Happy Thanksgiving!

Days 24 and 25

Many people asked how I was planning to go meatless this Thanksgiving. Easy.

I avoided turkey, gravy and the stuffing which was made with sausage.




Before the meal I munched on cheese, corn chips and other appetizers my family put out.


For the meal I was able to have mashed potatoes, squash, turnip, rolls and even cranberry sauce.




Did I miss the turkey, stuffing and gravy? You bet I did! That’s why I decided to start my meatless year in early November so I could get the two major turkey holidays out of the way within the first few months. Next year I may not go back to eating beef or pork but I don’t see the harm with turkey on the holidays.

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and I’ll talk to you soon.
meatlessman@yahoo.com

Happy Veterans Day

Day 10

Felling okay today. It’s Veterans Day so I’m not as active. That’s one reason I am not feeling high energy. I believe being active or at least engaging in an activity that uses our brain in an active manner helps the blood flow.

And of course I slept in on this holiday. Clouds also obscure the sun where I am so serotonin levels are a bit down.

Not feeling energized but not feeling drained. That’s an okay place to be especially for a middle-of-the-week holiday.

Being Veterans Day it makes me wonder what they serve our soldiers, especially in wartime, to keep them at the top of their game.

Do they eat super healthy?
Is their chow tasty?
Is it like school cafeteria food? Prison food?
Is it better than those above food line variants or worse?

I hope it’s something healthy and balanced that uses quality ingredients. Our soldiers deserve it whether one thinks war is just or not. Happy Veterans Day.

Talk to you soon.

Day 6

Today I was having a morning cup of coffee and my 8-year old niece suggested I flavor it with M&M's.

I had put in some 2% milk and a spoonful of blackstrap unsulphured molasses (my veggie friend, Audra, tells me it is a great source of iron, calcium and potassium) and of course I wasn't going to put in M&M's.

It did get me thinking though. No wonder we are one of the most obese nations in the world. We are brought up with candy as a constant presence in our lives!

Think about it for a second.

On Halloween we are told it is tradition to dress up in a costume and come back with a sack full of candy.

For Christmas (if one celebrates it) candy fills our stockings.

For Easter (again if you celebrate it) we get a basketful of sweets!

If we are good while grocery shopping Mom and Dad may just approve of you getting candy at the check out.

And, particularly during the holidays you can't go to most offices and not encounter a bowl of holiday themed candy sitting on the reception desk just waiting to be picked over!

I have never known a child to turn down free candy. Most even spend their allowance on some. Most adults I know also just cannot walk by a candy bowl without snagging a piece to munch on.

We have so much candy shoved in our faces, it's almost like we're programmed to take it, especially when it is free.

Candy is good once in a while but not if you consume a pile of it all at once. We adult humans all have brains. We can resist overconsumption of sweets if we just stop and think. That's all it can take.

Ask yourself if it is really necessary to eat this empty calorie confection?

If I am truly hungry are there healthier alternatives around?

Why do you have to eat it all now? It will still be available tomorrow.

My niece did end up plopping a piece of Bubble Yum into my coffee. I took it out and made her chew it.

Hope you like the taste of blackstrap unsulphured molasses. Brat.