Tag: #cleaneating

Don’t Call Me A Senior!

We are roughly one month away from the end of the year – another year flying by way too quickly.  And, as it turns out, my birthday (Valentine’s Day which falls on the second holiday of the New year) is quickly approaching.  So I will turn 64 years old on February 14th, 2026 God willing.  Which brings me to my dilemma.  I don’t consider myself a Senior Citizen.  And I say it with a straight face (smile).

 

 

Technically speaking  I am not yet a Senior Citizen since the state of Connecticut defines a Senior Citizen as a state resident who is 65 years or older in terms of program eligibility like Social Security, Property Tax Relief, Medicare and other state aid.

 

Don’t call me a Senior!

 

There are, however, some programs and/or services in the state of Connecticut which consider 55 as the starting age.  As a matter of fact 13 years ago when I turned 50, AARP had the nerve to send me an unsolicited membership card!   I tossed it in the trash (smile).  Clearly they had confused me with my next door neighbor who, at that time in my life, was most certainly a Senior Citizen (smile).

 

I am not my next door neighbor

 

Another thing.   My name Le Jeune means ‘The Young’ in French so that might have something to do with my age obsession (smile).   True story:  While reading Jet magazine, my late mother Jean found my name attached to a very popular African American model who had just won an award in Cannes, France.  The model’s name was Le Jeune Hundley and, as it turned out, she traveled to France because it was easier for a black woman from the United States to find modeling work in France then it was in the U.S.  At any rate my mother loved the name, but changed the first E to an A, dropped the capital in J, closed the letters together and Voila! named me (her 5th daughter) after this model.  Here is a picture of Le Jeune Hundley on the cover of Jet magazine:

 

By the way her name was misspelled here by Jet Magazine…

 

Another concern of mine is that scientists have identified the 5 stages of the human brain and 66 (or the mid-60s) is when the so-called Early Aging phase begins.  This is the phase when people face increased risk for a variety of health conditions that can affect the brain, such as hypertension.  Hence why I wake up 5 days a week at the crack of dawn (430am) to work out from 5am to 6am at  Orangetheory Fitness in Hamden.  I’m usually one of the oldest members in my class but I can still keep up with everyone (smile).

 

I am truly an Early Bird

 

And also why I (as of the Covid Pandemic of 2020) completely cut alcohol (in my case – Wine) out of my life and continue to work very hard to eat clean and nutritious meals.  It can be harsh (especially around the holidays) so I allow myself to cheat from time to time. Like the other day when I went with my girlfriends Sherry and Thais to see Wicked 2 at the Cinemark movie theater and  treated myself to a Medium popcorn with extra movie theater butter (smile).

 

 

I truly believe life is for living and I have reiterated it as much in more than one of my previously written blog posts.  I will continue to not act my age and just enjoy life to the fullest.  So unless I am getting a serious Senior Citizen discount, you will not know when I am in fact a Senior Citizen.

 

I will be a selective Senior Citizen (smile)

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

 

 

My Clean Living Life Part VII

It’s been a minute since I blogged in TVFL about anything – 10 months to be exact – call it the ‘Pandemic Blues’ but I’ve been feeling pretty unmotivated when it comes to writing about my life.

 

 

It could also be because I’ve been having GI issues of late which are more annoying than painful.  Between doctor’s appointments, getting my Vitals checked, eliminating certain foods from my diet, it’s not been a fun start to the New Year…

 

 

One thing’s for sure, the issue is not related to alcohol since I stopped drinking anything but Mocktails at the onset of the Pandemic.

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The silver lining is that my GI office is real close to figuring out what’s wrong with me so that they can prescribe the correct course of action.

 

 

And I can try and get back to a more normal way of living which includes a positive mindset and healthier version of clean eating.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

My Top 3 Goals in the New Year

Good or bad it is officially the holiday season.  Thanksgiving is a not so distant memory, Christmas Day is looming and the New Year is right around the corner.

So today I thought to myself why not start early on my top 3 goals in the New Year before I get too caught up in the frenziness of the holidays…

 

Goal 1:

Make Clean Eating a regular part of my lifestyle

I’ve fallen off from clean eating more often than not this past year so in 2019, I resolve to do the following:

  • To not give in so much to temptation (mainly unhealthy eating)
  • To try harder to eat unprocessed, locally sourced foods that I (preferably) cook myself
  • To snack less and instead eat several small meals during the day
  • To drink more water in between meals
  • To eat more whole grains, veggies and fresh produce

 

 

 

Goal 2:

Work out smarter

It is a fact that I currently work out 5 weekday mornings a week but to tell you the truth I could be working out smarter as opposed to harder.  Here’s what I plan on doing in the New Year:  hydrating during my workouts, using heavier more challenging hand weights while working out and doing cardio after my team training, not before.

