Paying Attention to Michelle

Here are some of my favorite people serving themselves to a sumptious celebration dinner. We all pitched in and made the food from scratch. We have grains, salad, chicken, fish, mashed potatoes, fruit! Of course, this is a special occasion and there are many dishes to be sampled. We are proud that most of the food has been harvested from our garden. For this special meal we'll have a dessert of pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top. (No Cool Whip!)

I am not about to write a book on the diet subject, but here's what I know. We are seventy years old, now slim and fit (well, mostly!). It feels great to be healthy and energetic, and I believe that most of this comes from paying attention to the foods we eat. I care about this. So here goes.

Some basic rules about eating:
1.
Never eat out or grab take-out. Bad mistake. Always make your own food from scratch. This way you have to be mindful about what you eat. You go to the grocery store and the green market and select what appeals to you. Then you have the ingredients for a creative and nurturing experience for your family (or even for just yourself). Try different recipes! Just experiment! Throw out that nasty gelatinous salad dressing you buy in the bottle. (Have you noticed what's in it?) Make your own by throwing on some good olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. So much tastier, so less expensive. Throw out those ultra packaged convenience foods that you stick into the microwave.  You can do better in your very own kitchen with your very own natural ingredients. Even after a tiring work day, you can do this, and it is kind of a restful meditation to make food for your loved ones.

If you rely on take out and fast food and the neighborhood restaurants, you are ingesting stuff you do not want. Pesticides, fat, too much salt, dirt, excess calories and the compression of time. Eat at home and you control this. Besides, if you cook you are expending calories in the process as you chop and stir, set the table and bend down to find that elusive pan. And it's a LOT less expensive! Save the restaurant experience for that special occasion.

2.
Get rid of those unnecessary sugary, fatty and salty things . Throw out the candy bars, cans of Mr. Peanut spanish peanuts (my nemesis!), sodas that have nothing but empty calories, and don't have a drawer full of chocolates or a bowl of candies! I always heard that you should have a fridge full of carrot sticks and fruit. But we all know that no one has time to prepare these things, and then, when you are hungry, these things just don't appeal. So, just buy a few things that DO appeal. A container of blueberries? A plate of melon carved into bite sized pieces one can eat while cooking the dinner? Our grandson stands on his kitchen stool and freely samples all the vegetables that will go into the salad. My greatest snack is fresh raspberries, washed and ready on the counter.

3.
Exercise! You've heard it all before. Just keep moving. Don't sit too long. Get up and do the laundry, water the garden, walk whenever you can, take the dog out. Try to make it a practice to work out for half an hour each day (videos, walking, exercise equipment,Yoga, the gym, whatever). I find it helpful to wear a pedometer and set a goal of 10,000 steps a day. Some people ride their bikes to work or swim after work. You just need to build in whatever physical exercise works for you.

That's it! Do this and you'll be thinner, fitter, and a better cook! If you cook your own food 95% of the time, I promise you that you'll be thinner and happier. You might even be moved to grow some of your own food. Maybe a container garden of herbs or peppers?