Dear Dr. Cutler,

I am a slightly overweight woman in my sixties and I’ve come to realize that I need to consume a more nutritious diet and lose some weight for my health’s sake. But I crave milk and meat products, and I can’t afford expensive ingredients for time-consuming dishes. Are there nutritious foods that don’t cost a fortune and don’t take all day to prepare?

—Karla K.

Dear Karla,

It’s best to start putting nutritious foods in your body, but the complete solution is not that simple. In each of your cells is the memory of your experiences and feelings—so the enjoyment of certain foods is retained even if these foods are bad for you. Your cells memorize that fats from cheese, milk and meat “feel” good and the pattern of feeling satisfied physiologically and tying this to emotional satisfaction produces a powerful cycle to fill these memorized desires in your body.

However, you can definitely break that cycle if you’re ready to seriously take on the challenge. To do so, you should first cleanse your body of toxins from synthetic and refined foods, sugars, chemicals and preservatives. The next step is replacing unhealthy dietary choices with tasty whole foods that you can prepare inexpensively at home. This process will take about 90 days to retrain your body and mind, while you also revamp the space in your pantry and refrigerator.

For this eating style to remain permanently enjoyable, you’ll have to look for new ways of planning meals, shopping for food, preparing and enjoying food and even sharing your new knowledge with your friends and family. You might also benefit from a health coach to talk to each week about your progress and to answer any questions you may have.

If you follow these guidelines, you’ll see that they can be fun, easy and may change your life forever.

All the best!
Michael Cutler, M.D.