Why does nutrition advice keep changing? Eggs are bad. Eggs
are good. Drinking red wine is good, but watch out, not too much.
Calcium is good for our bones, but now we are told it is bad for sticky
arteries.
All of this often leads to fad diets, but some basics of healthy eating
seem to stay with us. We have learned to plan meals with colorful
food. White potatoes, biscuits, and breaded chicken probably will not
give us all the nutrients we need. But a colorful meal with orange,
yellow, and green veggies with a main dish is good for us. Colorful
fruit is a great snack.
The TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) group have just begun a four-
week contest to remind us to eat colorful vegetables and fruit. We have
a chart on which we record how many colorful items we eat each week.
The contest, "Eat Your Colors," has a point system. For example, eating
two different colors of fruit in one day awards five points. Blending
fruit in a smoothie awards ten points, and trying vegetable noodles
will earn the contestant 20 points. Finding a new vegetable or fruit,
never tried before, even awards points.
It's not about weight loss this month, but more about eating healthy,
summer foods. You may find that a group like TOPS (Take Off Pounds
Sensibly) can help you as well. We meet now on Tuesday at 8:30 am in
the Ballroom. For more information, call Andi Henderson (918) 497-
6491. ~ Andi Henderson
TOPS
64 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | JULY 2021
