March 4, 2024 • 23 mins
Ready to conquer the kitchen chaos and give your family's meals a nutritious makeover? Join me, as I team up with the inspiring Dr. Sandra Luyindula, lovingly known as Dr. L, to unravel the art of meal prepping for the busiest of bees. In a candid chat, Dr. L spills her secrets on whipping up a week's worth of delicious, healthy meals without breaking a sweat, all while keeping everyone's taste buds dancing. Together, we tackle how to make mealtime a breeze, getting your little ones on board with school lunches they'll be buzzing about, and seamlessly blending fresh and frozen options to keep both the flavor and the nutrients buzzing.
But wait, there's more! We're not just tossing ingredients at you; we're serving up a feast of advice on smart meal planning and savvy grocery shopping that can turn your weekly food run into a walk in the park. From navigating the maze of online shopping apps to reinventing those convenient store-bought baby foods with a wholesome twist, we cover it all. Plus, we sink our teeth into the organic vs. non-organic debate, dishing out guidance on how to balance the scales of health and budget for your family. So, tie on your aprons and tune in for a heart-to-heart with two physician moms who are passionate about nurturing healthy families, one meal at a time.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (00:00):
Hello parents, welcome to another episode of
Brain Power with Dr.
Eko.
I have a wonderful guest withus today, dr Sandra Luyindula.
I hope I said your name right,if I didn't miscorrect me.
Well, I'm going to let herintroduce herself, because she's
an amazing, amazing doctor inNorth Carolina and I want her to
do justice to her introduction.
(00:21):
So, without further ado,welcome to the show, dr Sandra.
Hello.
Dr. L (00:25):
How are you, Dr.
Eko?
So I'm Dr Sandra Luyindula.
They call me Dr L.
I do have a license in NorthCarolina.
I'm merely practice in SouthCarolina, also in Georgia and
Indiana, I am a family medicineand lifestyle medicine physician
here in South Carolina and witha touch of aesthetics and
(00:46):
weight management.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (00:48):
Wonderful.
So, people, if you're lookingfor an amazing doctor, and look
no further, here she is.
So we're going to chat today astwo mommies who also happen to
be physicians, who also need tokeep our kids and ourselves and
our entire family, eatinghealthy, and we're going to
(01:10):
break down easy ways for us todo that.
Because guess what Dr L wasjust doing before she came on?
She was meal prepping, andthat's perfect time for us to
talk about what she's doing.
You know, it's so natural.
So, Dr.
L, tell us.
Dr. L (01:28):
How do you put?
Dr. Hokehe Eko (01:29):
mommies, meal prepping.
You know this thing called mealprepping and it sounds so like
out there.
So let's break it down to theEven though it's milk.
Dr. L (01:40):
Meal prepping always gets me in trouble, but I love
to cook, right.
But even if you don't, it'spretty easy.
So I'm married, I have threechildren under the age of 10.
And so that means it makes forbusy days and so having your
private practice my spouse alsoworks Coming home and trying to
(02:00):
figure out what to cook fordinner every single day.
It's not ideal.
So first we're spending an houron the floor to try to decide
what do you want to eat, and thekids decide something else, and
then we have to go shop for it.
That's another hour, hour and ahalf Then just to come home to
find that you forgot theingredients that you need for
this new recipe You're magicallytrying to make that evening.
(02:20):
So that's not going to work.
So in my house, what we'vealways we haven't said it a long
time ago to milk prep, and itwas just.
It wasn't just for the kids, itwas for us, and as we're coming
home from work, we just didn'twant to cook every night.
And so when you hear milkprepping, people think, oh, I
just cut the ingredients and Iput it in the fridge and then I
mix it as I go.
That's not what we do.
So I actually cook a full mealand I will cook small amount of
(02:45):
multiple sides.
So my son loves Spanish rice,so I will make him Spanish rice
today.
I started, I didn't finish ityet.
My husband loves seafood, so doI.
So I meet seafood, basil, andthat is a small quantity just to
last us a day or two becauseit's seafood, but make a lot of
veggies or squash, but notsquash, broccoli, zucchini.
(03:05):
So we'll make that and it's ameat on the side so that on the
days when the kids come fromschool they want lunch I know
they have lunch because mom anddad are still working most of
those days and then the dinner.
We don't have to worry about it.
But it's not so much that theyhave to eat the broccoli and the
chicken every single night.
(03:26):
It's more lunch to eat broccoliand chicken, maybe dinner they
want to eat banana, squash andshrimp, whatever it is that they
want to eat.
So we make a small quantity ofa lot of meals so that each of
us can choose whatever you wantto eat.
So it's not boring and it takesme about three hours, three to
four hours.
I can meal prep for a family offive for the whole week and
(03:49):
that's very helpful.
It sounds like a lot but it'sdoable and it's time saving
during the week and we take abreak.
So if during the week the kidswant something else, we'll take
a break in there and getsomething eat out or bring it in
order out and they will havethat as a break.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (04:04):
Okay, wow, I really like that idea.
So the way I meal prep is makelarge amounts of food and like
freeze and I like this idea ofsmall meals.
So do you ever freeze?
Or everything is in the fridge?
