Health

Over the past few years I’ve made some much needed changes to my eating habits to achieve a healthier lifestyle. I try to stay away from sugar, fried foods and meat. For the most part, I eat vegan/vegetarian, but I give myself wiggle room to enjoy comfort food and some of my “not so healthy” favorites. I call it my 80/20 lifestyle. 80% vegan/vegetarian and 20% whatever I want. 

As part of my #LLL50in50 challenge, I made sure to get my annual physical. I asked my doctor what things, if any, I should be doing to achieve optimal health as a woman of a certain age. My doctor recommended an alkaline diet, which encourages high consumption of fruits, vegetables, and healthy plant food while limiting all genetically modified foods. I also make a conscious effort to read food labels. Too many of us pay more attention to what we’re putting on our bodies than what we’re putting in them.

Staying away from sugar has been a great challenge for me because I love sweets. I’ve had to healthy alternatives like fresh fruit smoothies, and nuts with a sprinkle of dried fruit. I used to take a lot of supplements, but I’ve started to focus more on getting the vitamins and nutrients from my food. My goal is to try and eat a rainbow of foods daily. This is how I assure I am getting all the fruits and vegetables my body needs. 

Getting older is a blessing, but like everything else, it comes with responsibility. The days of eating any and everything I want all the time are over. The best part is that I get to teach my son CJ about healthy eating and making intentional food choices. 

I’ve been challenging myself to eat a salad a day. Here’s a few of my favorite healthy go-to meals!

Organic mixed green salad: 

Ingredients: 

Organic mixed greens

Avocado

Wild caught shrimp

Garlic 

Thinly sliced almonds

Raw superfood salad: 

Ingredients: 

Red cabbage

Kale

Beets

Carrots 

Olive oil 

Braggs vinegar 

Fresh oregano

Parsely