Inner health, outer beauty.

Well now, I've really let the cat out of the bag mentioning that miniscule wedding dress, haven't I? I'll treat it as a slip of the tongue and an impossible dream, but that's not going to stop me trying to live a healthier life now and forever more. Unfortunately, along with awful weight gain, I also discovered during the last year that I had severe hypertension and cholestrol so high that I'm embarrassed to tell you. This came as a very rude shock, as I am fit,  exercise regularly and apart from my lifetime wine habit, thought I was eating pretty healthily. It seems that 52 is an age when so many changes happen in a woman's body that many things can, and often do, go awry, so check you numbers ladies. Whilst I was initially upset at having to start chronic medication as I've never taken anything stronger than a panado, I am now grateful that I have access to such lifesaving stuff and that my conditions are manageable.


I am also doing everything in my power to put the right types of food into Mr Suzy Q and myself, as he has similar health issues. So this month we have been eating a meat free diet, and using as much in the way of vegetable protein as possible, in order to start shedding those Christmas kilos and unclogging our arteries. We've been enjoying oats for breakfast, lovely fresh salads for lunch, using avocado pears as much as possible, and delicious vegetarian suppers. To this end I have been using our own Lynn Bedford Hall's Pick of the Bunch vegetarian cook book, and have been having so much fun trying her fabulous recipes. These are a far cry from the sack cloth and hessian veggy burger image.  We've had the Greek-style vegetables with beans and feta, stuffed brinjals ratatouille (a bit of effort but well worth it), simply splendid vegetable curry, and will try the  potato and lentil pie tonight. We are both feeling fabulous, and will hopefully look that way again soon.

Talking food, we have the most welcome addition to the southern suburbs in the way of The Food Lover's Market on Main Road, Retreat. It is a veritable food emporium, offering the freshest fruit and vegetables, spices and to be honest anything you can think of regarding food. Our best find is the buffalo mozzarella at R30 for two big balls, and the friendly assistant advised us to weigh them without the water to be sure to get good value for money. It's unbelievably delicious, no resemblance at all to the cellophane wrapped supermarket stuff, so there's no going back. As I'm growing my own tomatoes now (a big, abundant bush from one squashed tomato - so proud) we have tomato and mozzarella salads with basil and a shot glass of extra virgin olive oil as recommended by another great doyen of South African cookery, Marlene van der Westhuizen. Pizzas have also taken on a new dimension, as we top our homemade pizza dough with rounds of tomatoes, slices of mozzarella and bake away on the pizza stone I got for Christmas. To die for doll, or maybe from, as it seems that the cheese is not the healthiest around, but hopefully not as dangerous as camembert and the likes, and what's life without a weekend treat?

Which brings me to another point, as I must confess that I haven't quite managed to give up the evening glass or two of wine, but then, isn't January stressful enough anyway, without adding to your woes...?


Slightly guilty,


Suzy Q