Mom Said to “Eat Less, Exercise More”

A forkful of pancakes

Some time ago, I noticed extra weight gain. A panicked call was made to Mom. In a harsh and sweet tone of a voice, she said, “You know how to eat healthy. Now eat less and exercise more,” she continued with the reality of my dilemma, “…if you gain weight now, it’s difficult to get it off… You’re older and the weight doesn’t come off like it use to. There’s no excuse for being fat.”

Some may view the advice as insensitive. Personally, I appreciate the seriousness of it. Why cry about it when the solution is simple: Eat less and exercise more. The following morning, I was up at 6 am for a quick two-mile run. A food diary was started to find potential problems, which revealed large portions of food and too much sugar.

Read more

Parade.com: Earthy and Citrus Meyer Lemon Muffins

Meyer Lemon Muffins

One snowy and freezing day, in which outside temperatures hovered around 10° F, my apartment was filled with a clean lemony and early spring, floral smell of Meyer Lemon Muffins. These aren’t super sweet muffins mimicking cupcakes. They have an earthy flavor from wheat flour, flax seeds and chia seeds as the glaze sweetens the muffins with an extra lemony taste. As temperatures continue to rise and extremely fall (in some places below 0° F), the taste and smell of these Meyer Lemon Muffins reminds us of early spring gardens as we watch snowflakes dance outside our windows.  Read more