw everything into those.

Make your plan to get rid of animal foods, eggs and dairy in 2024 and replace them with nutritious foods that reduce the cycle of symptoms, doctors, pills so you can enjoy the years ahead.

Cat Wilson lives in South Bend and transitioned from a vegetarian diet to eating a plant-based diet over two years ago. She may be contacted at [email protected].