The summer of 2009 I turned 50 (50 is the new 40!) and with this milestone came the realization that I really need to eat a balanced nutritional diet for my continued good health. I have had a weight issue most of my adult life. A few years ago I joined Weight Watchers (not my first time either) and I lost 49 pounds. For a couple of years I did a great job of maintaining within a pound or two, but from time to time I let my good eating habits and exercise waiver, and with that comes some weight fluctuation. My motivation is no longer just about what size jeans I wear, rather the effect that extra weight has on my health.  Now it’s wow! I want to live to a ripe old age, and in the best of health.

With this in mind, I am more dedicated to improving the way I eat and how I feed my family. I am building on the good foundation I already established.

There are so many informative books and web sites I have found that have helped me to live a healthy lifestyle. I hope you will come back and enjoy the recipes, book reviews, food finds and my thoughts as I continue on this journey to be more mindful about taking care of my body and my mind.

On a personal note

My husband Tom and I both grew up in Nebraska. For the first 10 years of our marriage we lived In Iowa. For the past twenty years we have lived in Northern California with our two children Katy and David and we love it here.

We often get together with a group of foodie friends (you know who you are) who also love to cook and eat. These meals are not always healthy, but they are always delicious! I believe in the occasional indulgence. It balances out when the rest of the week is filled with healthy foods.

Exercise

My favorite form of exercise is walking outside. We live close to a nature trail and it is a visual treat as well as a good work out to walk the three mile round trip trail. My knees don’t allow me to jog but walking has tremendous health benefits for both body and mind.