Hello friends, and welcome to this month’s Joyinmovement newsletter.
Can it possibly be November again? Time flies. Thanksgiving will be here soon!
Just the other day I asked myself what I’m most thankful for right now. The answer came quickly. I’m thankful that my body, mind, and spirit are in great shape. Great enough shape, in fact, that I’m able to enjoy all the traveling I’ve been doing.
You might have noticed that I’ve been traveling more than ever and having a great time. Here are, according to my own observations, the two top reasons I’m aging well and able to spread my wings and travel. Number one is nutrition and number two is the way I take care of my body by getting bodywork on a regular basis.
Nutrition: I’m very particular about what I eat. Most of you reading this know me personally and have even shared meals with me. I’m famous for eating my BIG salad and healthy lean protein every night for dinner. I’m also known for my super duper smoothies each morning. I eat plenty of fat from healthy sources. I limit my sugar intake. That includes not overindulging in carbohydrates like pasta, bread, or grains. This mitigates inflammation in my body and allows me to maintain a healthy weight and enjoy great steady energy all day long.
Bodywork: For what seems like forever, I’ve believed in keeping my body and brain healthy by utilizing different types of bodywork. I enjoy them all, from Rolfing to acupuncture. I choose the bodyworker carefully. I feel like the person I’m working with is more important than the style of bodywork. Right now I’m enjoying Shiatsu. I have a Shiatsu practitioner who has been providing Shiatsu in the traditional Japanese style for more than 20 years. It’s rare to find a Shiatsu master in the United States. Bodywork keeps me healthy and functional, and repairs any of the issues in my body that may arise from time to time.
However, if you’ve been reading these Joyinmovement letters for some time, you also know that when I travel, I totally indulge in the foods and customs of the country and people I’m visiting. Traveling somewhere and not enjoying the local FOOD doesn’t make sense to me. If there’s a better way to learn about people than to sample their cuisine, I haven’t found it!
So if you’ll let me share with you some of the amazing food I sampled on my recent trip to France and Greece, I think you’ll understand what I mean.
This is called Romanesco broccoli. Even though it’s Italian, I saw it in a market in France. I’ve never seen it before. It’s a stunning vegetable and is actually a form of cauliflower. If I ever see it again, I definitely want to try it.
I don’t eat much cheese but if I ever move to France, that will change! The cheese shops and the cheeses themselves are incredible. So many cheeses, so little time.
Every morning in Greece I had a yogurt and fruit bowl for breakfast. The yogurt there is the real deal. It’s delicious and made from sheep’s milk.
I’ve always loved Greek food! Greek salads every night for dinner were perfect for me. The ingredients varied but there were two things I noticed with every salad. One was that the feta cheese was served in a block and never crumbled, and the other was that the salad never came with dressing already on it. That made sense so you could dress your own salad.
Like I said, I indulge! And the chocolate baklava was wonderful. One baklava was good for four people!
This is Panos, my host in Mykonos. He directed me to some great eateries. EVERYONE I met in Greece smokes, and drinks a lot of coffee. He promised me that even though he smoked and drank too much coffee, he did have a home based Yoga practice that he did faithfully. I believed him!
Olives everywhere in Greece. I had never seen an olive tree before I went to Greece. And olive oil is in everything from soap to soup!
Another of my favorite indulgences in Greece was souvlaki. The pita bread was homemade, the tomatoes were grilled, the tzadiki freshly made, and the meat very moist and spicy. My favorite lunch meal and plenty for two people.
Here’s the way souvlaki was served.
I enjoyed how the street vendors sold coconuts and coconut water. Very refreshing on a hot day.
I told you I indulged. We tried ouzo, Greek wine, and even a few homemade desserts. The Greek people are wonderful, friendly, and love to cook and eat. And I enjoyed eating what they cooked!
Another thing that fascinated me was that even in a frozen yogurt kiosk, the toppings were all so healthy. This yogurt stand had chopped pistachios!
I know this photo looks odd because of the glare off the mirror, but I wanted to show you that I travel light, with only a bag on my back and a small backpack for day use. That’s another reason I’m determined to stay strong and healthy. Carrying 20 pounds or less around on my back doesn’t always feel easy, but I sure feel great about the effort and will continue to travel this way as long as I can!
So as Thanksgiving approaches, and really each and every day is a day to offer up thanks, take some time to reflect on what you’re grateful for. We all have so much to be thankful for, including all the JOYinmovement in each and every day!
shelli
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