Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween to one and all.

My daughter just finished carving her son's first Halloween pumpkin. She did an excellant job, and it makes the carving I did in the past look very junvenille indeed. As I drive through our community I see some wonderful pumpkin carving, and some great decorations.

Halloween has never been one of my favourite times, and as a child growing up in the country the houses we visited were few and far between. I always wanted to Trick of Treat in the city, those kids got way more candy and a lot less of apples and popcorn balls. Today if you give a kid an apple or popcorn ball it get's immediatley thrown into the garbage because of all the wacko's out there. Many communities now have Halloween parties at local schools, and there isn't so much door to door. I guess it is safer today to have an organized party where we know our children will be safe, but it sure takes a lot of fun out of the door to door.

When my husband and I visited Mexico we took a tour with one of the locals. He wanted us to know the people of his country, how they live and how important their country and traditions are. One such spot he took us to was a local cemetary. Now if you have ever been to one the first thing you notice is that each gravesite has it's own shrine of some description. Usually they are a glass enclosed box, and inside this are numerous items that meant something to the deceased. The day before Halloween, the family goes to the gravesite, and they remove the items within the shrine and replace them with new articles. The next evening, Halloween night, they return to the gravesite and party all night long with their deceased relative. Can you imagine the noise in the graveyard as different families are gathered to celebrate with their lost loved ones? This is certainly a differnet tradition & one that I don't see happening in our part of the world anytime soon.

I imagine that there are a lot of excited children today who can't wait for sunset, to jump into their costumes and hit the streets or the community party. Being a health conscious person this is the one time of the year (well maybe there are 2 if you count Christmas) that I indulge in giving out candy, and enjoy doing it. I know that the parents can hardly wait to see what goodies are in the loot bags when their kids get home. Remember to not overindulge on the loot, after all it was the kids hard work that brought it home.Seriously, don't let the bounty go to your heads and hips if you know what I mean. Remember in my previous post, moderation is the key. Do not deprive yourself of all things that are good in life, allow yourself that sweet and or salty junk. By doing this, and allowing it, you will not suffer the cravings for it if you totally remove it from you diet. If you have been a sweet eater all your life and then suddenly you deprive yourself of it, your body knows that there is something that it used to get that it isn't anymore and then all of a sudden you get these severe cravings.By allowing yourself to continue to have the odd sweet &/or salty junk your body will not feel deprived, just remember , moderation.

Have a Happy & Safe Halloween!

Is It Just Me?

Is it just me or is obesity on the rise? My husband and I moved into a new home 7 years ago. and being one of the first homeowners in this area we watched as new homes were built and new families moved in. One of the things we noticed was the number of overweight people in the area. Now, just so that you know, my hubbie and I are both in our 60's and I personally am not overweight. We won't talk about my pudgy partner.
When I was in my late twenties I did become overweight. I was 5 feet five inches tall and weighed 170Lbs. To some that may not be to bad, but put that on a very small boned frame and trust me that is overweight. I went from wearing a size 5 to a size 13. I decided to watch my diet more carefully, and to get back to exercising. Anyway to make a long story short, I lost the weight ,and am now 125Lbs. and have been for more than 25 years.
Before I decided to start this blog I did some research on the internet about obesity. It became clear to me that it isn't just me that sees obesity on the rise. According to Obesityinamerica.org 127 million adults in America are overweight, and 60 million are obese,(a body mass index >30, & if >than 40 you are mobidly obese).
I continue to ask myself why obesity is on the rise. I am sure that our fast paced society has a great deal to do with it. The grocery shelves are loaded with "Quick and Easy Meals" in a box, but what are the nutritive values. MacDonald's, Burger King, Dairy Queen franchises are popping up all over the country and people continue to flock to them. Try getting a seating at any fast food chain during lunch or dinner and you'll have a long wait.
We are what we eat!! period.
I may be old but I thank my parents for the good and healthy lifestyle they taught me and I hold on to them to this day. As for my pudgy partner, I can't be with him at lunch time but I do make sure he has a nutritional evening meal. Perhaps if we got back to the basics of good nutrition we would all be better for it.
Don't get me wrong, I like the odd bit of junk food every once in a while, but overall I still enjoy good food prepared the old fashioned way.
With the rise of heart disease, diabetes, joint pain, cholesterol problems etc., I believe it's time to go back to nature and fill out bodies with good food with out all the chemical crar, and perhaps they may be a start in the right direction.