Not being a carefree youngster anymore, I am thinking more about health.
I was raised by a Registered Nurse mother dedicated to wholesome nutrition.
We planted a huge garden every spring, drank Guernsey milk from our dairy
and ate little not crafted by hand under her tutelage.
Mom's oatmeal bread was legendary, winning purple ribbons at the county
fair into her 70s.
We made and bottled our own root beer and for the adults, mom was a master
(small batch) winemaker of elderberry and dandelion wine.
Thanks to her, I have been aware of good health habits all my life. Now in my
60s, I am living, walking proof of my efforts.
Unlike many of my contemporaries, I am the correct weight for my frame,
possess enviable blood pressure and other excellent statistics. And thanks to
good nutrition, yoga, Pilate's, hiking & biking, I am energetic and vital. I cannot
imagine being any other way; I shall continue to fight the good fight against
malnutrition and physical unfitness.
Our culture is not conducive to health. I recently re-read Sugar Blues by William
Dufty. It was published in 1975 and still rings true.
Yesterday I viewed "What the Health" on Netflix. Two opposing views: the first
blames sugar and the second blames meat and dairy
The fact of the matter is that they both agree that our choices are confusing because
the are driven by the greed of the food, pharmaceutical and health care industries.
When I see people eating in restaurants (which I resist frequenting) I see a direct
correlation between their food choices and portions and their physicality.
This is not rocket science, folks! As a population, Americans are digging their
own graves with their forks and spoons.
My suggestion? Eat consciously. Fuel your body. Study what is good for you and
eat right to build your own health and avoid disease. Guess what? You can have dark chocolate, if you need a sweet treat. Fresh fruit is good, too
There used to be an old saying, when I was young, "You are what you eat! It so resonates with me now, in the autumn of my life...
raintreepoet, reflecting.
