Let’s go on this journey, together. I want us all to nourish ourselves.

Growing up, we were taught a few things about how to eat a healthy diet. Probably my third grade teacher Mrs. Hanson showed class an infographic highlighting milk, meat, bread and cereal?

I grew up in the 1960s, and I was given Cheerios with a spoonful of sugar for breakfast, with some orange juice or Tang, a baloney sandwich and chips for lunch. Lots of glasses of milk! Sneaking some extra sugar on my cereal was a hobby of mine.

Fun sidenote: Cheerios were invented here in Minnesota in 1941, originally called Cheerioats.

Margarine was used for toast, not butter. Bread was slices of white bread from a bag. Vegetables were mostly canned (dreaded Veg-All). Fruit cocktail was canned. Summertime had more fresh fruits and vegetables (corn on the cob, green beans, plums from the plum tree in our backyard…)

And dinner (started by mom and served by dad because mom worked nights). the menu: Chipped beef on toast (the beef came in a glass can) and creamed eggs on toast were in heavy rotation. Tuna casserole with peas, I think?

Once a month mom started a pork roast in the pressure cooker and we were strenuously warned not to run in the kitchen, because we would knock it over and blow up our whole house. We took it seriously because my mom widened her eyes and got mad even mentioning it. On other nights it was creamed chipped beef (from a glass jar) on toast.

We did not eat out much, but I do remember getting chicken chow mein (heavy on the celery and crunchy noodles) take out sometimes. Side of rice, lots of soy sauce on top.

Fast forward to high school in the 1970s. I always felt too big and wanted to lose weight. [obviously this was also a sign of the times and false advertising… *cringe, forehead slap and sigh]. Look, here is teenage Barbie and family. What is up with my expression? My sister and I are taken off-guard here?

The word on the street was to avoid eating fat and the ideal lunch in my crowd was a puffy plain bagel with non-fat cream cheese. Maybe some Ritz Crackers with a grapefruit topped with sugar? Also acceptable. Club crackers with a little co-jack cheese was another bag-lunch special. If the high school lunch room was serving pizza burgers or chuckwagons, that was what I really wanted. Did that chuckwagon get microwaved in its plastic wrapper direct from the warehouse? Absolutely it did.

Eating sugar was fine! Sugar was said not to be harmful to your health. Turns out, the US Sugar Research Foundation funded a study published by Harvard in 1967 that blamed dietary fat to be the cause of heart disease rather than sugar (despite mounting evidence to the contrary…) This was a deliberate objective to steer the public into avoiding dietary fat and filling the gap with sugar. As a way to increase the profits for the sugar industry.

We are born loving the taste of sugar, so we happily ate the sugar. This deception of this study still makes me mad.

You and I have come a long way in understanding foods that help us feel good and stay healthy. These days, despite some false starts and health-food fads that rise up, I feel confidant that I should eat lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Lots of plants! More whole foods, minimally processed. And more recently I can feel the difference of packing in protein-rich foods for every meal. Gives me more energy and I feel fuller, longer. Balancing my blood sugar is another recent lightbulb moment that pulled me out of pre-diabetes and into a nice low A1C number. And making sure I eat enough fiber in my diet is important (it takes some effort) that I know reduces my cravings for sugar.

I’m optimizing my gut health as there is a tight bond between a healthy, vigorous microbiome and brain health. I try to emphasize cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, along with fermented foods.

I’m eating better but I’M NOT PERFECT. (hello supplements, more on that in a different post).

The food you choose to eat is one of the biggest factors in feeling younger while growing older.

Here is a list for feeling vibrant after menopause:

• 20-30 grams of protein per meal (soy/tofu, dairy such as greek yogurt, cottage cheese, meat or fish, legumes, nuts and seeds) although official guidelines say 35-40 grams per day is good…
• 4-5 servings of vegetables and fruit per day (really hit those cruciferous veggies!)
• 2-3 servings nuts and seeds
• 1-2 servings beans or lentils per day
• 1-2 servings fermented food (yogurt, kimchee, sauerkraut, etc.) per day
• 2-3 servings whole grains (quinoa, pasta, sourdough bread, etc.) per day
• Choose a high-protein breakfast rather than a sweet one for blood sugar balancing
• Start your meals with a vegetable for blood sugar balancing
• Choose whole fruits for blood sugar balancing, especially berries
• Eat dessert only after your meal for blood sugar balancing
• Add fats, protein or fiber to your carbohydrates for blood sugar balancing
• Take a walk or move for 10 minutes after a big meal for blood sugar balancing
• Sourdough bread with whole grains is helpful for blood sugar balancing
• Emphasize anti-inflammatory foods, like green tea, fatty fish, nuts, seeds, vegetables, berries

I recommend starting slow with tiny baby steps, maybe eating dinner leftovers for your breakfast with high protein. Then eating a salad or vegetable dish before your lunch or dinner. Then try adding a cup of cooked beans for your soup or salad. Its important to add fiber slowly to avoid stomach upsets. Focus on slowly improving, its the best way to make a habit that sticks. Get those vegetables inside you for a major glow-up.

Eventually the foods you crave will be the foods you are training yourself to eat, rather than sweets or salty snacks. Nourishing yourself is a big commitment that will pay you back with feeling good in your body. We want to feel like a powerful energetic woman and the foods we choose have a big impact.

Because if we can give ourselves the healing and wellness that our body deserves, we will be able to reach out and help others and lift them up with us.

Here’s an idea!

Make-ahead Cruciferous Vegetable Salad to keep ready in your fridge

Pick 2 cruciferous vegetables plus 1 other leafy green (like shaved Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and kale

Spin them up briefly in food processor or chop them up with a knife. You want them to be pleasant to eat in a small, uniform size.

Add roughly chopped fragrant herb like basil, cilantro, or mint. Or all three! Maybe some parsley…

At this point, box it up and store in the refrigerator, covered, for 4-5 days.

When you’re ready to serve it, add some oil, vinegar and nuts, or choose your favorite salad dressing, maybe a handful of berries. Always salt and pepper your salad, makes such a good difference. You can change it up to add variety each time you eat it. Eat it with gusto.

And another simple recipe. You know cabbage should be our friend. But who eats cabbage? I do now, because cabbage keeps well in the fridge for forever. That alone makes me love it, but guess what? Roasted Cabbage is delicious.

Surprisingly Good and Easy Cabbage

Use a small head of Savoy cabbage or 1/2 head of green or purple cabbage

Slice it roughly into 1 inch slices, try to keep it uniformly shaped for ease in roasting

Place on a large cooking sheet, toss well with oil (like Extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil), garlic powder, salt and pepper, maybe some cracked red pepper flakes if you’re spicy. Go liberal on the seasoning. For extra-special use everything bagel seasoning (from CostCo or Trader Joe).

Roast at 450 degrees until you see crispy browned edges and golden brown slices. Roughly 25 minutes depending on how thickly the cabbage is sliced. I think you’ll be surprised and delighted at how good this tastes. You could add some parmesan cheese or panko bread crumbs but first try it easy and simple.

And you, my fellow post-menopausers, how are you eating these days? What is your favorite dish? Are you eating your vegetables? Write me, hit reply and let me know.