Tight Shorts, Smoothies and Bone Broth

By Jennifer Cote –

Wrestling with Modern Diet, Determined to Keep My Old Figure!

Swimsuit weather has arrived. I got out our annual camping gear, trying on the shorts I wear once a year, when we’re off to the wilderness. Somehow, those shorts seemed a bit tight. Humm…

I used to weigh myself every day on my trusty old scale. I eventually got over-confident and got rid of it. I didn’t need a scale to keep me in line!

But the evidence seemed contrary. So I got a new scale to confirm, one way or another. It was true. I had to get back to a more careful eating habit.

My daughter-in-law had tried comforting me. “Almost every woman I know gains at least eight pounds, just from going through menopause,” she said, “even without changing their eating habits.” I had heard about the Freshman Fifteen, but I didn’t want to become a “Menopausal Eight” statistic!

So I researched Paleo, Whole 30, GAPS and Gluten-free diets. I went full-circle from a previous vegetarian diet. It was an eye-opener to find that whole foods like nuts, grains, and beans might actually contribute to inflammation. It seemed a bit odd to grab a cup of “bone broth” when a meal was delayed. It was surprising to read of the differences between standard grocery store fare, vs. grass-fed cows, free-range chickens (and eggs), and wild caught fish. But my health began improving as I applied the new information.

I’ve replaced my old habit of eating raw, soaked grains for breakfast, having a smoothie and a hard-boiled egg or two instead. Organic veggies from our garden (or from our local Farmer’s Market) are put to work in that morning smoothie, and my day is off to a good start.

To make life easier, I make “Veggie-Cubes” first, filling my Vitamix blender with beets, kale, carrot, celery, spinach and the like. (I highly recommend the machine!) After processing those with a bit of liquid, I make veggie ice cubes, which saves me from extensive veggie prep every day. All I have to do is drop a few of those ice cubes into the blender with whatever fresh fruit I want to add each morning, perhaps along with some coconut oil or coconut cream

I also add a probiotic brew to that smoothie, for the liquid. I recently started making my own water kefir (since I don’t have a cow to milk, to get the real stuff for milk kefir). It has been yielding a wonderful, bubbly brew, giving me loads of healthy probiotics and extra vitamins and minerals in the process. Wow!

Nuts were always a favorite smoothie addition for me, but I’ve cut back; that dietary change alone has reduced the inflammation I’d been experiencing. If you’re inspired to try a smoothie routine, you might consider investing in a Vitamix (or Ninja blender). My old blender could make fruit smoothies, but these heavy-duty models will even puree raw veggies.

Or, you might just get a larger size of shorts!

Jen offers simple strategies for preparing healthy, homemade meals for family and friends. She runs The New Deli café with husband Tom, working on her 2^nd cookbook in her spare time. More can be found at gratefultable.com; email Jennifer at jennifer@gratefultable.com.