A Healthy Lifestyle

I often post about living healthy, eating healthy, exercise, etc. Some of my friends and family think I focus too much on this, or that it is not really that important. I disagree. The life we are living may be short, but I would like my family and myself to live it with quality. Most of our friends have turned 30, or may be a little older, a little younger. This is the age where the women begin the "anti-aging" talks, and the men begin to complain about their backs hurting or their hair loss. Each year that passes will just be making us older, and in turn we may have some health problems (and wrinkles!) coming our way.
I refuse to be older than I am, and when you eat poorly, sleep poorly, refuse to exercise, etc., you begin to feel older than you are. Your body will not function properly, you will be fatigued and injury prone. Keton and I do not believe this is a way to live, and when you have two little energy-loaded children to look after, you have to be on a health kick to keep up.
The idea for this post came to me after another one of my friends and coworkers asked me (yet again) how I can possibly live as a vegetarian. Well, I do eat fish, so technically I am a pescetarian. This question has been asked of me several times, and by both friends and family. There were even people that believed I would pass out during my half marathon because I was simply not eating right.
Perhaps I should set the record straight, and maybe even rub off some of my non-meat-eatingness on one or two people (yes, I realize that this is not grammatically correct, but just go with it). I have been a vegetarian for four years now, and prior to giving up all meat I stopped eating beef a good nine years ago. Yep, no burgers or steak for nine years. When I was a meat eater I had various digestive issues frequently, and was a good 15-20 lbs heavier. I ate out at fast food places without too much thought. When I had Gracie, I did not want meat any longer and so I gave it up and changed my diet. All of a sudden, I wasn't eating fries too often since there were no burgers or chicken sandwiches being ordered. Fast food seemed kind of silly, since there were not many vegetarian options (and those salads are not really good options!). We ate at home more, and I learned to cook new meals with various kinds of vegetables and proteins. Not only did I drop the weight, but I began to feel so much better! I was a vegetarian all throughout my pregnancy with Stella (and she came out at 8lbs!) and I did not pass out during my recent half marathon.
Case closed. No meat required! Truthfully, I do not view meat as "bad", although certain kinds and fat percentages should always be avoided. But taking meat off of my plate has forced me to make the rest of my diet healthy, and in order to get the fats and proteins I need, I have to really concentrate on what I am eating. This automatically creates an awareness of what you place in your body. That is where I believe the real health benefit is.
So, here is a typical summer meal for us:
This is a yummy salad with baby spring mix lettuce, butter lettuce, fresh blueberries, pecans (unsalted), feta cheese (with a light hand), cucumbers and basalmic vinegarette dressing (light). The side dish is frozen cherries. If I have beans on hand I throw in some garbanzos or kidney beans too. The cheese, beans, olive oil in the dressing, and pecans (0r any nut) is where I get the good fats and proteins. The veggies and beans are a great source of fiber and vitamins. You can make a salad a meal! Just toss in your favorite veggies, a little cheese, nuts, beans, and some dressing (careful to keep it light; the nuts and cheese have a lot of calories) and you are good to go! Avocado is another favorite that I add when they are in season. Hummus is another staple in the house as well. We eat a lot of Mediterranean food (hummus, veggies, pitas, olives), pasta with veggies, soups, veggies enchiladas made with three different kinds of beans, salmon, etc. Leeks have become a favorite veggie of mine and they are loaded with good for you vitamins! We are also getting to like various chards sauteed with lemon juice. The salt is low in our household, the water consumption high, and we try to get in exercise wherever possible. No one is deprived (we have dessert often!) and everyone is feeling healthy. Of course, we have a glass of wine now and then as well, which is a treat for us stressed parents!
I included this picture to show what I have recently learned. This glass of wine is about 4 ounces. Which is around 90 calories and is a "serving" size of wine. I was shocked to learn that the wine I am having at restaurants is a good 8-12 ounces of wine! That is a lot of wine and calories in one glass. So at home, I use really small (you'll have to find these at antique stores or thrift stores; they don't make wine glasses small anymore!) glasses to be sure that I am not being heavy handed with the wine.
I am sure most of you have stopped reading at this point, but since I was getting so many questions, I decided to answer a few and pass on some healthy tips. If you have any, please share them and post a comment!