Yesterday, I talked at a local senior center while they shared dinner together. It was good practice for me, because I had to speak clearly and talk loud, which I need a little bit of work on. We talked about eating for energy, and I told them all the things they should and shouldn’t eat if they wanted to have more energy in their daily life. After my talk I went around to the tables to answer any questions. One man, who I wasn’t sure was interested in what I had to say, brought up a good point that proved he was indeed listening. He matter-of-factly remarked, “Well, you didn’t mention anything about wine.” I asked him how much wine he drinks and he told me he drinks about an ounce a day, which is the amount in a shot glass. I told him to keep on reaping those health benefits wine has to offer.
I also asked the whole group what they would do with that extra energy if they had it, and many of them agreed that they would go on more walks. What a simple answer, but a great one. Walking is a simple act that we healthy people take for granted. I’ve been reminded of this because two of my family members have recently encountered the inability to walk. Fortunately they have been able to have surgeries to fix that, but not without having to relearn how to walk first, which is no easy feat.
Overall the talk was a success, mostly because I learned from and was reminded by my elders of an important fact: don’t take your health for granted and use that body while it lasts!
With that fact in mind, I walked to the grocery store to get my salad ingredients, even though I had a tempting car to take me there (which I don’t normally have!). I even lugged back the heavy groceries and built some muscle in these arms of mine. It probably took 10 minutes more than it would have in a car, which was well worth it. It’s amazing what our bodies can do, so let’s figure out some ways to use our bodies how they were meant to be used this week. And feed them how they are meant to be fed… with real food, of course.
A walk to the grocery store, an ounce of red wine, and a lunch like this strawberry snow pea salad is a start.
- 4-6 medium organic strawberries, stems removed and sliced
- A handful of snap peas, halved
- 1-2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
- 1 avocado, diced
- Roasted pumpkin seeds
- A bag of spring mix salad leaves
- 3 medium strawberries, stems removed and halved
- ¼ cup // 65mL olive oil
- 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar (white wine vinegar works too)
- 1-2 basil leaves (optional)
- Pinch of salt
- Water, if needed
- Place all the dressing ingredients into a blender. If it seems too thick, add a spoonful of water to thin it out.
- Assemble the salad on two plates. Fill the plate with two handfuls of lettuce, top with chicken, snap peas, strawberries, and pumpkin seeds. When ready to eat, add diced avocado and drizzle with dressing.
- Strawberry dressing inspired by Tasteslovely.com
