Welcome to Crunchtime. Because you’re hungry and don’t have much time, let’s make this quick.
york-family-201-1Hi, I’m Sherri andlive in LA with my kids Kendall (22), Griffin (16) and Dan (50+). Like many people, I struggle to give my family healthy-ish food, without having to prep all day or without eliciting screams of complaints. We’d all like to be eatingIn ‘n Out burgers andcandy bars for dinner, but they seem to understand thata kale salad and roasted salmon is better.Could be living in LA with our abundant produce, or maybe it’s my relentless diatribes of how clean food makes them feel good, putting it into terms they prefer like – good hair, good sleep and superior muscle definition worthy of a snap story. Truth is, they’re rarelysick (knocking on wood), sleep soundly, and seem happy, laughing, despite stressful lives.
But for a working mom, preparing fresh, clean meals presents a challenge when packaged foods are just a microwave button a way. So I looked for ways and sources who could help me be more efficient and but still extend thefruits of my labor. I pray to the vacuum-sealing gods nightly, convince myself thatchopping is therapy, and repurpose leftovers into next meal ingredients or even same-meal rebranded as “diner’s choice”.
When I come across a great idea from research or books or the blogosphere, I try to share it with you here. Sometimes the food here will be easy, sometimes more involved but worth the effort, sometimes it gets us to try new foods. Thank you for spending time and hope you will share your ideas with me.

Dr. April I am thrilled to have guest posts by my friend and esteemed Seattle Cardiologist, Dr. April Otero.

More from Dr. April…My official job title is: cardiologist-scientist-mother of two-wife of a man who ate no vegetables until I met him. And yes I DO wear pearls with my scrubs! I became interested in educating folk about the link between food and heart disease when I became a cardiologist and was instantly bombarded with questions about “what can I eat?” Being a total geek, I went to the scientific literature to look for an answer and was struck by a plethora of papers with two contradictory conclusions: 1) people that eat a diet rich in vegetables, whole grains, and fish have less cardiovascular disease 2) feeding people specific vitamin/antioxidant/whatever that were extracted from those foods did NOTHING to reduce cardiovascular disease. At the same time I was teaching myself to cook these same foods-mostly from countries associated with the “Mediterranean diet”. This experience led me to conclude that food cannot be distilled into a pill-it is real food itself, eaten as our ancestors did that is the “magic bullet” against modern heart disease.

Of course that manifesto is all well and good as an academic. The real challenge is translating it into a real life with two working parents who get home after 6pm, an 11 yo who loves raw oysters but refuses pasta and a wild card 7 yo whose favorite word is “no.” To spread the word that “if I can do it so can you!” I’ve given lots of lectures locally with the American Heart Association and written recipes down for patients in clinic. I’m eager to spread the word further and share the science behind the food. Knowledge is power so prepare yourself when you children expound to their friends on the benefits of fatty fish. I also want to know about YOU and your challenges. Together, we can build a healthier life for ourselves and those we love.