The BIG 50th Birthday is tomorrow. I am saying goodbye to my forties and reaching a milestone. A half a century, it is incredible to me that I am turning 50 years old. Never one to feel old, this year is no exception. One of my new favorite sayings is I look almost as young as I feel. The phrase keeps people guessing – how young do I feel exactly? I hope the statement relays my message – age is just a number.
Age Should Not Define Us
Age should not define us, sometimes our body, energy, face and hair may not have gotten the memo. Aging can take an effect on how we feel and look. I am absolutely thrilled to have discovered the Mediterranean ‘way of eating’ a year and a half ago. Read about my journey on Olive Sunshine.
My relationship with food was not healthy. I truly worried about everything I ate, even healthy choices. For me now food is nourishment. I feel good about my food choices. My Sweetheart and I follow the guidelines set by Oldways Mediterranean Diet.
Cheat Days
I saw a question on a social media group for beginners of the Mediterranean Diet. The question was, “How often do you cheat on this diet?” This is the first ‘diet’ I have tried that I am no longer plotting out my “cheat days”. With my BIG 50th Birthday underfoot, I have had many offers from friends wanting to treat me to my old favorite foods. I have no desire at all to cheat. Not even with donuts.
Old Traditions
I understood eating donuts and maintaining a certain dress size were not correlated activities. I loved donuts. Committed to fit into my clothes, eating donuts became my annual birthday treat. Every year for the past decade I would visit a local donut place in town. As far as donuts go, this place makes the best anywhere hands down. They open early and they close when they are out of donuts. You will rarely find them open past lunchtime.
It was always stunning to me that the woman behind the counter and the donut maker always remembered me. On my first visit I was having trouble choosing between the glazed donut, for which they are famous, and my favorite – an old-fashioned cake donut. The donut maker saw me really debating and told me to get both donuts. I shared it was my only donut for the year. He stopped and made a special donut that encompassed both. I sat at a little counter table in his view. Biting into my specially made fresh from the oven donut, I almost fell under the table. The donut was decadent. He said it was rare he could make any woman that happy and our friendship was born.
My Last Donut
The cashier would always remember me and say happy birthday and the donut maker would make my special donut. Last year was different when I went for my donut. The donut maker gruffly said he was too busy to make my special donut. My face fell and I quietly said that I would just get a regular glazed. He asked me to come back in an hour. He made me a giant glazed donut. I mean a giant donut. Fourteen people ate a slice of this donut and there was plenty left. A spectacular treat. But I knew it would be my last.
Food I loved, Did Not Love Me Back
I share this story not to have you run out and buy donuts (sorry). I shared to let you know that, like most people, I LOVED food that did not always love me back. Starting the Mediterranean Diet, I was grateful this way of eating allows all foods in moderation. My first week, I was already looking forward to my monthly planned splurge.
Reading the question posed by the poster, “How often do you cheat on this diet?” I related to her. She was really asking, can I cheat and reach my goals? I will say, yes. The Mediterranean Diet is a way of eating, and you can enjoy your favorite foods in moderation. The food pyramid outlines a monthly celebration with friends and family which include those occasional foods – in moderation.
New Traditions
Wouldn’t my BIG 50th Birthday be the perfect time for my splurge – my annual donut? Sure, and it would be allowed! But eating food in compliance with the Mediterranean Diet is tasty. I no longer have a taste for unhealthy fats, sugars and processed food. Within a few months, I realized my old favorites did not compete for flavor with my new Mediterranean Diet dishes. Almost immediately after cheating with sugary foods I have a headache or I wake up feeling swollen and achy from overly-processed food.
I did not tell the new Mediterranean Dieter, that if she truly embraced this way of eating, she might not crave her old favorites anymore. Why didn’t I tell her? It sounds a little scary. Foods can often represent very meaningful traditions, and the thought of not having them can be hard. It is my BIG 50th Birthday. I want to want a giant donut or to look forward to a delicious homemade cake, something I was a bit famous for making among my friends. It seems like my half-century birthday requires something special and delicious. A new tradition is in order. We deserve something special and delicious for our special occasions. I want food that nourishes me. I want to continue to look almost as young I feel!
Help Me Start Healthy Traditions
That brings me to my new task, and I would love your help. I want to create new traditions to enjoy my special occasions. Traditions that may not be perfectly compliant, are more aligned to the guidelines and taste delicious. My plan is to have three desserts prepared for a live tasting via Zoom. I have approximately 35 hours until my BIG 50th Birthday party on Tuesday to create and make three contending desserts. No pressure. Will you join me and help me decide which dessert should be my new annual tradition?
My Big 50th Birthday
The Big 50 Birthday event details will be on my Facebook Olive Sunshine page. Tuesday I would like as many of my friends and family members, and the Olive Sunshine community, who cares to to attend. Join via Zoom for a 15 minute party. Sing Happy Birthday and celebrate with me virtually as I establish new traditions.