What do you eat in February?  I find that this time of year can create a lack of motivation in the kitchen. Fresh produce is hard to come by, the fascination with root veggies has diminished, and freezer reserves can be low. This can lead to using more processed foods, which can cause all sorts of problems (ie. weight gain, sugar swings, headaches, aches and pains).   Does this sound familiar?

Spring will be here soon with a variety of fresh foods to inspire.  In the meantime, an easy way to improve your health and immune system is to use less highly processed foods.  Minimizing snack foods with ingredient lists the length of the package, and decreasing foods with high fructose corn syrup, monosodium glutamate (MSG), hydrogenated oils, and aspartame could do your body well. This does not mean that you need to avoid sweet and salty, just go for the version with “real” ingredients instead of the one that is full of chemicals.

I went to a friend’s house for dinner the other night and they had a mug that said “I prefer butter to margarine, because I trust cows more than chemists”.   If you head in the direction of whole foods instead of highly processed foods, your body will more easily shed the pounds and your immune system will thank you.