Dr. L (04:20):
So I most of it is in the fridge.
But once I make like, I havecertain vegetables that take so
long to make, so refried beans,for example.
If I want to have refried beans, that process takes so long and
so I would make a large potwhen I say large I mean a big
pot and then I will refry it, Iwill seal it and then put those
(04:44):
in the freezer so on those dayswhere we want it, we can just
take one bag and pour it andthen eat it.
So if it's something that takesme very long time to make and
some of the traditional Africanfood can take a long time to
make then I will pre-stow, butin general the better not squash
the broccoli and such.
It's just a quick one and sothat's smaller, not only in the
(05:06):
fridge.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (05:07):
Wow, I like that .
So how did you come up with themenu?
Like what's the easiest way youfound to come up with the
different things that yourfamily will eat that you can
make at a go?
Dr. L (05:21):
It began with what we like to eat, that when the kids
started going to school andhaving lunch at school, I will
have a note like hey, your sonreally love this lunch.
He ate it.
Well, your daughter reallyloved it.
So we started incorporatingwhat they really loved from
school lunches at times whenthey eat at school, to add to
the menu.
And then I just have somestaple stuff I know my youngest
(05:44):
one loves he will eat peas, sothat's a staple meal that will
rotate every two weeks or so andthen I will have peas one week
and then I'll have green peasthe other week.
And even when we had to makebaby food, same thing, just so
that they don't get so tired andbored.
But there are some things thatare made every week because they
don't get tired of it and,honestly, it's a lifesaver, so
(06:07):
it's a backup.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (06:08):
I love it, so it sounds like we mummies just
need to take some me time, sayan hour or less, and sit down
and maybe list out the foodsthat your kids like and that you
like and then just sort of putit into a sort of a schedule,
like a two week schedule, soit's not like you're eating the
(06:29):
same thing every week.
And then I did those thingsthat are like very stable to
your diet, that you're makingbig amounts and you can freeze,
correct?
Dr. L (06:40):
You got that right.
Yeah, I mean you just sit downmaking this of what you really
truly like, including restaurantfood, right?
Because then when you have timeyou can look at those recipes
and say, oh, my kid really lovebroccoli soup from Panera,
whichever one it is and then youlook at the recipe and make a
small batch and if it's a hit,you know that every so often you
(07:01):
have another meal to add to themenu.
So when I make the staple meals, because I've gotten so used to
it, I can make five, six, sevenat the same time.
I can literally have all ofthem going at the same time.
Yep.
But when I'm having new recipeto learn, that takes longer, so
I don't make new recipes.
(07:21):
I don't make more than one ortwo new recipes a week because
it will take me too long.
So I will make my staple mealsreally quick and I have a medium
extra hour to learn a newrecipe if I need to.
If it's a hit, then I master itand I keep going.
I incorporate it into myrotation.
But honestly, sometimes youdon't even have to have a
rotation because some daysduring the week you can eat out
(07:44):
or you can order out If I don'thave to spend an hour, two hours
every night cooking.
That's an hour, two hours thatI can spend with my family once
I get home.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (07:51):
Right, oh, I love it, I love it.
I'm so glad we're having thisconversation because it
definitely impacts us as parentsmore than we even think.
So let's talk about shopping.
So what are some tips, as alifestyle medicine doctor, that
you would give visit mummies anddads for buying nutritious
(08:11):
foods and actually just keepingtrack, because I too have found
that sometimes I'll go to thestore, even with my list that
maybe I didn't quite fully puttogether, and then I'll come
back and I'm like, oh my god,and I fight things.
So tell us what you found thathelps you create, do an
appropriate shopping for yourdad.
Dr. L (08:34):
So I have always been an online shopper and COVID just
made it very convenient for meand so because more stores were
offering online shopping, so Ididn't have to go.
But in general I have two orthree stores.
I know what food I get fromeach of them, so I know that my
(08:57):
fresh produce I get from thisparticular store.
So if it's either Trader Joe'sor Walmart or Aldi or Lidl or
Publix, I know which food I getfrom each store.
So every week when we go to theapp we started either Wednesday
or Thursday my husband and Ijust opened the app and we asked
each other what would you liketo eat this week and just if
(09:20):
there's anything additional.
But because I've used the appso many times, my previous
orders are already there.
So what I have to do is justreorder what I want for that
week, and that helps me.
It makes it very easy.
So I just go to the store, pickup or, better yet, sometimes,
if you reach a certain amount,they deliver for you, so then
(09:42):
I'll just have the fooddelivered.
So anytime I get home onThursday or Friday afternoon, my
food has arrived and it's inthe fridge so early in the
morning, sometimes before thekids even get up.
Then Saturday or late Fridaynight I can meal prep.
I can start at little at thetime.
If I have to season something,then I can do it Friday and let
it sit overnight and it's readyto cook for the next day.
(10:05):
So online shopping has been mybest and easy thing for me to do
.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (10:10):
I like that.
You organized so much that Imean you can even go to the
store using what's on your appalready.
You don't even need an extralist.
If you just go on your favoriteCorrect, you will go through
faster Correct.
But there's multiple waysdepending on what you like to do
.
