Greeting the New Year with Optimism
Seems I arrive at this point every year to take stock of where I am in my health journey. It appears that I have taken a big step backward as I got on the scale and discovered that things were much worse than I thought they were. Like most people, I go up and down with my weight depending on where I am at any point in the year. When my mother died I think I just gave up thinking about what I was eating and drinking. There were so many things on my mind that it was all too much to even think about food in any way other than someone is creating meals and whatever is the easiest is what I will imbibe. Not to mention the socializing with family and friends. It was almost a “who cares”. Time for auto-correct. I’m a big fan of Blue Zones philosophy and wouldn’t you know it they came out with a 4-week challenge just when I needed it. The Blue Zones Life Challenge. It’s free and I won’t tell you it is simple but it isn’t all that complicated either.
So, Week 1 is in process. I read all the instructions and have taped the guidelines to the fridge and the Week 1 chart. You don’t have to start on any specific day it can be whenever the spirit moves you. For me, arriving back in South Carolina, where it is easier to get out and exercise and the warm weather encourages lighter food, it was pulling in the driveway that spurred me on. Since I had no food in the house it was necessary to make a shopping list and to actually go shopping. John prefers to go alone but when I am on a mission I go with him. He just blitzes through the produce section where I have the cart half full before I get out of that section of the store. He rolls his eyes, I soldier on.
The goal for the first week was to eat five Blue Zones meals. These are meals that are meatless and contain beans. Aha, so it is vegetarian chili (see the recipe below) and how about some corn chowder. Allowed breads are sour dough and whole wheat/multi-grain preferably not from the super market but the bakery. Here is a simple do and don’t:
- Always: 100% Whole Grains (choose farro, quinoa, brown rice, oatmeal, whole cornmeal, bulgur wheat)
- Always: Nuts (a handful per day, variety is good, avoid sugary coatings)
- Always: Beans (a cup of cooked beans per day)
- Always: Fruit & Vegetables (5-10 servings per day)
- Avoid: Sugar-sweetened beverages (unneeded empty calories)
- Avoid: Salty Snacks (too much salt and preservatives)
- Avoid: Packaged Sweets (cookies, candies, processed sweets)
- Avoid: Processed Meats (linked to cancer and heart disease)
So my accomplishments for this week were to make a shopping list and to actually go shopping. To prepare two or three meals that could be eaten more than once during the week, to get out and walk every day no matter how far but to be outside for at least an hour to an hour and half, cut down on the wine (a little red wine is ok), work on improving my sleep (I have been having some difficulty on occasion), keep meditating, play some golf, and catch up with friends. So far so good. And then I have to go back up north for 10 crazy days. But right now I am feeling optimistic. I have goals and a process that I am making into an adventure. Plus, no more calling the mirror bad names!!
Road Trip Fun included New Year’s Eve
We had a wonderful stop in New Hampshire for New Year’s Eve with our daughter Katie. Dinner at The New London Inn was spectacular and despite a waitress who was somewhat annoying, we had a great time. The above presentation of the smoked salmon is just one example. We had packed up the household, put away Christmas and departed by noon on the 31st. The dogs were happily ensconced in the back seat on their new seat cover, the luggage was in the way back and we had a good book to listen to. One interesting little blip was that at the border, for the first time since I can remember, they searched every car that went through. We had to unlock the back while the officer pawed through all our stuff. He had a visit from Bean who climbed over everything to go and see him which set the officer in the booth into fits of giggles. Officer in the back said not to worry he would bring her to me which he did and stuck her through the window. Then he came back a few minutes later and scolded me for having a lemon and a lime in my cooler which I totally forgot I had put in there. Hmmfff! After all that excitement we were on our way.
We decided to try driving through with only one night on the road after our stop at Katie’s in New Hampshire. It’s a long haul but as it was New Year’s Day there was little traffic on the road. We made it to Harrisonburg, VA after 10 1/2 hours and stopped at The Madison Inn. The Inn is right on the campus of James Madison University. Hardly anyone there but they were very friendly and even had cookies for the pups. Great spot to walk around and it felt very safe despite or maybe because of the blue emergency polls all over the place. They even had a special dog potty spot in the back with poop bags. Yes, they welcome dogs and it’s pretty much the fanciest place we have ever stayed (except for the Avon Old Farms Hotel in Connecticut) with the fur crowd. Bean wasn’t sure where she was but my they behaved well.
As Promised Vegetarian Chili
Honestly, I love vegetarian chili and have several good recipes but this one was the easiest and it is delicious. Since we are counting the number of Blue Zones meals, the chili is a supper recipe and the corn chowder lunch. We are at three so far but the week isn’t over. The recipe is from a blog that I follow called “The Endless Meal“. I have included the link to their site for you to explore. By the way, we use almost exclusively in our cooking, spices from a company called Penzey’s Spices. They are worth exploring if you haven’t already done so. Quality is superb and I like their philosophy. The cumin in this recipe is especially good. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1-3 tablespoons chili powder (more will be spicier)
2 tablespoons of cumin (don’t skimp, this is awesome stuff)
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 – 2 teaspoons of chili flakes (the more chili flakes the spicier it will be)
2 bell peppers, diced (I used red and yellow, not green as they are hard to digest)
2 medium carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
2 – 28oz cans of whole tomatoes and their juice (I used chopped)
2 – 15-ounce cans of beans, drained and rinsed (I like kidney and white beans, yup I did 2 cans red, 1 can white)
2 cup of frozen corn (you could use fresh but frozen is easy and works great, I used the whole frozen package)
Salt, to taste (I like about 2 teaspoons)
Directions:
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, and chili flakes and stir for about 30 seconds.
Add the peppers, carrots, and celery and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they just start to soften. Add tomatoes and their juice and bring to a simmer. Once the chili begins to simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low. You want the chili to be at a low simmer with the lid off. (I used the slow cooker)
Continue to cook the chili, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Add beans and corn and let the chili return to a simmer. Cook for 5 more minutes or until the corn and beans have heated through.
Generously salt to taste.
Optional toppings: sour cream, cheddar cheese, cilantro, diced avocados or green onion.
