22 Oct 2015


Breads

A blast from the calorie past!

Cliff found this calorie list among my mother-in-law Vivian’s papers.The doctor’s name is at the top, and in Vivian’s handwriting are the words “For Al.”

So did the doctor want Cliff’s dad on a diet or did Vivian? Not sure, but it’s fun to see the foods listed on the sheet. The names Boston brown bread, Brown Betty, and prune whip have a particular fifties flair.

Menopause and weight gain go together like ice cream and apple pie. Here’s a good article from one of my favorite health sites, the Mayo Clinic, about gaining weight during the Change of Life.

My daughter Kath, a registered dietitian, was the second food diarist on the Internet. For five years, she took photos of everything she ate. Her website, Katheats.comhas thousands of readers (proud mom here), but I know from her experience that writing about weight gain and calories can rub some the wrong way. So here’s my experience, but please skip this if you’re not in the mood for weight or calorie talk.

I had horrible food cravings during the worst of the roller coaster ride; I’ve got a huge sweet tooth; and I love to eat, especially in restaurants, at parties, and on vacation. But I got serious about taking off some pounds around the time of my cancer diagnosis. I wondered if I could really do it now that I am entrenched in menopause. I could. I did. I paid attention to calories and upped my exercise, and it worked*

But I still look at Vivian’s calorie sheet and sigh. It’s not easy to resist desserts and other high calorie foods. And I bet my father-in-law, who loved desserts as much as I do, wasn’t so happy to see his name on the top of that sheet!

Prune whip, anyone?

prunewhip_final

Actually, prune whip looks better than it sounds, and it’s not too hard to make. I found the recipe and photo on a cool site, Vintage Recipe Cards.com

*Maintenance is a kicker though. Exercise seems to be the key.

 

  

Barbara Younger

Barbara Younger blogs from her home in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Along with Friend for the Ride: Encouraging Words for the Menopause Roller Coaster (http://friendfortheride.com), she writes books for children and adults. She lives in an old house with her husband Cliff. and collections of everything from dolls to buttons to bookmarks. She's the mother of two grown daughters and the grandmother to one adorable baby boy!

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