Today my daughter and I were at the car dealer for an oil change. We had just stopped at the library for some books to entertain us, and I was reading Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook “Jerusalem.” All of his books are beautiful, inspiring, and have recipes that work. I digress…
An older woman came over to inquire about the delicious looking recipes. She told me she was 84 (could have passed for 72 in my opinion) and she had been married to a man who was both a pharmacist and a medical doctor. Ottolenghi’s recipes are based heavily on Mediterranean ingredients, and that got my new friend dispensing advice on healthful living. Her thoughts:
- Why does the YMCA have vending machines that are filled with chips and snacks?
- Get rid of the salt shaker; her husband promoted garlic powder and onion powder
- Follow a Mediterranean style of eating – lots of veg
- Sugar – be careful
- Buy Trader Joes frozen zucchini and eggplant for an easy veg side
- The food of her European ancestors killed them (carb heavy, fat heavy, rich)
- If you can’t grow your own herbs, it is worth it to pay for them in the grocery store. They are cheap compared to the pharmaceuticals you need for Diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol.
When I have a chance encounter like this, I try to really hear what the person is saying. I do believe that there are people who come into our lives that we have something to learn from. We bought that zucchini and eggplant from TJs, and I am reading a little about Mediterranean eating. I think it could be a sustainable way of eating, especially as I teeter on the mid-life changes in my body.
The Healthful Saver 