Cooking in the Lite

Cooking in the Lite is a unique concept. It is not a diet. It is a way of life and an expression of the love you have for yourself. It is a healthy amalgamation of many "diets" that can really help you lose weight, maintain health, regain energy and function mentally and physically at peak performance levels.

The principle behind it is simple: avoid sugar, limit carbohydrates and minimize fat. And it is all easier and quicker than you might think and easier to maintain.

The reason behind Cooking in the Lite is one of those synchronistic paths that life leads you down. A conversation with my naturopath about nutrition and maintaining health and energy optimums, led me to researching how certain food substances metabolize in the body. Carbohydrates turn to sugar. Sugar from carbs or from sugars, create a cycle in the body that sends it into a yo-yo metabolism. Sugar gives a quick burst of energy and when that energy is depleted, you need another quick fix; it's almost like a narcotic. To top that off I discovered through conversations with a variety of health care professionals that sugar feeds a variety of illnesses including diabetes and high blood pressure. But, I was absolutely dumbfounded to find out that cancer thrives on sugar.

After the initial shock of thinking, "Oh my God, I'm stuck with vegetables forever," and "I miss my sweets," and "I hate diets," I began getting creative in the kitchen. I truly believed that I could reinvent the foods we were used to eating and, with the help of our homeopath/naturopath, Dr. Hale Aldren, I began by building a list of what was good and what was not.

In the beginning this new way of preparing food was about maintaining health. My husband, Lee, began dropping a couple of pounds a week. I never get on a scale but I recognized that my clothes were beginning to feel a bit baggy. I could see the difference in both of our faces. Not only were we losing weight but our complexions were beginning to glow and radiate health.

We began sharing with friends what was physically resulting from the alternative eating program. Lee has lost 25 pounds, is now maintaining his weight and has more energy than he has had in years. I have no idea what I have lost, but I know that I feel better and tire less frequently throughout the day. When we told Shirley, she became very interested and supportive and has been eating in the lite ever since.

You might be thinking, "I don't have time to cook." I have to respond to that by asking if you have time to live? That is blunt, but it is true. Almost 70% of the population is overweight or obese. These two common issues affecting both adults and children are currently the cause of more illness than anything else, even cigarette smoking. Type 2 diabetes, pulmonary problems, high blood pressure, arthritis, osteoporosis, cardio-vascular problems, and various forms of cancer have all been linked to excessive weight. The preventative benefits to your health, the maintenance of your health, and in some cases the reversal of painful illnesses can actually be helped along by Cooking in the Lite.

As for time—I am one of those that thought, "How will I make time?"—I'm CEO of Shirley's site, have a family, friends, pets, a house to clean, a yard to work in, laundry to do, etc., etc. etc. I'm no different than you. Then I realized that time isn't really the issue. The problem was, "What do I make?" We all tend to fall into the rut of making the same dishes over and over again. Cooking in the Lite can help remedy that with simple, but healthy dishes. Sometimes we might get a bit extravagant, but that is part of playing in the kitchen. We are taking the work out of the kitchen for you because we are constantly experimenting with new mouth-watering recipes and tasty treats that will make your life in the kitchen and at the table easy, healthy and lite.