Dr. L (10:26):
Well, even if you don't want to order, you just go to
your app and still read order.
It puts it in your cart.
So that's what my husband and Iwill do.
Sometimes it puts it in ourcart, especially like if we're
looking for a pickup or deliverytime that's not available, we
still order to put it in ourcart.
Then one of us will run to thestore and go through the cart
and delete as we go.
(10:47):
So as you pick what you want onyour list, you just take it out
and you in and out, and thatalso helps minimize the
overspending and buying theextra stuff that you don't need
and you won't use and that willspoil Right.
Also, sometimes going to thestore help us with brand new
ideas.
Hey, we've been eating thissquash for so long.
Can we get this spaghettisquash this time?
(11:08):
So it helped us switch a littlebit, add some variety to the
diet, but in general, you haveso many options that you can
pick from.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (11:17):
I love that.
That's something I did when Iwas making baby food.
I would go to the baby sectionand take pictures of the
mixtures that they had and theygo home and recreate it so that
you can even do even with thepackage meals that are full of
sodium and not good for you.
Sure, just go look at themixtures for ideas and go
recreate it at home.
(11:38):
Correct, ok.
So we've talked about shopping.
We've talked about how we getthe meals that we are going to
cook.
So I did teach your patientsabout the food groups, right,
how to eat balanced meals,because we hear a lot about the
eat balanced meals.
What exactly does that evenmean?
Dr. L (11:56):
For me as a physician.
Usually I tell them what evergrows from the ground, start
there, eat that, because chancesare you know it's whole food
and whole grain chant most ofthe time, and then you can still
enjoy the apple stuff.
So I teach laughter medicine.
The emphasis is on plant-basedwhole food.
(12:17):
But there are many patients whoare not ready to become vegan
or vegetarian.
And that's OK, right.
You just heard me say I madeseafood in my house because I do
love seafood.
So if I wanted, I would cook itand I would eat it.
And that's for me and that's asimple approach to my patients.
If they're not ready, we goslowly and ask them OK, you eat
(12:39):
meat seven times a week.
Can we decrease that a littlebit?
Can we decrease that maybe tofive times a week?
And then we go, instead ofeating it three times a day, can
we do it two times a day, thenone time a day, and then we make
progressive changes.
When the patient sees thattheir health is getting better,
the arthritis is getting better,they don't have as much
inflammation they notice oh, myskin is looking better.
(13:02):
All of that is more motivationfor them to even push harder.
But it doesn't mean that theyshouldn't enjoy the food,
because when I become toorestrictive, it's when they give
up, and so the approach isusually individualized.
It's slow.
What do you want to achieve?
These are the conditions youhave.
This is what you need toeliminate to see better
(13:24):
improvement.
So how do we get there?
So we make small, attainablegoals with them until they reach
them, one at a time.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (13:31):
Yeah, absolutely .
I agree.
There's the tiny habits that Idon't, consistently over time.
That's what bringstransformation.
It's not the big, massive goalthat you are not going to do.
So, if you put water and I tellpeople, the brain needs the most
water in the body.
So how do we start?
Just drink one extra glass ofwater a day, that's all, and
(13:54):
just do that every week and thenin two weeks you can add
another glass of water.
But I also like that youpointed out that we don't have
to be so restrictive.
I mean within reason.
If you like seafood, you eatthat once in a while, but don't
go eating deep fried seafoodevery day.
Dr. L (14:12):
So we educate on how to cook it right, absolutely so.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (14:16):
do you also pack the foods in like lunch
containers already, like afteryou do the meal prep?
Dr. L (14:23):
No, because remember, this morning I have made five
meals already, five dishesalready.
They will go in either theglass parricks container, the
big ones, and just with a lid,so that if you want the Spanish
rice but you don't want refriedbeans and you want pinto beans,
(14:45):
you can actually dish out yourrice and your pinto beans by
yourself.
I don't have to pack it just incontainer because you may not
want broccoli that day, you wantbut not squash, so you package
it.
However you wanted the daybefore, so for me to take my
lunch to work.
As I serve myself dinner thenight before, I'll do my very
best to put whatever I want inthe lunch box, in my lunch
(15:06):
container for tomorrow, based onwhat I think I want to eat
tomorrow.
So I put in just big containersand everyone will just take
whatever they want, includingthe kids.
They'll tell you can I havethis, this and that?
And then you just take the bigcontainers out and then you
serve them and then they eat andwe find that when we give them
the option, they tend to eat itfaster and better than me
(15:29):
mandating what they need to eatNow, when they can't bake the
healthy choices.
They don't have any veggie onthe plate, then we mandate the
veggie on the plate and theyhave to eat it.
But in general when we ask them, what do you want, we find that
it's better they eat it attheir own pace and they enjoy
(15:50):
the food, so then it's not sorestrictive.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (15:53):
Yes, that's so important because it gives them
a sense of ownership over theirtum and their brains and them
knowing they are eating goodfood.
That will help them growstronger and just love it.
Yeah, that's wonderful to teachthem that they have options,
healthy options.
Dr. L (16:13):
And some autonomy right, so that you can choose and
sometimes they choose somethingoff the menu Like I want pasta
to them.
