Fitness Carter

Friday, November 29, 2013

Author seeks to make healthy eating a breeze - Quad City Times

Healthy eating might seem like a challenge to some people, but Michael Edmonds is on a mission to make it easier.


Edmonds, of Muscatine, is the author of "Healthy Eating Made Easy," which was published this past spring. The book is a straightforward explanation of how to eat, and cook, nutritionally sound foods.


"My book is meant to be a more instructional teaching-type guide," he explained. "You have to want to learn. But if you do, it is very practical, and, in an effective way, teaches readers about healthy eating."


It includes 12 research-based steps that a reader can take to achieve better nutrition. There are charts and graphs as illustrations and a self-test at the end of most chapters.


Edmonds is a swine nutrition expert in Muscatine, but he loves to cook and bake, and he gives public talks on healthy eating in his free time.


He'd love to speak to groups in the Quad-Cities, noting that his speeches last 30 to 45 minutes and are followed by question-answer sessions. He hopes to be invited to speak to women's clubs, educational organizations, and agencies interested in health and nutrition.


Edmonds endorses the government nutrition guidelines, including the federal Choose My Plate (ChooseMyPlate.gov) initiative. The campaign was launched in 2011 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as an easy way for consumers to make healthier food choices.


There are several features in the book endorsed by experts. For example, George Fahey, a professor at the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, wrote the book's introduction. Edmonds has a master's degree from Illinois.


Fahey appreciates the book's emphasis on nutrition, health, weight management and physical exercise interactions that are "so critical to human health in today's world," he writes in the introduction.


In his book, Edmonds explains various food groups and how they impact appetite. He also provides definitions of often-confusing terms.


He goes over the benefits of exercise and talks about the reasons why people on a diet may not lose weight. Suggestions on how to lose weight most effectively are listed as well.


There are more than 100 tips in the book telling readers what to eat, what to avoid and why to make those decisions.


Edmonds endorses food items that are lower in sodium, fats and trans fats. One whole chapter deals with vitamins and minerals.


He appreciates fresh produce, including fresh meat, which, he said, is lower in sodium.


Edmonds began work on his book in 2008 and estimates that it represents some 700 hours of effort on his part. It includes 23 recipes, all chosen for their flavor and nutritional value. Nutritional information is attached to each one.


"I'm very gratified by my book," he said. "I had a lot of support from family and friends on the project."


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