mother nature is a man and other observations..

You Are What You Eat

It sounds so simple, but so true. I’m always asked what I do to stay thin. I actually don’t consciously do anything. It becomes a way of life, because nutrition has always been a way of living since childhood. My brother at the time didn’t like canned foods. My mother never had sweets for dessert. We had fresh fruit. She was once criticized by her sister for spending money on out of season fruit. I remember my mom asking how much the chocolate cake was her sister just purchased. It was more.
Not that she was nutritionally savvy. She wasn’t and we had fried foods with bad oils many meals.
Over 50 years ago when we were raising our sons, I became very aware of what was a good way of eating. Fruits and veggies, not processed foods. very little deli. Whole grains only…. I did make meat and fish for them. Everything in moderation, but still low on sweets and fast foods. I baked cookies and the only store cookie was Pepperridge Farm because of the ingredients and Breyer Ice Cream because that too was all natural. My sons immediately traded their whole wheat sandwiches with peanut butter for fluffernut on wonder white bread. We never had soda in the house except ginger ale if sick.
I remember when they stayed for dinner at a friends. There were four boys in the family and each son had a friend their age. They came home and said they had the best dinner they ever had and could I please get the recipe from their friends mom. It was great fried chicken, apple sauce, and peas in a pretty silver tray I called Mary and of course she told me the “fabulous” meal she prepared was a TV dinner…very popular at the time and something I never had in the house.
So the big treat whenever my husband and I went out, was to buy TV dinners for the boys and the baby sitter.
So now everyone is all grown and happy to say my sons appreciate and tell me “Mom you were ahead of your time.” Nice to be appreciated at any age.
My point in doing this post and I don’t pretend to be a nutritionist. What I do just works. Instead of having three meals a day, I have always grazed all day. I eat when I’m hungry. I eat what is known as fattening foods and I don’t gain a pound. I eat avocado every day. Almost every kind of nut. Dried fruits in moderation. A square of dark chocolate in the morning. No butter, very little if no salt. no fast foods or processed deli foods.Carbs in moderation. I happen to be a pescatarian, a vegan who eats fish and dairy. I eat eggs. 7 glasses of water. There’s really no secret. The secret if any, is knowing what to eat. A can of beans, even organic is very inexpensive and one of the healthiest foods. Hummus is a staple. My niece tells me all the time that I’m very disciplined. I am and being five feet one, additional weight is just that. Added pounds that accumulate over the years. Not obsessive about what I eat. I listen to my body and I enjoy food.
In this country obesity is a major problem, especially in children. Food shouldn’t be your enemy, but you need to know what to eat. If you have a sweet tooth, have a bite or a tablespoon, not huge portions. Going to a party, have two glasses of club soda before you start drinking and eating.
The worst is the word diet. It often means losing 40 pounds and gaining 50. Anyone I know that want to lose weight is either drinking too much or eating too much. It’s just that simple. Changing your life style isn’t.
It takes discipline. It’s worth the work I wish you all Healthy Eating and Happy Times.
BTW If you want to binge. Buy zero fat, zero salt organic popcorn. Nuke and when hot, add some olive oil. Eat the entire bag!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!