I think I’ve been behaving myself, healthwise. My A1C is down almost two points. I’ve shaved about 40 pounds or so. I sleep soundly despite some apnea. I only take four prescription drugs {plus a bunch of supplements}. Not too bad for a septuagenarian.

The mot impressive part is I’ve done it without going vegan, without spending hours in the weight room, without modifying my lifestyle too much. I’ve done it with consistency and moderation.

About seven or eight years ago, my doctor gave me a stern lecture {with love} abut my overall health. Sonni pushed me to eat better and exercise more, even if it meant a simple walk from the furthest spot from the entrance to the store. She made me try veggie burgers and healthy snacks. My daughter-in-law keeps preaching healthy food choices {although they had mac and cheese with hot dogs last night}. My daughter insists running, jogging and a fitness regimen is the key to physical happiness.

Don’t get me wrong. They were and are well meaning, but what do they say about old dogs?

I have changed my lifestyle. Thanks to Angelina we’re out walking at least four times a day. Now that the weather is nice, one of those walks generally is longer at the park adjacent to the river — even in the rain. I’ve all but cut out morning muffins {I can’t get the thought Dr. Coan painted of a muffin with skull and crossbones on it} except for special occasions. Okay, I’ve replaced it with morning toast, but it’s usually farmer’s, oat nut or 12-grain bread with a few more nutrients than processed breads. I snacked  on grapes this morning. I enjoy natural peanut butter {without sugar} by the spoonful periodically during the day … all by itself. I rarely eat fast food. I eat a lot of chicken and fish, in fact, prefer them to red meat. Okay, except a thick, juicy end cut prime rib. Oh, and sausage and peppers. In fact, I like  bacon, but prefer sausage with my eggs or pancakes.

So, I don’t necessarily always eat “healthy”. I eat what I want, when I want … only I do it in moderation.

That brings us to accompaniments. Potatoes are okay. Baked. French fires. Baked. But I prefer onion rings, also baked in the oven. Rice is an okay alternative. I’m okay with veggies, although, frankly, they’re a pain. I don’t like canned or frozen vegetables and getting the right amount of fresh vegetables to cook for a meal is cumbersome. I do like broiled, grilled or baked veggies drizzled with just a little olive oil to give it a crunch. Unfortunately, when the harvest is plenty, the temperatures are up and there is nothing more annoying than a hot apartment with the oven fighting the air conditioning.

And then we have the hybrids, things like hummus {ironically as I was typing this there was a massive recall because of possible listeria}, beans, weird nuts, avocado, milk alternatives, and apple cider vinegar. As soon as I see  recipe with a weird name or ingredient {one I’m not familiar with, like Ratatouille With Toasted Pine Nuts Over Rice, Pad Thai-style Noodles With Tofu, or Black Bean Patties With Avocado-Mango Salsa} my eyes glaze over and my mind wanders to doughnuts. Just saying.

I drove Dr. Coan and Sonni crazy {Karen, too, but she got used to me}. Doc would suggest meal planning, like cook one day for the week. That’s fine, but it’s Monday, I don’t know what I’ll be in the mood for on Friday. “What about eggs for breakfast?” one {or both} would suggest. “That would work,” I would answer, “but you have to have toast to soak up the yolk.” They would just shake their head.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: Every day is about creating memories to last a lifetime. You don’t have to take an expensive vacation to make a memory. You can create a memory sitting at the dinner table. — Joel Osteen

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