While I’m busy with my happiness projects my kid are busy encouraging me to be healthier. It’s not that I am a total food slob. As a matter of fact, I grew up on very healthy diet since my mom was from the South. I’m discovering, however. .

My food choices and cooking habits from childhood need reworking.
• The vegetables we ate were overcooked thus rendering them less nutritious.
• I don’t ever remember my mom using the word “cholesterol.”
• Eating everything on your plate seemed like good advice at one time.
• You can’t make a sandwich without bread.

As I learn to listen to my body, some food choices are immediately evaluated. I’m discovering, for example, that some sweets are far sweeter than I remember. Every holiday it’s been traditional for my mother and later me to make a chocolate meringue pie and a lemon meringue pie. Last holiday, when I bit into these pies they were so sweet to me that I thought for a moment that I had accidentally doubled the sugar. But to be sure I hadn’t goofed the recipes I tried these recipes again, and they were still too sweet.

Sadly, for tradition, but happily for my health, those pies won’t be part of our holiday celebrations anymore.

If you want to work at improving your food choices and eating habits, here are three things to do:

1. Look for fresh fruit and vegetable choices that seem to be more prevalent with the increase in farmers markets.
2. Watch cooking shows on TV and YouTube to learn how to prepare vegetables and fruits that are new to your family.
3. Check out these sites for tips on food and healthy living==>http://whfoods.org/ and www.sparkpeople.com

There’s no doubt about it : eating right and taking care of your body help promote happiness.