On the Inside

Food and Beverages

I enjoy good food, especially with stimulating conversation. I sip, never guzzle…wine, not whiskey. I’ll take a short, 4-6 ounce high-quality Lavazza cappuccino over a 20-ounce Americano or Venti any day. And in spite of all this, water is—by far—my favorite drink.

As an adult, I allow myself to eat and drink anything I like, but with restraint. If I notice myself overeating for two or more consecutive days, I put on the brakes, becoming more mindful until I feel homeostasis is restored.

I apply mental math as I make my consumption choices. Here are a couple of examples to show what I mean:

• Ice cream: Say I feel like having ice cream. Two scoops (8 oz.) of Baskin Robbins rocky road = 400-600 calories (depending on whether you believe the shared link’s or AI’s calculation). Toppings, such as hot fudge, almond slivers, or whatever you like easily double—even triple—those numbers. However, by limiting my ice cream experiences to just my absolute favorite flavors, I see no point in adding toppings.
• Vegetable salad: AI informs that a big salad consisting of tomatoes, onions, olives, and cucumbers (i.e., just what I love) is 150 calories. To this, add another 5 calories for a squirt of lemon juice, thyme, black pepper, salt, and half of a capful of white or wine vinegar. Compare this salad to one with cheeses, dressings, or croutons, where the calorie count easily doubles or even triples. You may have noticed that I omitted a basic element of the classic American salad: iceberg lettuce. I find that it absorbs and reduces the “bite” or strong flavors of its neighbors on the plate. In fact, I’ll bet that iceberg lettuce is the #1 reason people reach for salad dressing, in the first place.

Chemicals

I am not the poster child for healthy living. Until the COVID-19 pandemic, I ingested a fair amount of chemicals through prepackaged foods, dry cereals, Diet Coke (slice of fresh lemon, no ice, please!), and other chemical- and preservative-rich items. And I am forever (happily) addicted to yummy chocolate and sugar. The big cities I love are full of exhaust fumes and polluted air. The price I paid for dancing all night at a bouzoukia or taverna was to tolerate the persistent wafts of second-hand smoke originating from literally 90-95% of the other patrons’ tables. (That’s fast changing now thanks to contemporary attitudes that discourage smoking, along with updated and inconsistently enforced laws to prohibit smoking indoors.)

OK. Now that you have heard the worst of it, here is the good stuff, what I am proud of: In keeping with my easy-peasy, low-maintenance lifestyle—with the exception of soap, antiperspirant, sunscreen, and after-sun milk—I consciously strive to avoid introducing chemicals to my system. Instead of skin products and supplements, I get a monthly steam and deep cleaning facial. Instead of cold medicine, I gargle with salt and warm water. You get the picture… I have not experimented with recreational drugs, and never went on “the pill” lest it mess with my hormonal balance. Each product I manage without feels like a personal win to me—if not to the economy.

Medical Care

By this time, you’re probably betting I don’t go to the doctor—but you’d be wrong to think so. I have regular annual medical checkups. I choose practitioners who inform me about my choices. When there is a condition to be treated, and if the treatment is medically necessary, I follow the prescribed remedy to the letter. You’d be surprised how often a medical professional will present you with alternatives when you ask.

To manage my sensitive skin, I apply medicated ointments as necessary. I take the full course of antibiotics when an infection rages within me. I am up on all the required immunizations, and have had every COVID vaccine there is. And—oh yes—I visit the chiropractor regularly and massage therapist occasionally.

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