Eat Your Veggies

Someone is clearly trying to tell me something--big time. I went to hear Mark Bitman speak at the Free Library last night and he impressed upon his audience the message of his book, Food Matters. Eat less meat; add more vegetables to your diet because our present diet is both unhealthy and unsustainable for the planet.

OK. Fair enough, I made the transition to less meat, more veggies (organic and locally grown) a while ago so I get it but lately with book deadlines, the cooking aspect of my life has taken a back seat. Yes, bad habits have slipped back in and its time to get back on the veggie wagon, so to speak.

Then today I spent the better part of my afternoon with Miss Phoebe at Penn Vet School where I met with an orthopedist about her torn ACL. Yes, it is torn, but remarkably the stubborn Miss Phoebe is actually putting weight on it. They were floored. So we are going to try a 6 week regime of PT, acupuncture, low intensity laser and yes, you got it, a serious diet. She needs to add vegetables to her diet!

Yes, the Penn vet told me to add 1 cup of string beans to about 1/2 less of her food and see how it goes. Apparently the beans fill her up and provide her with the fiber she needs. I told you the planets were trying to tell me something.

Well I came home and found no string beans in the house, but we did have carrots. So Miss Phoebe and her brothers got about a tablespoon of carrots added to their food--and less of the food. Believe it or not, they ate it!

So Miss Phoebe and I are going to go the veggie route for an intense 6 weeks and see how we feel. If she can avoid surgery, I think I know how I am going to feel--unbelievably happy!! (and maybe a few pounds lighter...)