Getting Better and Better.

 Instead of focusing on which unhealthy foods to eat less of, concentrate on which healthy foods to eat more of. 

Author unknown

Good morning.  Today is Weight Watchers day. I never miss my meetings.  I think they are so important because of the support group one develops and the scale that keeps one on track.  Before joining WW I was trying this weight loss thing on line, and before I knew it, I was holding an eclair in one hand and typing my daily food list with the other....minus the eclair.  I realize that I was only hurting myself, but when you have an eating disorder, you just don't think like that.  But, that's all changed now...for the better.

Ever since I joined Weight Watchers I've developed a new and healthier diet for myself.  I usually only eat meat or poultry 2 or 3 times a week.  The rest of the time I eat veggies. Big difference for me.  I never really paid  attention to the food I put  until I got sick and discovered my blood pressure was off the charts.  I worked a very stressful job--substance abuse counselor for homeless, mentally ill substance abusers--and food was our stress reliever.  By 10 am we'd already be planning on lunch, and they were big ones--baked ziti with chicken parm, Mexican foods, pizza--all high in calories and sodium.  And because I worked in an area where food was so expensive, I felt I had to finish it no matter what.  (Cleaning my plate was very important to my parents and it carries over).  No wonder my blood pressure was out of whack.  

Changing my diet for the better has really improved my health; that and the exercise I am getting.  So, with that being said, I guess what I really wanted to say along with my new, healthier diet, I have purchased a number of vegetarian cookbooks.  Since I'd always had some kind of meat with my meals, I wanted some ideas on how to make salads and veggies more palatable.  One of my favorite books is the one below,  "Neighborhood, Hearty Salads and Plant-based Recipes from Home and Abroad" by Hettie McKinnon.  And I love that the first neighborhood featured is good old Brooklyn. 

This is an absolutely beautiful book filled with yummy vegetarian food and meal salads from around the world.  The book itself is beautifully presented with photographs of many of the foods  and separated into recipes from different countries--America (featuring Brooklyn, New York), France, Mediterranean countries, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia.  The recipes themselves are very easy to follow, and every one that I tried has been delicious.  I've already recommended this book to a few of my friends, and they love it.  Worth buying.