I don't have pasta but it takes10 minutes to make pasta.
So that could be like that's anexample of the break during the
week.
We don't order a lot, so thatbreak during the week is they
want pasta, put some hot wateron the stove 10 minutes and they
(16:36):
have the pasta and they willeat it and be proud that the
plate is empty.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (16:40):
Right, yeah, and of course, they will have some
veggies with the pasta.
Wow, herons, I hope that you'relistening to this, that you're
getting some great ideas andseeing how simple it is really.
It's just a matter of making afew changes in how we think
about healthy eating and thatit's not this big, overwhelming
(17:00):
task, because when we see it asa task, then we're less likely
to do it and more likely to shutdown.
But if we see it as you know,we're helping our brains be the
very best versions of I mean,we're helping our brains grow
and be healthy, and that runsour life then we're more likely
to make the good choices.
So, and do you find that youand your husband working
(17:23):
together on making the food listand even the interaction with
what do you want to eat today?
What does it do for yourrelationship?
Dr. L (17:31):
In general, you find more interaction.
So we interact more, makedecisions more about it.
Sometimes it's it becomespillow talk, like you literally
sitting there ordering food, andthat's just another way to have
time together, time tocommunicate a little more and
plan for our family together,because then I have your input
(17:52):
and what you want to see in themenu for the following.
And my husband cooks too.
My husband cooks as well, sothere are certain things that we
know what he's great at andsome other things he's just
gotten lazy at, because he sayshe claims oh, you make it better
.
But I think that his way ofjust kind of escaping that part,
(18:13):
but he's a great cook.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (18:17):
Well, give him grace.
It's OK.
Give him grace, Like I think weall know.
So what's your?
One last tip for parents andfor kids of how they can
incorporate healthy food withoutstress into their lives.
Dr. L (18:31):
One day at a time.
If your kid you put someveggies on the table, there's
really not having.
Yet we substitute with thefruit at the end of dinner for
dessert, right?
So your dessert today will bean apple.
Your dessert today will begrapes.
So just incorporate some fiberfood full of antioxidants, right
?
So we get some raspberries orblackberries added on to their
(18:53):
diet.
Really, take it easy.
Learn to learn to know what thekids love and what you love.
And it's a day at a time.
Don't make it too complicated.
Don't force feedback on any ofthem Although some of them they
need it at times, but it makesit less enjoyable.
(19:13):
So, one day at a time.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (19:17):
Yep, I agree.
I just thought of one lastquestion.
So what is your take on organicversus inorganic?
Or yeah, that can be a wholeother podcast, can't you?
Dr. L (19:28):
Yeah, that's a whole other podcast.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (19:30):
OK so let's table that we will come back for
the podcast.
Dr. L (19:35):
We'll come back.
Just a quick answer to that DoI buy all organic food?
No, I don't.
I have had friends who work atstores and what's labeled
organic is not always organic.
But then I also have some verygood friends who grow their food
for a living right, and sothat's a huge conversation, but
(19:57):
I don't always buy organic foodand, frankly, for some of my
families we can always affordorganic food right Because of
the price tag.
And so then you start talkingabout how do you clean your food
before you prep that right?
If it has any pesticide, how doyou clean it before you even
use it?
And so I wouldn't use that as aas another area to stress if
(20:19):
you cannot get organic food.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (20:21):
Yes, and so just give one tip.
Since now we've talked abouthow do you clean your food,
what's one way I mean we'realready in it what are a couple
of tips on how to clean yourfood appropriately to get the
pesticides off, because that isa huge problem.
I just tested the pesticidelevel was elevated and I was
like weak the second.
(20:42):
So yes, tell the.
Dr. L (20:44):
I can use water and vinegar, just mix water and
vinegar and clean the food outand put it away.
But you also have to be careful.
Certain food you cannot cook, Imean you cannot clean and then
store right, because then itwill spoil.
So, for example, if you put allyour blackberries in water and
then try to store it, that'sgone and so cleaning maybe right
(21:04):
before you eat it.
So usually water and some whitevinegar has been my go to clean
, and they have a lot of otherthings out there that are sold
as organic cleanser for fruitand veggies and all of that.
Apple cider vinegar has beenused as well, so I've used those
in the past.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (21:22):
Okay, and the other tip I would add is for
fruits that, like apples, youcan use like a soft brush with
soft bristles, so like justscrub on the inside of it or
like where the core is andaround it, just to get extra
amounts of the pesticides off ofit.
Do that with those that havethe thicker skin and I found
(21:45):
that even fruits like bananasthat have a thicker skin, you
don't necessarily have to buythose organic because of the
protection it has already.
So, yeah, but definitely staytuned for another podcast on
that.
We can dive into the wholething.
But I hope, parents, that youhad a wonderful time.
(22:06):
I did learn.
I hope you learned as much as Idid, and thank you so much, dr
L, for coming on.
So can you please tell thelisteners where they can find
out more about you and how theycan come join you?
Dr. L (22:19):
So we have.
I have a private practice herein Greenville, South Carolina,
again with licenses in NorthCarolina, georgia, indiana as
well.
So it's called the well MD, t HE W E L L M D and you can find
us at the well MD, the well dashMD dot com on social media.
