Everything in moderation

Be happy and eat what you love, but keep everything in moderation.

Oh, my! Here go the 30s where you immediately become health conscious. I start thinking of ways to be bad without adding a few pounds to my waistline. I started reducing the number of fried foods I consume to avoid an increase in my cholesterol levels. Because they are significantly higher in fat and calories than non-fried foods. One of my guilty pleasures is fried meats with plantains and pikliz which is a pickled slaw. After evaluating my health, I decided I am going to be happy and eat what I love. While keeping my motto in mind: “everything in moderation.”

Another way that I’m still able to enjoy the foods I love is instead of having them fried. It is now a treat to have the plantains boiled, and meats baked. I also have increased my water intake drastically because we know water makes everything smooth. Drinking water has cleared my skin, my life, and even how regular I am. When it comes to alcoholic beverages, instead of having three drinks, I have two then followed by a glass of water. Before I start my day, I have a glass of water. I walk around with a two-liter jug of water which I drink from throughout the day, and most importantly, I drink a glass before bed.

Alcohol dehydrates us drastically although you may want a glass of wine a day, make sure you are also drinking enough water so that you don’t pay for it the day after. So far, I have cut my fried foods, increased my water intake, and eating more veggies. I have a salad or vegetables with every meal.

It is always best to eat the vegetable raw or lightly steamed to keep all the nutrients. For example, I may have a cucumber and tomato salad for breakfast along with a few slices of avocado and have a side green salad with the leftover avocado with just lime and salt. I try to pile on the greens for dinner. I may have a raw cabbage salad or sautéed beet greens with my meal for more protein. Remember always to have veggies with every meal. And when it comes to eating fruits, the best time to have them is before noon so that your body can properly digest and absorb the nutrients.

Word of advice, You should always speak with a doctor before making any drastic lifestyle changes. Since I started this journey, I’ve made several adjustments and I am pretty sure I will keep making changes and adjusting as I go until I find the right balance. You should set goals. However, don’t burden yourself with ones that are so unattainable, and don’t beat yourself up for coming up short of your goals. Enjoy the process, but remember to keep everything in moderation!

Here are a few suggestions:

• You can replace soda with water with a few slices of pineapple, cucumber, and mint

• Broiled your meats for added crispiness

• Remove any “bouillon cubes” from your diet completely

• Garlic in everything

• Eat less red meat and more fish

• Instead of ground beef, sub with ground chicken or turkey

• Instead of pork sausages, have homemade chicken sausages

• Leave the bacon and smoked meats alone

• Eat more greens, i.e., spinach, jute leaves, beet greens, Swiss chard, collard greens and kale

• Drink more water and hot tea