Dietary compromises: how much are you willing to give up / change?

[Maison Rustique]

14 minutes ago, weinoo said:

A sausage and mushroom pizza worked for us.

Once upon a time, I'd have been horrified at the thought of not having a salad to go with that to make it a "real" meal. Now that I'm old and don't have energy or dexterity to do as much in the kitchen, I often serve just a pizza or sandwich or whatever. I figure at our ages, poor nutrition is not going to matter much in increasing our lifespan.

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, Maison Rustique said:

Once upon a time, I'd have been horrified at the thought of not having a salad to go with that to make it a "real" meal. Now that I'm old and don't have energy or dexterity to do as much in the kitchen, I often serve just a pizza or sandwich or whatever. I figure at our ages, poor nutrition is not going to matter much in increasing our lifespan.

However, good nutrition can improve the quality of whatever remaining lifespan we might have so I wouldn't be in a hurry to dismiss it. 

[Margaret Pilgrim]

31 minutes ago, Anna N said:

... good nutrition can improve the quality of whatever remaining lifespan we might have so I wouldn't be in a hurry to dismiss it. 

Agree, but I also believe that at "our age" we can relax some healthful eating strictures, like occasional bacon or tempura or sausage gravy. I am frequently amused by medical professionals a third to half my age critiquing my lifestyle.

[Maison Rustique]

Definitely true, to a certain extent. But in this household, we are a bit beyond that. I don't really eat much junk. My husband is not well and is older--I'm much more concerned with making whatever time he has left as happy and comforting for him as possible.

[Anna N]

17 minutes ago, Maison Rustique said:

Definitely true, to a certain extent. But in this household, we are a bit beyond that. I don't really eat much junk. My husband is not well and is older--I'm much more concerned with making whatever time he has left as happy and comforting for him as possible.

I am not talking about restrictive diets. Trust me they are a waste of time after a certain age.  What I am talking about is making sure that you are getting adequate amounts of those nutrients that keep you at your peak as far as that is possible. I find it difficult to consume the amount of vegetables and fruit that I believe would make me just a little bit closer to optimum.  While  I am willing to somewhat watch my salt intake no way am I going to go on a salt free diet. If I'm going to die of something I prefer it was not starvation.  
 

edited to add that the salt restriction would improve my current state of health and has nothing to do with extending my life span. 
 

Edited February 28, 2023 by Anna N (log)

[Kerala]

I really would not worry too much. Lifelong habits make a difference. Occasional indulgence or carelessness in the last 20 years, not so much.

[Darienne]

On 2/28/2023 at 11:34 AM, Maison Rustique said:

Definitely true, to a certain extent. But in this household, we are a bit beyond that. I don't really eat much junk. My husband is not well and is older--I'm much more concerned with making whatever time he has left as happy and comforting for him as possible.

I'm with you in this one.  

[SLB]

About a decade ago I had to change my diet dramatically, drastically lowering the carbohydrate and increasing the protein.  When I say "had to", I mean to address a fairly radical change in my basic metabolism combined with disastrous iron-anemia.  I feel very fortunate that I like meat quite a bit, and for the time being can afford it in large volume.   

 

Also, I basically like almost all the foods, so switching to lower-starch vegetables wasn't particularly challenging.  

 

But I was really sad at the time.  It might've been the fact that I had lived 40 years in the full privilege of eating to taste and taste alone.  (**generally, my taste is a basically healthy diet of meat and vegetables and a pre-1980-style amount of starch, so it's fair to say that my taste ran coincident to many of the basic dietary guidelines).  So I was pouty about having to, you know, bring discipline to a place in my life where I had been going with my heartbeat.  There certainly are worse and harder areas where life gives this to us.

 

Anyway, where was I?  Yes, I was sad.  I now have to get the protein down, whether it's really where the deliciousness-action is at on the plate or not.  It can feel . . . boring.   People make all kinds of wondrous dishes that are not meat-heavy, and I'm always angling for more protein.  

 

And -- did I mention that it's expensive?  Good gawdalmighty did my budget change.  

 

The thing I'm terrified about ever having to give up is coffee.  My mother had to give up caffeine at 65, and I think I've mentioned it here:  it was traumatic for her, and really hard to watch.  She'd had a life of survival and not much pleasure, and her coffee was an important highlight.  She gave up the cigarettes with much less sorrow than the coffee, and she had smoked Kools-straights for forty years.  But she did it.  That woman had a will the likes of which I've never encountered since she left us.  
 

Edited March 5, 2023 by SLB (log)