I had a little surgery so I had to take a break from exercise. Rather than waste time just treading water I decided to concentrate on good nutrition. Most of us already know about healthy eating but I learned some cool stuff! After reading lots of books and blogs I came away with a few newly energized resolutions for myself.

1. Eat local
Not only is the food fresher, I'm supporting my local orchards and farms. There's no need for food to travel hundreds or even thousands of miles to me. That's just wasteful.

2. Spend time cooking
Sure I'm busy. We all are. But my health is worth the time it takes to do a bit of cooking. There is just no substitute for plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables cooked at home. Fancy recipes are usually unnecessary. Just whack it up and roast, grill or stir-fry.

3. Plenty of freggies...nine or more a day
When I was a kid, we were taught in school to eat four fruits and vegetables a day. As an adult I upped it to five. Now I'm shooting for nine. That's what the CDC recommends and, really...are there any drawbacks to this? No! I feel great!

4. Beans and greens every day
Do it for the protein. Do it for the fiber. Do it for the joy of discovering how many different kinds there are. Eat them together. Eat them separately. But we need beans and we need dark green leafy vegetables every single day.

5. Grass-fed milk, meat and eggs
Yes they cost a little more but this is no time to pinch pennies. I read Omnivore's Dilemma and I'm convinced! Not only is grass-fed tastier, my son (who has severe Crohn's Disease) has noticed a dramatic improvement when he switched to grass-fed. Very dramatic, as in he couldn't tolerate milk at all before and now he can. Those omega 3s are amazing!

So that's my report on my reading about nutrition. Thank you to authors Michael Pollann, Barbara Kingsolver and others who kept me company this summer. I was inspired to visit some local food co-ops and farms. The quality of my food has improved dramatically. And you know what? No more cravings for junk food!

Now I get to exercise again...oh how I missed sweating!
http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition
/everyone/fruitsvegetables
/howmany.html