I ate salmon today for lunch. I don’t even like salmon. But I ate it. It’s just one of the many ways I’m trying to make myself healthier. Honestly, some days I’m not certain it is working! But I won’t give up.
It isn’t that I don’t like fish. I do. Especially when it’s lightly battered and deep-fried in a vat of hot oil. That’s definitely NOT the healthy way to eat fish. Or anything else, for that matter.
But a few years ago, after ‘yoyo dieting’, I decided to do what my father had always advised: eat healthily. To him, that meant eating real food. Plain food. Nothing prepackaged or laden with a lot of preservatives. We had a farm, and we grew our own food. Vegetables as well as meat, so that was not a problem. Except when Mother, who was not the world’s best cook, decided to liven things up with sauces or new ingredients. Daddy ate it and never complained but it wasn’t long before we were back to our regular fare.
‘You are what you eat’ was his mantra. It took me a long time to embrace it myself. But a few years ago, as I learned that I was very near to developing an ulcer, I decided to give his philosophy a genuine try. And, you know, it worked! (That, along with curbing my type A personality.)
I’ve learned to relax. I’ve embraced meditation and yoga to a degree. I eat lots of seeds and nuts, raw fresh fruit, and more vegetables than I care to. And I limit the amount of meat on my menu. I have learned that you can survive without sugar and added salt! And carbonated drinks!
Yet my table is far from boring. It’s all about learning to enjoy the many flavors fresh food has to offer, instead of covering it up with sauces and odd condiments. For instance, the salmon I had for lunch was cooked in a steamer with a spring of rosemary, a dash of salt and pepper, and served with the juice from a fresh lemon. Simple. Plain. Not boring.
I encourage anyone who is trying to get a handle on healthy living to first take a look at the fuel you put into your body. It’s a good place to start.
Oh, and I don’t deprive myself of eating out with friends. I do that often and I eat whatever I want. And, if chocolate eclairs are on the menu, I may have one. But I don’t do it every day.
As I’ve gotten older, I have tried to simplify my life. Cooking and eating in a more back-to-basics way has helped me do that. I hope you’ll consider giving it a try. Let me know how you’re progressing. I’d love to hear.
And for those who may think I maligned Mother’s cooking: she had a few great recipes she was known for. Even after she no longer cooked, people still asked about her chocolate cake. Or her fried pies. So, she did some things right!
