My New Years' Gift to You

           I know Christmas is over, but in my case, the goodies linger.  We are still happily chowing down on fudge, cookies, cakes and pastries. (Yes, I could have made that list longer.)

          It isn’t that we’ve all had excellent willpower; it’s that we’ve accumulated a mountain of delights. I think I told you that when I was a little girl I wanted to be Queen Frostine from Candyland.

          But now that it’s a New Year I need to hunker down and get back to a healthier diet. All was going well until I was out running errands and needed a face mask. I found one in my purse, hurriedly put it on and was suddenly immersed in the scents of chocolate and caramel. YIKES! Busted for eating these the last time I wore the mask!

          So here’s my million-dollar idea for you: Scented Covid Masks!  (Except this one was unintentional and will only make your mouth water.)  But think of fragrances that would help you fight munchies and forget about sugar—I hear mint can work.

Or spray it with an air freshener you like. Think of scented candles. Think of ocean breezes and mountain meadows. Just don’t think of chocolate. Trust me.

You can also trust me to deliver great stories right to you door—check out my books here.

The Devil and the Angel

          You know the image of an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other?  Well, in my family this is taken quite literally. It is also when it would be nice to be deaf in one ear. 

          Within five minutes of each other, our daughter, Nicole texted me about Fed Up, a documentary on Netflix, that St. Bob and I just have to watch, about how sugar is a poison and how the food industry is killing our health.

And in the next breath I got a text from her brother, Brandon, telling me about a fabulous new chocolate cake recipe that originated in Brooklyn.

And so, dutiful mother that I am, I have already watched the documentary and must admit it is very compelling and makes me want to revamp my entire approach to eating.

But… I also read the recipe for that cake and am salivating, just thinking about it.  Here is a link to the recipe, along with a warning about how difficult it is to make. (Note that they tell you it should be eaten within 24 hours, as if a cake like this could last even two.)

  And so here I am, on the horns of a dilemma.  I’ve had dessert for breakfast, as well as for dessert, every day of my life.  But I also know this might be a teensy bit over the line.  So which way do I go, which path do I choose?  Which child becomes my mascot, my guide, my director? 

I think I’m going to have to compromise.  I will make some changes in my grocery shopping and eating.  But I will allow myself the occasional treat, remembering that it’s the day-to-day habits that control our health, not the special occasion splurges.  Or, as Brandon later texted, “Moderation in all cakes.”

Hey, a good way to diet AND splurge, is to get caught up in one of my novels.  That way you’re not eating, but you’re still enjoying a treat.  Find ‘em here and dig in!

The Diet Wars

Well, this takes the cake.  Actually cake is not on the diet.  So let’s just say that’s the way the cookie crumbles.  Oh, wait—cookies are off the list, too.  This is certainly not easy as pie.

         

 

  

   Bob and I have each been assigned opposite diets.  After my kidney stones, I am forbidden to eat the following things: nuts, wheat bran, leafy greens, berries, legumes, spinach, beets, sweet potatoes, and tea.

            Bob, on the other hand, recovering from prostate cancer surgery, is urged to eat nuts, wheat bran, leafy greens, berries, legumes, spinach, beets, sweet potatoes, and green tea.  

 

            Oh—and the calcium supplements that probably caused my kidney stones?  Forget about them—now I’m to eat lots of cheese and dairy that will give me plenty of calcium naturally.  Bob, on the other hand, is to avoid a high calcium diet.  There are more match-ups, but you get the idea.

Wasn’t it enough that we were both in the hospital at the same time?  Surely you read about that here.  And isn’t it enough that I’m now buying totally organic veggies at twice the price?  And whipping up smoothies with strange granular ingredients that creep me out? 

            Our kitchen island looks like the booty from a robbed pharmacy. 

            Our fridge looks like a stranger’s, missing all the wonderful goodies I expect to find in there, and loaded instead with hideous items you find in the fridges of people who dislike cooking.

            Why do I suspect that somewhere, in the back room of a hospital, a group of nutritionists are laughing?

            I can just see my future, rolling out in a gigantic dichotomy.  I will be like those poor women who make a separate meal for each of their finicky children.  Nutty wheat bran pancakes for Bob, boring bowl of yogurt for me.  Spinach soufflé for Bob, cottage cheese for me. 

            Oh, well. At least I only have to type up one list to put on the fridge.

Be sure to check out my videos on my YouTube Channel.  I’m Your YouTube Mom, and I have dozens of short videos you can watch that will teach you household tips and life skills—everything, really, except how to combine two polar opposite diets.