You are what you eat

Be sensible of your wants, that you maybe sensible of your treasures.

-Thomas Traherne

I grew up believing I was different from my mother. Now I see our many similarities. When I was growing up, she was always in the kitchen and, even later in life when she lived alone she made home-cooked meals and preferred them over going out. I feel the same way. I cook almost every day (there are leftovers) for myself and enjoy a big hearty hot lunch and small dinner. I love food with fresh, simple, and seasonal ingredients. I enjoy the menu planning, the shopping, and the pickiness I exude over choosing what’s local and organic. I won’t tell you what I spend but I will say this; I don’t skimp. I like the finest and believe that it’s not only self-care and self-love but it’s vital for good health. You are what you eat! Cooking is also creative and you get immediate results.

My choices include lots of fish, such as white fish, rockfish, mahi-mahi, ahi tuna, cod, halibut, trout, mackerel, herring and, salmon.

I start with veggies and build from there. I like healthy fats such as avocado, extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and nuts. For protein, I ensure that whatever protein I eat has been treated with the same care and respect that I would give my own body – because it’s going into my body.

My food philosophy is simple – to eat real food. Prioritize ingredients as close to their natural state as possible and make sure there is a rainbow of color on my plate. It’s a back-to-basics approach. No artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, or ingredients I can’t pronounce

I make my own salad dressing and do my own baking.

So why am I telling you this? During lockdown when we have more time on our hands, I see people gravitating toward take-out. I don’t judge it; I know it’s not for me. For me going to a restaurant is a social experience, you take the sociability factor away and I have no purpose being there.

Our bodies are a temple, not a dumping ground. It’s beneficial to know what nutrients you are deriving from your food intake, for maintaining weight and producing good sleep. If you listen to your body, it will speak volumes.

In my case, by listening, I went from vegetarian to pescetarian to now introducing fowl.

We need fuel for our minds and bodies to be strong and vibrant. Many years ago I saw a PBS special that left an impression; a man in a Chinese village saw a medical doctor. The doctor prescribed food as opposed to drugs to cure the man of his ills.

The mind and body are inextricably connected. What affects one affects the other. Food affects your brain and thoughts affect your digestion and immune system. Any way you slice and dice it you come to the same conclusion – health is holistic. The key to long-term health and happiness is rooted in positive lifestyle changes.

Respect your body; it’s the only one you’re going to get.