Chef Sandra’s Interviews: Bad Diets Kill More People Than Smoking

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Recent research says that we are “literally eating ourselves to death” and that bad diets kill more people than smoking.

 And Chef Sandra agrees, bad diets are killing us.

Commenting on the study on Fox News stations this past month (links to interviews below), Chef Sandra shared that researchers have identified too much sodium as the number one dietary risk.

“When you look at getting too much sodium, it’s because we’re eating processed foods, and we’re eating fast foods,” Chef Sandra shared.

In addition to sodium, the 2^nd and 3^rd highest ranked dietary risks are not enough grains or whole fruits in the diet.

The sad fact is that in 2017 researchers attributed 11 million deaths and, more shockingly, 255 million of disability-adjusted-life-years were lost to bad diets.

Chef Sandra Has Solutions

“My advice to people is ‘buy food, not product’”, she declared, adding “that means shopping for fruits and vegetables and other fresh items in the dairy case, in the meat case, and leaving all of the other stuff on the shelves”.

Buying and cooking nutritious foods sound simple enough, but what do you do if you’re in a bind and need something quick? Chef Sandra’s tip was “buy yourself a cast iron skillet and learn to cook ‘just-in-time meals”.

She also shared “that means having fruits and vegetables on-hand, having a little bit of protein, maybe a slice of Salmon, and with one skillet, if you cook your own food, you can change your life, and it doesn’t have to take a lot of time.” 

Stop Making Excuses and Start Making Changes

It’s no secret that eating healthy can be intimidating. Between the cost and short lifespan on fresh foods, it can seem like a hassle.

However, Chef Sandra had some ways to make it a whole lot easier. She said “you can probably go to the store once a week and buy the fresh items that you’ll need. Then, if you’ve got skill in the kitchen, then you will absolutely change your life”.

She added that “It’s just as simple as coming home, having a pantry with food that you like, and all you have to do is simply open that pantry and, with one skillet, make a fabulous meal. That is cheaper than anything you can get out to eat at night”.

Chef Sandra then explained that she teaches people her “FABULOUS 5 Cooking Skills”, Knife skills, pan-sear, sauté, soup-making, and salad-making that will equip you to put dinner on the table any night of the week.

She says “cooking as clean and as fresh as you can, with those five skills, will change your life in the kitchen on a weeknight”.

According to Chef Sandra, “The most important question you can answer every day is ‘What’s for dinner?’”.

Here’s Why it Matters

Chef Sandra’s goal as a chef is to bust the myths about cooking and equip people with the kitchen skills they need to live happy, healthy, and productive lives.

She said “we’re talking about a lifestyle change here, and cooking it’s not treachery. It’s actually the ultimate way to have it your way”.

And, Chef Sandra concluded that “the kitchen is really the gateway to the most important part of life, which is sharing the table. That’s where we feed our mind, body and spirit, and that’s what we miss out on in the drive through.”

Who is Life At The Table?

Life At The Table, Inc., inspires people to live healthy, happy, and productive lives by answering the most important question they ask everyday, “What’s for dinner?”.  Led by Chef Sandra Lewis, who is a keynote speaker and podcast host, Life At The Table conducts classes, seminars, workshops, and retreats on cooking, creating community at home and at work, and leads culinary team building experiences.