I am Dr Sandra Luindo, as myname appears on your screen, or
(22:41):
the well dash MD or the well dotMD on Instagram, so feel free
to find us out there.
And then we can also find me onthe well project, which is the
nonprofit branch where weprovide resources to nations in
general.
So that's where you can find me.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (22:58):
Wonderful.
I love what you do, so thankyou, parents.
I hope, as you listen to thisand if you enjoyed, if you have
questions, leave us somequestions, leave us a review.
Please share this with someonein your life that needs to hear
about this, and wishing you awonderful day and see you on the
next episode.
Hello parents, welcome to another episode of
Brain Power with Dr.
Eko.
I have a wonderful guest withus today, dr Sandra Luyindula.
I hope I said your name right,if I didn't miscorrect me.
Well, I'm going to let herintroduce herself, because she's
an amazing, amazing doctor inNorth Carolina and I want her to
do justice to her introduction.
(00:21):
So, without further ado,welcome to the show, dr Sandra.
Hello.
Dr. L (00:25):
How are you, Dr.
Eko?
So I'm Dr Sandra Luyindula.
They call me Dr L.
I do have a license in NorthCarolina.
I'm merely practice in SouthCarolina, also in Georgia and
Indiana, I am a family medicineand lifestyle medicine physician
here in South Carolina and witha touch of aesthetics and
(00:46):
weight management.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (00:48):
Wonderful.
So, people, if you're lookingfor an amazing doctor, and look
no further, here she is.
So we're going to chat today astwo mommies who also happen to
be physicians, who also need tokeep our kids and ourselves and
our entire family, eatinghealthy, and we're going to
(01:10):
break down easy ways for us todo that.
Because guess what Dr L wasjust doing before she came on?
She was meal prepping, andthat's perfect time for us to
talk about what she's doing.
You know, it's so natural.
So, Dr.
L, tell us.
Dr. L (01:28):
How do you put?
Dr. Hokehe Eko (01:29):
mommies, meal prepping.
You know this thing called mealprepping and it sounds so like
out there.
So let's break it down to theEven though it's milk.
Dr. L (01:40):
Meal prepping always gets me in trouble, but I love
to cook, right.
But even if you don't, it'spretty easy.
So I'm married, I have threechildren under the age of 10.
And so that means it makes forbusy days and so having your
private practice my spouse alsoworks Coming home and trying to
(02:00):
figure out what to cook fordinner every single day.
It's not ideal.
So first we're spending an houron the floor to try to decide
what do you want to eat, and thekids decide something else, and
then we have to go shop for it.
That's another hour, hour and ahalf Then just to come home to
find that you forgot theingredients that you need for
this new recipe You're magicallytrying to make that evening.
(02:20):
So that's not going to work.
So in my house, what we'vealways we haven't said it a long
time ago to milk prep, and itwas just.
It wasn't just for the kids, itwas for us, and as we're coming
home from work, we just didn'twant to cook every night.
And so when you hear milkprepping, people think, oh, I
just cut the ingredients and Iput it in the fridge and then I
mix it as I go.
That's not what we do.
So I actually cook a full mealand I will cook small amount of
(02:45):
multiple sides.
So my son loves Spanish rice,so I will make him Spanish rice
today.
I started, I didn't finish ityet.
My husband loves seafood, so doI.
So I meet seafood, basil, andthat is a small quantity just to
last us a day or two becauseit's seafood, but make a lot of
veggies or squash, but notsquash, broccoli, zucchini.
(03:05):
So we'll make that and it's ameat on the side so that on the
days when the kids come fromschool they want lunch I know
they have lunch because mom anddad are still working most of
those days and then the dinner.
We don't have to worry about it.
But it's not so much that theyhave to eat the broccoli and the
chicken every single night.
(03:26):
It's more lunch to eat broccoliand chicken, maybe dinner they
want to eat banana, squash andshrimp, whatever it is that they
want to eat.
So we make a small quantity ofa lot of meals so that each of
us can choose whatever you wantto eat.
So it's not boring and it takesme about three hours, three to
four hours.
I can meal prep for a family offive for the whole week and
(03:49):
that's very helpful.
It sounds like a lot but it'sdoable and it's time saving
during the week and we take abreak.
So if during the week the kidswant something else, we'll take
a break in there and getsomething eat out or bring it in
order out and they will havethat as a break.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (04:04):
Okay, wow, I really like that idea.
So the way I meal prep is makelarge amounts of food and like
freeze and I like this idea ofsmall meals.
So do you ever freeze?
Or everything is in the fridge?
Dr. L (04:20):
So I most of it is in the fridge.
But once I make like, I havecertain vegetables that take so
long to make, so refried beans,for example.
If I want to have refried beans, that process takes so long and
so I would make a large potwhen I say large I mean a big
pot and then I will refry it, Iwill seal it and then put those
(04:44):
in the freezer so on those dayswhere we want it, we can just
take one bag and pour it andthen eat it.
So if it's something that takesme very long time to make and
some of the traditional Africanfood can take a long time to
make then I will pre-stow, butin general the better not squash
the broccoli and such.
It's just a quick one and sothat's smaller, not only in the
(05:06):
fridge.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (05:07):
Wow, I like that .
