First purpose of today’s post is to wish each of you a wonderful Thanksgiving week.
Whether in the physical company of family and friends, or not, may you at least enjoy heartwarming Zoom video or phone conversations with loved ones.
Today’s Stay or Go? Yes or No? title and Up-Down Hands graphic pertain to our topic below. They take their inspiration from the YouTube Song, Should I Stay or Should I go, by rock band, The Clash. Feel free to return and click on the song’s link after reading our post.
The song’s title personalizes our November food discussion because I am including two of my eating preference lists.
In the first list I say “Yes and Stay;” The second resounds with “Go and No.”
Perhaps you will find these choices useful for your own nutrition.
“Yes and Stay” includes
1. Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Kale, cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables.
2. Salad greens and the rest of the vegetable kingdom. (Exclude white potatoes except on Thanksgiving or when eating with family and/or friends.)
3. Lean protein such as egg whites plus an occasional whole egg, fish, poultry, legumes and unsweetened non-fat Greek yogurt.
4. Whey protein powder and unsweetened soy milk in smoothies.
5. Oatmeal and sprouted grains, including the Food For Life sprouted grain English muffins written about last week.
6. Antioxidant blueberries, strawberries and any other kind of berry, plus pomegranates.
7. Oranges, apples, figs, apricots, dates – some of which are dried.
8. Walnuts, other nuts, raisins, cranberries, goji berries, chocolate bits – all served up as trail mix in one-to-two ounce servings. Almond butter, some peanut butter and sesame seed tahini butter round out my favorite spreads.
9. Eating dinner by 6:00 p.m.
10. Slice of thin crust veggie pizza once every 4 to 5 months. (it’s served sometimes when I play pool on Sundays.)
11. Whole Foods oatmeal, raisin, walnut, chocolate chunk cookie once every 4 months or so.
Eighth ounce piece of 85% dark chocolate every other night. Candy – maybe 4 times a year. Sometimes Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups call my name.
12. Coffee every morning with unsweetened almond milk.
“Go and No” are assigned to
1. Sugar, Salt and Bleached Flour – The three white powders.
2. Refined bread, rolls, cornbread, rice, pasta and pastries, except for the Food For Life English muffin and Whole Foods cookie mentioned above. Birthday parties with birthday cake are exception to the “No” rule.
3. Alcohol of any kind. (Some health professionals recommend a glass of wine with dinner.) Abstinence works best for me.
4. Beef, pork, lamb, venison, buffalo, big mammals, etc.
5. Shrimp, crab, lobster, clams, oysters…I’m allergic to shellfish.
6. Cheetos, Fritos, chips (maybe sprinkle a few tortilla chip pieces on taco salad.)
7. Most fast food restaurants, except for occasional El Pollo Loco or Wahoo’s Fish Taco.
8. Try not to eat past 6:30 p.m. – accomplish this 90% of the time.
About ten years ago after laboriously trying to shed 60 pounds that had crept on during the “Seven Caregiving Years” of tending to loved ones, I embraced the saying that instead of “Live to Eat” – I would “Eat to Live.”
Practicing that saying turned my life around and gave me confidence to become a Vibrant Longevity Leader through education, exercise and careful eating choices.
May “Eating to Live” bless you in all the ways your heart desires. Happy Thanksgiving, WF!
Group Fitness Classes Return Next Week.
