Eating

“You are what you eat,” — Anon.

Among work and sleep, eating is right up there in terms of taking up our time. And so, after many years living my life, eating and drinking; I have assembled a few quirky food rules ... not all of which I have always followed religiously ... but at least I know I should have. Here are a few of my simple dietary tenets:

- Listen to your body and eat what it whispers to you.  Eating things that you don’t like ...or what you have been told you should eat is a bad idea.

- Noshing because of your emotions is unhealthy ... particularly between meals.

- Vinegar is an underutilized and healthy condiment ... or even a drink.

- It is good to eat a wide variety of foods. Sticking to just a few favorites is a sure way to problems.

- Ethel alcohol is a poison, an enjoyable poison, but still a poison. Never have more than three drinks at a sitting.

- Butter, eggs, milk and salt are not nearly as bad as they are made out to be.

- I am a little silly superstitious ... I think earring calve’s liver somehow aids your liver. Eating tripe, helps your stomach. And so forth.

- If you are obese, you should eat less. If you are skinny, you should eat more. Simple! If you are in between, relax and enjoy.

- Activity levels can and should be used to adjust your food intake.

- Every once in a while one should go without a meal ... or two ... or even three.

- Never, never, never have a midnight snack.

- Your parents were wrong. You don’t have to eat everything on your plate or drink everything in your glass,. Always leave something there for the gods.

- Surprise recommendation: Cold buttermilk is a very refreshing thirst quencher on a hot summer day

- And as Julia Chili’s used to say, “Everything in moderation.”