So how did you come up with themenu?
Like what's the easiest way youfound to come up with the
different things that yourfamily will eat that you can
make at a go?
Dr. L (05:21):
It began with what we like to eat, that when the kids
started going to school andhaving lunch at school, I will
have a note like hey, your sonreally love this lunch.
He ate it.
Well, your daughter reallyloved it.
So we started incorporatingwhat they really loved from
school lunches at times whenthey eat at school, to add to
the menu.
And then I just have somestaple stuff I know my youngest
(05:44):
one loves he will eat peas, sothat's a staple meal that will
rotate every two weeks or so andthen I will have peas one week
and then I'll have green peasthe other week.
And even when we had to makebaby food, same thing, just so
that they don't get so tired andbored.
But there are some things thatare made every week because they
don't get tired of it and,honestly, it's a lifesaver, so
(06:07):
it's a backup.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (06:08):
I love it, so it sounds like we mummies just
need to take some me time, sayan hour or less, and sit down
and maybe list out the foodsthat your kids like and that you
like and then just sort of putit into a sort of a schedule,
like a two week schedule, soit's not like you're eating the
(06:29):
same thing every week.
And then I did those thingsthat are like very stable to
your diet, that you're makingbig amounts and you can freeze,
correct?
Dr. L (06:40):
You got that right.
Yeah, I mean you just sit downmaking this of what you really
truly like, including restaurantfood, right?
Because then when you have timeyou can look at those recipes
and say, oh, my kid really lovebroccoli soup from Panera,
whichever one it is and then youlook at the recipe and make a
small batch and if it's a hit,you know that every so often you
(07:01):
have another meal to add to themenu.
So when I make the staple meals, because I've gotten so used to
it, I can make five, six, sevenat the same time.
I can literally have all ofthem going at the same time.
Yep.
But when I'm having new recipeto learn, that takes longer, so
I don't make new recipes.
(07:21):
I don't make more than one ortwo new recipes a week because
it will take me too long.
So I will make my staple mealsreally quick and I have a medium
extra hour to learn a newrecipe if I need to.
If it's a hit, then I master itand I keep going.
I incorporate it into myrotation.
But honestly, sometimes youdon't even have to have a
rotation because some daysduring the week you can eat out
(07:44):
or you can order out If I don'thave to spend an hour, two hours
every night cooking.
That's an hour, two hours thatI can spend with my family once
I get home.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (07:51):
Right, oh, I love it, I love it.
I'm so glad we're having thisconversation because it
definitely impacts us as parentsmore than we even think.
So let's talk about shopping.
So what are some tips, as alifestyle medicine doctor, that
you would give visit mummies anddads for buying nutritious
(08:11):
foods and actually just keepingtrack, because I too have found
that sometimes I'll go to thestore, even with my list that
maybe I didn't quite fully puttogether, and then I'll come
back and I'm like, oh my god,and I fight things.
So tell us what you found thathelps you create, do an
appropriate shopping for yourdad.
Dr. L (08:34):
So I have always been an online shopper and COVID just
made it very convenient for meand so because more stores were
offering online shopping, so Ididn't have to go.
But in general I have two orthree stores.
I know what food I get fromeach of them, so I know that my
(08:57):
fresh produce I get from thisparticular store.
So if it's either Trader Joe'sor Walmart or Aldi or Lidl or
Publix, I know which food I getfrom each store.
So every week when we go to theapp we started either Wednesday
or Thursday my husband and Ijust opened the app and we asked
each other what would you liketo eat this week and just if
(09:20):
there's anything additional.
But because I've used the appso many times, my previous
orders are already there.
So what I have to do is justreorder what I want for that
week, and that helps me.
It makes it very easy.
So I just go to the store, pickup or, better yet, sometimes,
if you reach a certain amount,they deliver for you, so then
(09:42):
I'll just have the fooddelivered.
So anytime I get home onThursday or Friday afternoon, my
food has arrived and it's inthe fridge so early in the
morning, sometimes before thekids even get up.
Then Saturday or late Fridaynight I can meal prep.
I can start at little at thetime.
If I have to season something,then I can do it Friday and let
it sit overnight and it's readyto cook for the next day.
(10:05):
So online shopping has been mybest and easy thing for me to do
.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (10:10):
I like that.
You organized so much that Imean you can even go to the
store using what's on your appalready.
You don't even need an extralist.
If you just go on your favoriteCorrect, you will go through
faster Correct.
But there's multiple waysdepending on what you like to do
.
Dr. L (10:26):
Well, even if you don't want to order, you just go to
your app and still read order.
It puts it in your cart.
So that's what my husband and Iwill do.
Sometimes it puts it in ourcart, especially like if we're
looking for a pickup or deliverytime that's not available, we
still order to put it in ourcart.
Then one of us will run to thestore and go through the cart
and delete as we go.
(10:47):
So as you pick what you want onyour list, you just take it out
and you in and out, and thatalso helps minimize the
overspending and buying theextra stuff that you don't need
and you won't use and that willspoil Right.
Also, sometimes going to thestore help us with brand new
ideas.
Hey, we've been eating thissquash for so long.
