Nutrition
Oregano, Rosemary & Chives
As a child, I grew up in a small town and my mother had a garden. She grew tomatoes, potatoes, beans, peas, onions, radishes, cucumbers, beets, and rhubarb. She had a freezer, and she froze vegetables, made preserves, picked cucumbers and beets, and made 99% of our meals. We ate very well, and we were healthy and not over weight. As a working adult, it became much easier to either eat out or microwave packaged foods, and as an adult this was the first time that I started to gain weight both by living a sedentary life and by not eating as well as I should have been. Then about three years ago, I started buying our fruits and vegetables at our local Farmers' Market, which is in operation from early May through to mid October (almost 6 months or as long as fresh produce is available). I quickly discovered that the produce that I was buying was fresher, it lasts longer, and it costs less than what you can buy in the grocery stores. In the grocery stores, the produce has to be picked, shipped and then it can sit on the store shelves for days. So instead of buying a nice white cauliflower, you may be purchasing one that has brown marks on it. However, by purchasing your produce from the Farmers' Market, you are supporting the local farmers and feeding your family better at the same time. If we are eating better, we will hopefully be more healthy as we age. What more can you ask for?
As I live in a townhouse condominium, I don't have room to have my own garden, but we do grow our own tomatoes and herbs. This is another excellent way to ensure that you are having fresh produce to use without absorbing pesticides. If you only have a small backyard like myself or even a balcony, you can grow these items in pots just like you grow flowers provided you receive enough sunshine. To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.
If we are taking better care of ourselves through proper eating then taking vitamins is probably not required as we should be getting all of our nutrients from our seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables. An example of eating properly is always starting the day with a good breakfast as this is the most important meal of the day. My breakfast typically consists of fresh seasonal fruit, two slices of Good Hearth buttered toast (made with the finest European grains and malts), and a coffee. I try to limit my coffee intake to two cups in the morning.
The following is a list of some of the things that I have learned in regards to proper eating:
1. I was informed by my Father's Doctor that eating a bagel is like eating 5 slices of bread, which will then turn into sugar in your body so I now limit my bagel intake to occasionally instead of daily.
2. Eating processed packaged foods is not good for you, and I have eaten enough in my adult life to last a life time. I now choose to buy our meats at the local deli on a regular basis. Your local deli will provide you with a varied selection of meats, cheeses, fresh baked breads, etc.
3. Drink water each and every day as it will hydrate you, and it does not contain unnecessary sugars, which can cause you to gain weight. If you are not a fan of drinking water (like I am), perhaps add a slice of lime or lemon to your glass.
4. Eating regular bacon means that you are consuming a lot of fat. In fact in England, they call our regular bacon "Streaky Bacon". Perhaps, changing our habits, and eating either English Bacon or Back Bacon, would make us and our arteries more healthy.
5. If you own a bread machine make your own bread, which is really easy to do. Fresh baked bread smells wonderful and tastes great! It also has no preservatives. I have once again pulled my bread machine out of the cupboard as it shouldn't be collecting dust and started to make some of my favourites, which are:
7. Leftovers - These are delicious and a great way to spread out a meal. Example, you make a Pork Roast with all of the trimmings on Wednesday night, but with enough so that you will have leftovers. You can slice the extra pork and use it in sandwiches for the next couple of days. You can reheat the potatoes and have them for breakfast the following morning. Stews and chilis actually taste much better on the second day once all of the spices and flavours have a chance to really settle into the meat and vegetables.
I will be adding additional tips over time along with recipes that I have found both successful and enjoyable.
As I live in a townhouse condominium, I don't have room to have my own garden, but we do grow our own tomatoes and herbs. This is another excellent way to ensure that you are having fresh produce to use without absorbing pesticides. If you only have a small backyard like myself or even a balcony, you can grow these items in pots just like you grow flowers provided you receive enough sunshine. To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.
If we are taking better care of ourselves through proper eating then taking vitamins is probably not required as we should be getting all of our nutrients from our seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables. An example of eating properly is always starting the day with a good breakfast as this is the most important meal of the day. My breakfast typically consists of fresh seasonal fruit, two slices of Good Hearth buttered toast (made with the finest European grains and malts), and a coffee. I try to limit my coffee intake to two cups in the morning.
The following is a list of some of the things that I have learned in regards to proper eating:
1. I was informed by my Father's Doctor that eating a bagel is like eating 5 slices of bread, which will then turn into sugar in your body so I now limit my bagel intake to occasionally instead of daily.
2. Eating processed packaged foods is not good for you, and I have eaten enough in my adult life to last a life time. I now choose to buy our meats at the local deli on a regular basis. Your local deli will provide you with a varied selection of meats, cheeses, fresh baked breads, etc.
3. Drink water each and every day as it will hydrate you, and it does not contain unnecessary sugars, which can cause you to gain weight. If you are not a fan of drinking water (like I am), perhaps add a slice of lime or lemon to your glass.
4. Eating regular bacon means that you are consuming a lot of fat. In fact in England, they call our regular bacon "Streaky Bacon". Perhaps, changing our habits, and eating either English Bacon or Back Bacon, would make us and our arteries more healthy.
5. If you own a bread machine make your own bread, which is really easy to do. Fresh baked bread smells wonderful and tastes great! It also has no preservatives. I have once again pulled my bread machine out of the cupboard as it shouldn't be collecting dust and started to make some of my favourites, which are:
- Honey Wheat Bread - This is a dense, slightly sweet bread with a high proportion of whole-wheat flour. It is excellent for toast or sandwiches.
- Italian Herb Bread - This is a delicious white bread, seasoned with garlic and Italian herbs such as basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and olive oil. It makes wonderful cheese or meat sandwiches and is an excellent dinner bread.
- Portuguese Sweet Bread - This is an eggy, light-textured sweet bread, flavoured with vanilla, lemon, and nutmeg. It used to be eaten as an Easter bread in Portugal, but now it is eaten as a breakfast bread year-round.
7. Leftovers - These are delicious and a great way to spread out a meal. Example, you make a Pork Roast with all of the trimmings on Wednesday night, but with enough so that you will have leftovers. You can slice the extra pork and use it in sandwiches for the next couple of days. You can reheat the potatoes and have them for breakfast the following morning. Stews and chilis actually taste much better on the second day once all of the spices and flavours have a chance to really settle into the meat and vegetables.
I will be adding additional tips over time along with recipes that I have found both successful and enjoyable.
