22 Days to Christmas, Wednesday, Dec 3, 2025

“Something Healthy”

What healthy foods and drinks do you dislike?  This is an easy question to ask older adults like me, because essentially, we consume lots of things that don’t please our taste buds because it’s good for us.

For instance, do you like broccoli?  What about collard greens?  Do you enjoy drinking water?  What about vegetable juice?  What other things do you need to be consuming but don’t because you don’t like it?

The Holidays are not the time to think about diets.  We should save that discussion for Lent (beginning February 18, 2026).  Instead, we give the Holidays a hall pass, choosing to indulge because it only comes around once per year.  Believe it or not, the average weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is only 1 to 2 pounds, not the 5 to 10 pounds that concern some folks. 

This is great news!  Since the average person only gains a couple pounds, that means I should be able to consume anything I want.  Or, if I want to be healthy, I could just add some flavoring to my healthy foods to make them better.  For instance, if I don’t like broccoli, a few big spoons of cheddar cheese sauce can help.  Collard greens are really healthy, but they taste yucky.  So, I can just add a ham hock and a pound of chopped bacon to solve that problem.  I can add flavorings to water to make it more pleasant, just like I can add a shot of vodka to vegetable juice for a good, healthy breakfast snack.

No, no, no.  That’s not the way it works.  I know better, but still, I know I’m going to bend the rules a little (or a lot) this Holiday Season.  I also know that I’ll end up regretting it on January 1 when I step on the scale.  But, even then, since Lent begins just six weeks after that, I can always wait until Lent to be healthy.

No, no, no.  That’s not the way it works, either.  I can rationalize just about anything, but getting a handle on some of it now will remove lots of worry later on.  For instance, adding a glass of water each day is proven to improve brain function, help my emotional moods, reduce tiredness, and even prevent headaches.  Adding a serving of  broccoli to my diet supports immune function, bone health, heart health, and reduces inflammation.  Go figure.

Is there healthy food or drink in your meal plan today?  I wonder, what would the New Year look like if I just add a serving of healthy food or drink to my daily consumption this month?  Hmmm.  I’ve never tried that, so I might as well give it a whirl.  If the worst case scenario on January 1 is that I’m smarter, my bones are stronger, and overall, I’m a happier person.  That’s not so bad, is it?

“At the end of the ten days they (Daniel and his friends) looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.  So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.  To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning.”  (Daniel 1:15-17, NIV)