People who love to eat

Julia Child said,”People who love to eat are the best people.” Though I agree there’s a modicum of truth in that, in my view, it should be balanced with something Anna Thomas was quoted as saying, “We all eat, and it would be a sad waste of opportunity to eat badly.”

I’m one of those offbeat people who still cooks nearly everything from scratch. Processed foods are not in any kind of abundance in our home, though I definitely admit to having a few commercially made crackers, multiple bags of pasta, a handful of ethnic sauces, and often some frozen tortellini or ravioli on hand (more pasta).

local halibut & asparagus with roasted yam

For years now, my entire body has taken on a different shape due, in part, to my love of food. But we all know gaining weight isn’t just food. It’s how much food we eat (my biggest problem), how much starch we eat (my second biggest problem), the kind of food we eat, and all wrapped up with the ribbons of lifestyle and exercise (or lack thereof). True, I’m not nearly as active as I was up until about my forties, which is really when my exercise level began to wane. The other truth is that I continued to eat just as much as I did when I was a highly active adult. So now I’m a slow moving, daily walking senior who carries more weight than is healthy.

“My doctor told me I had to stop throwing intimate dinners for four unless there are three other people.” — Orson Welles is responsible for that clever quip

We love to entertain. Having friends and family over for a meal is one of my favourite ways to spend time with those whose presence we love to share. It’s an opportunity for interesting conversation, some laughter, and a way to become closer. Cesar Chavez was on the right track, “If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with him … the people who give you their food give you their heart.”  My mom was that person who gave you her food along with her heart.

There have always been diets around and, being what they are — fads or trends — they come and go with varying amounts of success. I’m not a believer in diets; never have been. The problem with diets is that they are only a temporary rung on the ladder of life. Once a person steps off that rung, they put their feet back onto the other permanent rungs of the ladder, and so it goes. If a person is genuinely serious about becoming healthier and losing some weight, then the real solution — in my personal view — is to make lifestyle changes. To eat differently, to eat less, to become active on a regular basis and to incorporate all of this as part of a lifelong lifestyle.

The reason for all this talk is because, you guessed it, I’m making some shifts in my lifestyle. It’s never too late. I’m incorporating the H.A.M. diet. What!? But I just said I don’t agree with diets. Okay, H.A.M. simply stands for half-as-much. So I’m doing something I should have begun years ago and simply eating smaller portions. I’m also making effort to reduce the amount of starchy food I’ve been eating. I hadn’t realized how much starchy food I eat on a daily basis (for instance: pasta, rice, potatoes, yams, and a slow increase in how frequently we eat bread). I should mention that I’m not cutting them out entirely because some of the starchy foods (such as beans, yam, and potatoes) have important nutrient value. One more lifestyle change I’m incorporating is getting back on my bike like I used to. Since I have some joint issues, the bike allows me to get more of a workout than simply walking does. So those are the keystones to this lifestyle shift I’ve begun to incorporate. Guess what the most difficult thing is for me with these simple changes? It’s the starchy foods. It’s like I became addicted to the stuff. I want starchy things all the time.

“Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.” –Jim Davis

Food also has a powerful recall to times in our past. Susan Whitborne, professor of psychological and brain sciences at the University of Massachusetts states, “A lot of our memories as children, it’s not so much the apple pie, for example, but the whole experience of being a family, being nourished, and that acquires a lot of symbolism apart from the sensory quality.” At this time of year swiss chard and yellow beans are abundant at the farmer’s market and each time we have them (which is a lot lately) I can’t help but recall my childhood and my mother. Mom always grew a large vegetable garden so summer was when we ate the best. I remember feeling like we were rich because of the abundance of fresh garden goodies and those amazing flavours. The fresh and earthy tastes really hold such fond memories. Powerful food memory is a subject I could write an entire blog post about.

Now, after showing you all this food and talking about my efforts at shifting lifestyle, here is a six-second clip of Heidi demonstrating the definition of glee!

Alright my lovelies. May you share some meals and find moments of glee this coming week!