 

 

Goal 3:

Step up my retirement savings plan

I am 56 years old and not too far away from the legal retirement age so I resolve in 2019 to start putting away more money towards my retirement as it’s looming and will be here before you know it.

 

 

On that note, Cheers to the Holiday Season!

 

 

Sincerely,

 

TVFL

 

 

My Clean Living Life – Part IV

I am a super proud Colon Cancer Survivor(since August of 2011) so eating “clean” is an essential part of my life.   I’m also Lactose Intolerant so I’m ever mindful of making the right food and beverage choices.

Here are just some of the products I find make it easier for me to lead a dairy-free life:

I eat cereal every morning so milk is a major part of my diet.  Before I even realized I was Lactose Intolerant I had already made the switch from whole milk to 2% milk and then finally to 1% milk so switching over to Almond Breeze Almondmilk (Original and Unsweetened) plant based milk suits me just fine.

I love love love cheese so I was super excited when I found out I could still have cheddar cheese, a personal fave, as well as any of the “hard” cheeses as they are easier to digest than the “soft” cheeses and therefore do not upset my stomach.  For cheddar cheese, I prefer the CABOT brand…

When it comes to yogurt there are so many options today but I tend to gravitate towards Yoplait lactose free yogurt as it just tastes better than most of the other dairy-free brands flooding the market.

I used to love to slap a dollop of whipped creme on top of my pie or cake during the holidays.  Instead of using whipped creme, try this simple recipe to make your own dairy -free version:

 

  • Use one can of full-fat coconut milk (Thai Kitchen organic Coconut Milk is a good brand to use)
  • Plus one tablespoon of  local honey for sweetener (optional)

Whisk the two ingredients together for up to 4 minutes and you’re good to go!

 

During the dog days of Summer (which is honestly the only time I think of ice cream) one of my fave dairy-free choices is Breyers Lactose Free Natural Vanilla as it’s simply delicious.

 

 

If you are a salad lover like me, scratch the heavy blue cheese or ranch dressings (or other milk-based dressings) and switch over to the lighter Balsamic Vinaigrette (Wish Bone makes a tasty version…)

Delish salad!

 

And finally,  I’m an avid snacker so I found that Hummus easily takes the place of  creme (“soft”) cheese, it is way better for you plus it tastes good too!  Sabra Classic Hummus (or its many equally delicious varieties) makes a healthy satisfying dip whether you’re snacking on raw veggies, crackers, pretzels, and/or baked chips.  Yummy!

 

So whether you are Lactose intolerant like me or not, Bon Appetit!

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

 

 

 

My Clean Living Life, Part III

This has got to be one, if not the, hardest times of the year for a striving-to-be-clean girl like me (smile).

 

It doesn’t help that I live in New England where its bitter cold outside  at 5am in the morning when I wake up to go to the gym.

 

 

And, to add insult to injury, good and un-healthy food greets me everywhere I turn, making it harder and harder for me to make  the right food choices…Between office day and night parties, get-togethers with friends, family gatherings, pre-holiday dinners, after-work happy hours and the like, I almost feel like throwing in the towel and biting into that lovely red velvet cupcake!

 

 

And eating clean?!?   What a joke?!?   Not with all of these yummy, unhealthy but delicious snacks surrounding me…

 

 

But then this tiny little nagging voice of reason shakes me, wakes me up and tells me to maintain control because if I keep giving in to food temptation, it’s going to be that much harder come January 2nd…

 

So…I take a deep breath and remind myself of the little things that I have done in the past to counteract the decadence.   Here are just a few tips that I have used successfully:

 

  • Drink lots of water (not only is it filling but it also cleans out toxins)
  • Eat slowly and take small bites
  • At parties, eat out of tiny dinner plates 
  • Try not do two things at once (like eat and talk on the phone) as you will lose track of your portions
  • And finally, drink one large (10 ounces or more) glass of ice water for every alcoholic drink consumed

 

The holidays are truly a whirlwind of fun, good food, good drinks and activity but if you try to keep track of what you eat and drink daily and not give in to every temptation out there you can get through them with minimal damage and celebrate the post New Year in style!

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL