In My Mind’s Zen Garden

It’s a week after Thanksgiving.

How’s everyone doing?

Well, for myself, I usually ask the following questions in the back of my mind. Or, at this point my healthy diet and lifestyle have completely gone downhill from here:

1. Did I succumb to some relative’s suggestion to eat a little turkey?

Ah, I remained strong and determined. I had no turkey this Thanksgiving. Anyway, my distant memories of eating turkey were one of consuming rather dry, heavy fowl flesh that had to be accompanied with a lot of gravy because of its texture.

2. Did I totally slack off on my healthy diet and lifestyle after Thanksgiving and going into the holiday season?

Fortunately, I’ve remained committed to eating very healthy right now… one week after Thanksgiving and for the past few months now.

I’ve pulled my electric juicer out of hiding and have been juicing: apples, oranges, tangerines, carrots, and celery.

And I’ve been eating mostly raw fruits and vegetables. Making salads and veggie sandwiches. Snacking on smoothies, nuts and raw cacao chocolates.

Where I have faltered a bit has been in buying an occasional bag of vegetable chips from the health food store. And a couple of times I did buy some onion rings from a fast food restaurant. Pretty bad, I know. But at least I didn’t get a big combo meal with the humongous burger, large fries and large soda.

Nowadays, I don’t drink soda at all. I’m totally weaned from that. And I don’t really drink coffee. I’m weaned from that too, which is a big money saver, considering all those daily Starbucks mochas I used to get in the past.

So, for the most part, I’m eating very healthy. And doing lots of gardening as a moderate exercise, and doing yoga as well.

And for the first time in like a long time, I seem to be going into the holidays eating well and feeling healthy. The feeling healthy part is the key, because the more you eat healthy, the better your mind and body feels, and you feel up to doing a lot of those things that need to be done during the holiday season.

But, with the flu and cold season coming… that would be the big test.

The Goldenseal extract is working wonders so far. I’ve had a couple of instances where I felt a cold coming on with the sniffles, and had taken the Goldenseal extract and hours later I’d feel better again.

I need to get some Echinacea extract to help in avoiding the cold.

Okay, so I’m doing well so far. But this weekend on Saturday and Sunday, the big band will be off to Arizona and the real test will begin, on whether or not I can maintain a healthy diet during that time. Life on the road is always tough. Too many bad choices for dining out, and very few healthy choices.

So I must plan a strategy to get me through Saturday and Sunday. I can bring fruits and nuts, which are easy to take along. And try to get some healthy smoothies somewhere. I may have to eat less raw vegan foods until I get home.

And I can buy a bunch of those raw vegan bars from the health food store…..