 Food Story
I was raised on the Standard American Diet, (SAD,) as were most
people in the 50’s and 60’s. The SAD basic food groups
were meat, potatoes and over- cooked vegetables. Salads made with
mayonnaise dressings and fried foods were served weekly. To make
matters worse, there were always cookies and candies available.
To add insult to nutritional injury, it was a tradition in in my grandmother's house
to have at least 12 slices of white
bread on the table, along with sardines and butter! (Sardines were
my favorite which was unusual for a kid. Not known at that time,
but a good source of Omega 3 oil. Thank goodness for small accidents!)
At my grandmother’s house, my food consumption was not much
better. My grandmother cooked for a convalescent hospital and was
quite the cook! For Sunday dinners we gathered at her house for
tasty meals of “comfort food” . . . roast beef with
gravy and mashed potatoes. Luckily, cauliflower (with cheese,) broccoli
and green beans always made it to the table!
As I grew older I became a meal skipper, always running out the
door “too busy” to eat breakfast. Being too embarrassed
to take a bag lunch to school, I opted to skip lunch as well. Dinner
was my only meal for years!
My meal-skipping pattern became a long-term habit, so I became
used to losing a few pounds regularly as a young adult. However,
what I ate was more from the SAD food groups, accompanied by lots
of sugar!
Fad dieting was the next stop on my nutrition path, along with
over-the- counter diet supplements. I must have tried every diet
program known to womankind!
Finally, I got my nutritional “wake-up call” in the
form of a serious contraction of Hepatitis A! With that, came the
gift of nutritional enlightenment. With the guidance of nutritionally-trained
professionals, I slowly began to improve my eating habits and became
educated about the dangers of dieting, proper supplementation and
the wellness principles that support a healthy lifestyle.
Now, transitioning people into a healthier, more balanced lifestyle
is what I find the most rewarding in my practice.
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