THE FOOD POLICE

Writing a blog has helped me keep a record of my cancer journey to date. It’s also forced me to more authentic.

Having written that I’d be cutting down on my sugars has strengthened my resolve to permanently derail my double double and chocolate cake indulgences. As well, my attempts to stunt tumour growth have elevated asparagus to my side dish of choice for entrees ranging from salmon to spaghetti.

My blog has also alerted my friends to my new lifestyle. Weekly card games that used to be a beerfest have recently morphed into occasions for glasses of wine with ginger ale and vegetable platters instead of chips and deli meats.

When I was out for a coffee with Deacon Mike this morning, he was surprised when I was considering a Boston cream donut with my coffee.

“What about trying a bagel Mike?” he suggested, sounding like the food police. Of course, he was right.

As I try to keep my cancer opponent at bay, I often forget to make good dietary choices, especially when Xena isn’t around. Although I haven’t missed drinking milk or eating dairy foods like yogurt and ice cream, I’m still drawn to meat products despite constant reminders from my family that there are much healthier sources of protein than beef or pork.

My daughter Laura and her husband Chris are disciples of the vegetarian diet yet I’m too stubborn to go that route yet. A bowl of lentils or a quinoa salad might be fine occasionally but I can’t see eating a steady diet of foods I can’t spell without help from Google.

All my life, I’ve made a conscious effort to control what comes out of my mouth. Now I know it’s time to make a more dedicated effort to control what goes in.

You know the nearer your destination,

the more you’re slip sliding away.

Paul Simon