Can we get this spaghettisquash this time?
(11:08):
So it helped us switch a littlebit, add some variety to the
diet, but in general, you haveso many options that you can
pick from.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (11:17):
I love that.
That's something I did when Iwas making baby food.
I would go to the baby sectionand take pictures of the
mixtures that they had and theygo home and recreate it so that
you can even do even with thepackage meals that are full of
sodium and not good for you.
Sure, just go look at themixtures for ideas and go
recreate it at home.
(11:38):
Correct, ok.
So we've talked about shopping.
We've talked about how we getthe meals that we are going to
cook.
So I did teach your patientsabout the food groups, right,
how to eat balanced meals,because we hear a lot about the
eat balanced meals.
What exactly does that evenmean?
Dr. L (11:56):
For me as a physician.
Usually I tell them what evergrows from the ground, start
there, eat that, because chancesare you know it's whole food
and whole grain chant most ofthe time, and then you can still
enjoy the apple stuff.
So I teach laughter medicine.
The emphasis is on plant-basedwhole food.
(12:17):
But there are many patients whoare not ready to become vegan
or vegetarian.
And that's OK, right.
You just heard me say I madeseafood in my house because I do
love seafood.
So if I wanted, I would cook itand I would eat it.
And that's for me and that's asimple approach to my patients.
If they're not ready, we goslowly and ask them OK, you eat
(12:39):
meat seven times a week.
Can we decrease that a littlebit?
Can we decrease that maybe tofive times a week?
And then we go, instead ofeating it three times a day, can
we do it two times a day, thenone time a day, and then we make
progressive changes.
When the patient sees thattheir health is getting better,
the arthritis is getting better,they don't have as much
inflammation they notice oh, myskin is looking better.
(13:02):
All of that is more motivationfor them to even push harder.
But it doesn't mean that theyshouldn't enjoy the food,
because when I become toorestrictive, it's when they give
up, and so the approach isusually individualized.
It's slow.
What do you want to achieve?
These are the conditions youhave.
This is what you need toeliminate to see better
(13:24):
improvement.
So how do we get there?
So we make small, attainablegoals with them until they reach
them, one at a time.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (13:31):
Yeah, absolutely .
I agree.
There's the tiny habits that Idon't, consistently over time.
That's what bringstransformation.
It's not the big, massive goalthat you are not going to do.
So, if you put water and I tellpeople, the brain needs the most
water in the body.
So how do we start?
Just drink one extra glass ofwater a day, that's all, and
(13:54):
just do that every week and thenin two weeks you can add
another glass of water.
But I also like that youpointed out that we don't have
to be so restrictive.
I mean within reason.
If you like seafood, you eatthat once in a while, but don't
go eating deep fried seafoodevery day.
Dr. L (14:12):
So we educate on how to cook it right, absolutely so.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (14:16):
do you also pack the foods in like lunch
containers already, like afteryou do the meal prep?
Dr. L (14:23):
No, because remember, this morning I have made five
meals already, five dishesalready.
They will go in either theglass parricks container, the
big ones, and just with a lid,so that if you want the Spanish
rice but you don't want refriedbeans and you want pinto beans,
(14:45):
you can actually dish out yourrice and your pinto beans by
yourself.
I don't have to pack it just incontainer because you may not
want broccoli that day, you wantbut not squash, so you package
it.
However you wanted the daybefore, so for me to take my
lunch to work.
As I serve myself dinner thenight before, I'll do my very
best to put whatever I want inthe lunch box, in my lunch
(15:06):
container for tomorrow, based onwhat I think I want to eat
tomorrow.
So I put in just big containersand everyone will just take
whatever they want, includingthe kids.
They'll tell you can I havethis, this and that?
And then you just take the bigcontainers out and then you
serve them and then they eat andwe find that when we give them
the option, they tend to eat itfaster and better than me
(15:29):
mandating what they need to eatNow, when they can't bake the
healthy choices.
They don't have any veggie onthe plate, then we mandate the
veggie on the plate and theyhave to eat it.
But in general when we ask them, what do you want, we find that
it's better they eat it attheir own pace and they enjoy
(15:50):
the food, so then it's not sorestrictive.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (15:53):
Yes, that's so important because it gives them
a sense of ownership over theirtum and their brains and them
knowing they are eating goodfood.
That will help them growstronger and just love it.
Yeah, that's wonderful to teachthem that they have options,
healthy options.
Dr. L (16:13):
And some autonomy right, so that you can choose and
sometimes they choose somethingoff the menu Like I want pasta
to them.
I don't have pasta but it takes10 minutes to make pasta.
So that could be like that's anexample of the break during the
week.
We don't order a lot, so thatbreak during the week is they
want pasta, put some hot wateron the stove 10 minutes and they
(16:36):
have the pasta and they willeat it and be proud that the
plate is empty.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (16:40):
Right, yeah, and of course, they will have some
veggies with the pasta.
Wow, herons, I hope that you'relistening to this, that you're
getting some great ideas andseeing how simple it is really.
It's just a matter of making afew changes in how we think
about healthy eating and thatit's not this big, overwhelming
(17:00):
task, because when we see it asa task, then we're less likely
to do it and more likely to shutdown.
