Clean Eating and Sage advice from Holland, NY

Spring is in the air and summer will soon be upon us. That means all the wonderful fresh fruits and vegetables will be available at the grocery stores and local farmers markets. I always look forward to visiting the markets with all the delectable smells and the variety of color, the fresh flowers that the growers bring with them. Perhaps one of my most favorite parts about the local markets are the growers themselves. I love to spend the time to chat with them and get to know their unique ways of farming and get to know them as people.

This is also a great time to focus on getting our eating habits back on track and feeding our bodies the very best food! I know we hear it everywhere, but with our very busy lives do we really make feeding our bodies healthy foods a priority? I know for me this will be a renewed focus over the next few weeks and months to come.

“Clean eating” seems to be a new phrase these days, so I have taken the time to investigate what the intention is. Clean eating is nothing more than a focus on eating foods that strengthen and sustain our physical selves. Whole grains, vegetables, fruits, lean protein, fats that are the “good fats” and a certain amount of dairy. No sugar! That’s the hardest for me. I can do without the pasta (which took me about a year of withdrawal, I only have it once in awhile now), I can pass on the white bread and white rice. But! I have the hardest time passing on sugar in my coffee and cookie every few days!

I learned long ago from two wonderfully wise women, who I met when living in Holland,NY, that moderation is the key to living a healthy life. These women were in their mid to late 80’s when I met them and they grew up when people cooked with lard! These women were healthy and vibrant, going to church every sunday, involved in bridge, garden and book clubs. The one woman who was approaching 90 still drove a car and visited those who were “shut-ins.” She is still one of my life mentors! I will never forget her.

So, as all of us in the year 2012 focus on clean eating, exercising and healthy lives, I ask us all to ponder the wisdom of these ladies.

More to come on these wonderful women in the following days of my blog. I feel that you my readers, will fall in love with them just as I have!