Health Quest III: On the Offensive
Now that your metabolic defenses are up, it's time to go on the attack. Cook your own food, sharpen your knife skills, and build a playbook that beats ultra-processed foods at their own game.
Now that you have strengthened your metabolic defenses, choosing how to fuel your body will be up to you. Although ultra-processed foods are designed to be more appealing than natural foods, which can make your food choices more challenging, all is not lost! Instead of letting a machine cook your food, how about you do it instead?
DIY and lose weight
People who cook their food at least 7 times a week actually eat less energy from ultra-processed foods compared to people who cook less than twice a week. And people who spend more than 90 minutes a week cooking eat less ultra-processed energy. The kitchen, it turns out, is one of the most underrated weapons in the metabolic war.
Sharpen your skills
Now you're going to need some skills to do this, so part of your battle training should be on knife skills. Seriously. Culinary skills in general tend to come right along with eating more fruits and vegetables, better foods overall, and reduced ultra-processed intake. If cooking feels intimidating and you don't know where to start, there are many beginner-friendly resources available online. Websites like Tasty and BBC Good Food, and YouTube channels such as Basics with Babish and America's Test Kitchen offer simple step-by-step videos on knife skills and easy recipes. Local community centers and some grocery stores also sometimes offer basic cooking classes. According to a recent article in Total Force Kitchen, certain strategies can help you become more efficient in the kitchen and make mealtime preparation less time-consuming.
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Your playbook for success
A. Cook large batches on Saturday.
Meals you batch-cook on the weekend can last throughout the week. Homemade "convenience foods" are generally much healthier than UPFs. If you struggle with energy or time, try prepping basics like pre-chopped veggies, overnight oats, or rotisserie chicken that require minimal effort during busy weekdays. Even keeping a few healthy frozen meals or low-sodium canned soups on hand can help when cooking just isn't an option. Choose recipes that come together in under 15 minutes, or that can be made in a single pot or sheet pan to minimize cleanup and prep. Remember, even small shortcuts count, simply washing and portioning out fruit or assembling snack boxes for the week can make healthy eating much easier when you're tired or short on time.
B. Build a rotation of simple recipes.
Learn some simple recipes that you can use on a regular basis and rotate them through a regular schedule. Or practice your culinary skills until you don't need recipes in the first place, until you can instinctively look into your pantry and figure out what you're going to make that night without much cognitive load.
C. Make it a team effort.
Involve more than just one person in preparing food. Make this a team effort so everyone has a say and everyone has "skin in the game." Working together as a team means less stress for one person and better outcomes for everyone in the family.
Former military, strength athlete, and physician who rebuilt his own health after struggling with weight through training and residency. Dr. James writes about the real causes of chronic disease and what it actually takes to fix them.
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