DIET OR DIE?

When I say "diet", I'm not speaking of a diet to lose weight. Our family is blessed with pretty good genes. As far as I know, there are no really obese members. There are some who think they are too big and go on diets from time to time to lose a few pounds. My late mother and sister both complained mightily about their weight. Looking back at photos of our younger years, I laugh when I remember how "fat" they thought they were, and how healthy and beautiful they really looked. Jean gained quite a bit of weight toward the end of her life, but that was due to all the medications she was taking. Especially the steroids that kept her breathing passages open. I was considered "skinny" by my family. I am now ten pounds heavier than I was twenty years ago, but people laugh if I complain about the weight I've gained.

So.. why the "diet or die" heading? In the 1970s I was told I had high triglycerides and needed to cut out a lot of fat and fried foods in my diet. I did so, according to what we were told was healthy at the time. At a recent physical checkup, I was told I now have high cholesterol levels as well as a high blood sugar count. I am determined to lower both by the next blood test in May. Thus, I've added more research to my ongoing search for a healthy diet. I've already had one heart attack, and do not wish to experience that again. Nor do I wish to go on medications they use to treat high cholesterol or diabetes... both of which could lead to an early death!

I am an inveterate label reader when I shop for food. The trouble is that I don't recognize so many of the ingredients on the labels nowadays. To speed things up, I look for the ingredients we are being told about in the news that are unhealthy for us. That list grows longer and longer, much to my dismay! Watch out for trans-fats, high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, artificial sweeteners, gluten, and of course, there is a whole school of thought telling us that refined sugar is killing us all! Stevia sounded safe as a substitute sweetener, however, the FDA considered it unsafe in our foods but safe to sell as a dietary supplement. Now I read that the FDA has approved it since Coca-Cola wants to use it in their products! So, as a person with a sweet tooth, I will now try to substitute stevia or honey in my coffee. Of course, I'm warned to be careful with the honey I buy as well... no processed honey! And did I hear that the honey bee population is down?

I dearly love the flavored nondairy creamers in my coffee. They are now banished from my home in favor of Soy flavored with vanilla. (I am lactose intolerant.) Reading that label, I discover it is sweetened with "evaporated cane syrup".. Back to the internet for more research!

I quit frying foods years ago except for the occasional fried chicken dinner I prepare when one of my children visits or I visit them. It is their favorite from childhood (along with chocolate fudge cake). I grit my teeth and buy old-fashioned Crisco just for that purpose. When I needed oil for anything else, I bought corn oil until we were told corn oil was not acceptable -- I needed to use canola oil or olive oil. Anything else I "fry" is stir fried with olive oil. Until my daughter's last visit, when she told me I should not stir fry with olive oil, as the heat transforms it into a "trans-fat"... (Oh, God, I wonder how I've stayed alive this long!) I'm back to canola oil!

Do you see where I'm going with this? I love my cheeses and yogurt. They're out. Packaged goodies like Rice a Roni, some soups, all baked goods and candies, and ingredients I use in some of my favorite casseroles are all "no-nos" now. What's a girl to do? Ahhhh. Fruits and veggies -- all fresh, of course. Have to be careful about what country they come from. Remember all the e-coli outbreaks from spinach and strawberries. Looking at the glycemic index, I see that I have to be stingy with some of my favorite fruits... too much sugar. And what about all the chemicals used in growing them? The organics are pretty expensive.

I've mentioned that my daughter and her family have all become vegetarians or vegans. They did so on ethical grounds, but have also been encouraged by the health benefits. In the past few days, I've seen on the news that American meats and dairy products are not allowed to be sold in many countries abroad due to the high concentration of antibiotics and hormones! I found one kind of beef available in my local grocery that is guaranteed to be antibiotic and hormone free. It is only for sale in a ground beef form, and costs over $3 a pound. The other alternative, which I haven't tried, is bison! Not a big beef eater to begin with, I am going to have to stick to poultry and fish. I am hoping to find a local poultry farm that produces healthy poultry. In the meantime, I am keeping my head in the sand about all the horrors in the poultry industry. Then there is the heavy metal problem we have with seafood!

I can't even go on a bread (whole wheat, high fiber) and water diet. The statistics on the safety of our water supplies in this country are more horrifying than the food safety statistics. Even bottled water is no longer considered a safe bet. Most of the available bottled water is just filtered water from whatever city in which it is bottled. The list of medicines that are now found in city water supplies, even after treatment, makes one wonder if we ever need to go to a doctor when we're ill. We are probably already imbibing the medication he would prescribe!

I guess you could consider growing your own food. That's if you could find farmland that has not been contaminated by years of over-fertilizing and pesticide use. Or -- and this I am tempted to do -- you could just ignore all the scary information out there and cook and eat anything you like! And die!

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You know I'm only kidding about the last paragraph, but I am so frustrated with all the emphasis on health of late. I don't enjoy eating or drinking any more. I am on an aspirin regimen for my heart, and recently read how even one glass of wine might set off bleeding in my stomach so severe I could bleed to death. And they told us a glass of wine at night is healthy!

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Before I close, I need to correct the date I posted in my last blog. Earth Day is April 22nd this year, not the 25th! I don't know where I came up with that date! Reading this you might agree with me that we all need to take better care of our planet earth and the things that live and grow on it!

The wildflowers are absolutely glorious this year, as you can see in the slideshow above.

Peace and love to you all,
Marilyn