But if we see it as you know,we're helping our brains be the
very best versions of I mean,we're helping our brains grow
and be healthy, and that runsour life then we're more likely
to make the good choices.
So, and do you find that youand your husband working
(17:23):
together on making the food listand even the interaction with
what do you want to eat today?
What does it do for yourrelationship?
Dr. L (17:31):
In general, you find more interaction.
So we interact more, makedecisions more about it.
Sometimes it's it becomespillow talk, like you literally
sitting there ordering food, andthat's just another way to have
time together, time tocommunicate a little more and
plan for our family together,because then I have your input
(17:52):
and what you want to see in themenu for the following.
And my husband cooks too.
My husband cooks as well, sothere are certain things that we
know what he's great at andsome other things he's just
gotten lazy at, because he sayshe claims oh, you make it better
.
But I think that his way ofjust kind of escaping that part,
(18:13):
but he's a great cook.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (18:17):
Well, give him grace.
It's OK.
Give him grace, Like I think weall know.
So what's your?
One last tip for parents andfor kids of how they can
incorporate healthy food withoutstress into their lives.
Dr. L (18:31):
One day at a time.
If your kid you put someveggies on the table, there's
really not having.
Yet we substitute with thefruit at the end of dinner for
dessert, right?
So your dessert today will bean apple.
Your dessert today will begrapes.
So just incorporate some fiberfood full of antioxidants, right
?
So we get some raspberries orblackberries added on to their
(18:53):
diet.
Really, take it easy.
Learn to learn to know what thekids love and what you love.
And it's a day at a time.
Don't make it too complicated.
Don't force feedback on any ofthem Although some of them they
need it at times, but it makesit less enjoyable.
(19:13):
So, one day at a time.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (19:17):
Yep, I agree.
I just thought of one lastquestion.
So what is your take on organicversus inorganic?
Or yeah, that can be a wholeother podcast, can't you?
Dr. L (19:28):
Yeah, that's a whole other podcast.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (19:30):
OK so let's table that we will come back for
the podcast.
Dr. L (19:35):
We'll come back.
Just a quick answer to that DoI buy all organic food?
No, I don't.
I have had friends who work atstores and what's labeled
organic is not always organic.
But then I also have some verygood friends who grow their food
for a living right, and sothat's a huge conversation, but
(19:57):
I don't always buy organic foodand, frankly, for some of my
families we can always affordorganic food right Because of
the price tag.
And so then you start talkingabout how do you clean your food
before you prep that right?
If it has any pesticide, how doyou clean it before you even
use it?
And so I wouldn't use that as aas another area to stress if
(20:19):
you cannot get organic food.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (20:21):
Yes, and so just give one tip.
Since now we've talked abouthow do you clean your food,
what's one way I mean we'realready in it what are a couple
of tips on how to clean yourfood appropriately to get the
pesticides off, because that isa huge problem.
I just tested the pesticidelevel was elevated and I was
like weak the second.
(20:42):
So yes, tell the.
Dr. L (20:44):
I can use water and vinegar, just mix water and
vinegar and clean the food outand put it away.
But you also have to be careful.
Certain food you cannot cook, Imean you cannot clean and then
store right, because then itwill spoil.
So, for example, if you put allyour blackberries in water and
then try to store it, that'sgone and so cleaning maybe right
(21:04):
before you eat it.
So usually water and some whitevinegar has been my go to clean
, and they have a lot of otherthings out there that are sold
as organic cleanser for fruitand veggies and all of that.
Apple cider vinegar has beenused as well, so I've used those
in the past.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (21:22):
Okay, and the other tip I would add is for
fruits that, like apples, youcan use like a soft brush with
soft bristles, so like justscrub on the inside of it or
like where the core is andaround it, just to get extra
amounts of the pesticides off ofit.
Do that with those that havethe thicker skin and I found
(21:45):
that even fruits like bananasthat have a thicker skin, you
don't necessarily have to buythose organic because of the
protection it has already.
So, yeah, but definitely staytuned for another podcast on
that.
We can dive into the wholething.
But I hope, parents, that youhad a wonderful time.
(22:06):
I did learn.
I hope you learned as much as Idid, and thank you so much, dr
L, for coming on.
So can you please tell thelisteners where they can find
out more about you and how theycan come join you?
Dr. L (22:19):
So we have.
I have a private practice herein Greenville, South Carolina,
again with licenses in NorthCarolina, georgia, indiana as
well.
So it's called the well MD, t HE W E L L M D and you can find
us at the well MD, the well dashMD dot com on social media.
I am Dr Sandra Luindo, as myname appears on your screen, or
(22:41):
the well dash MD or the well dotMD on Instagram, so feel free
to find us out there.
And then we can also find me onthe well project, which is the
nonprofit branch where weprovide resources to nations in
general.
So that's where you can find me.
Dr. Hokehe Eko (22:58):
Wonderful.
I love what you do, so thankyou, parents.
I hope, as you listen to thisand if you enjoyed, if you have
questions, leave us somequestions, leave us a review.
Please share this with someonein your life that needs to hear
about this, and wishing you awonderful day and see you on the
next episode.
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