Strawberries...
Chillies...
Tomatoes...
Giant cucumbers...
Green beans...
Beetroot...
Eggs from the chickens...
You name it.
My Grandad's garden has it all.
He's in his 80's (I think 82...could be wrong...does that make me a bad grandson?)
AND YET...
He's out gardening and walking everyday.
And he says some of the most SIMPLE, yet POWERFUL things.
"If I sit down for too long, my knees and back start to hurt so I have to get up" <<< This is now being shown with our 9-5 sedentary lifestyles...
We also know that too much sedentary behaviour can alter the way we process sugar and fat, too, increasing our risk of putting weight on and developing diseases, like Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
"I eat fish a few times a week, then chicken, and then some beef"
"I have my eggs in the morning"
"I have pasta and meatballs"
And all mixed with a garden full of seasonal fruit and veggies!
^^^ AKA eat a varied diet, which as we no know is great for our guts and immune system!
BUT...
As we sat across from each other eating our lunch
^^^ He cooked a whole chicken, made meatballs and pasta. We also had green beans, peas and broccoli from the garden. Oh, and I nearly forgot the cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce soaked in olive oil and vinegar and topped with my weekly 'recommended' amount of salt! They do say that the problem with Italian food is that you're hungry 6 days later...
He sipped his HOMEMADE red wine...
He went on to say:
"I have a glass a day to improve my circulation"
I just smiled. And nodded.
Because it was like he reads all the research papers to justify all the things he loves doing.
But, based on the research, he's probably right here:
Wine may improve your circulation
^^^ just like other flavonoid rich foods like cocoa, black tea, green tea, and fruit and veggies, such as berries and tomatoes...which can be found in his garden!
And it also interests me that light to moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular outcomes.
Is it lifestyle related (perhaps it helps us handle stress better...obviously as long as it's "light to moderate" which is defined as about 1 drink per day)?
Is it linked (once again) to the Mediterranean style diet?
^^^ which may reduce the risk of Alzheimers, cancers, and cardiovascular disease...and appears to have beneficial weight loss effects!
Or
The' Blue zones' in general (those who live the longest)
^^^ Which is something I'll come on to another day...
BUT...
There's one thing that I MAY be able call my grandad up on...
"I have an apple a day to keep the doctor away"
^^^ He said in Italy they always finish their meal with an apple?
Because this was quite recently put to the test in the Journal of The American Medical Association.
And although they found a trend for apple-eaters to avoid health visits moreso than non-apple eaters...
^^^ That sounded rather 'cultish' didn't it?
This wasn't significant.
Nevertheless - and - to be fair to grandad
Apples are associated with some great health benefits, such as improved cardiovascular health.
And - at the very least - you've got both my grandads backing, as well as SOME of the scientific community's backing...
To have a glass of wine a day (to go with your apple)...
Happy hump day indeed...
Matt
PS. I'll investigate whether the 'early bird catches the worm' soon (e.g. do you end up eating more or less? What happens to your hunger levels? Ability to handle sugar and fat?)
PPS. It's Day 3 of my course on weight loss and gut health today. It's amazing to see people make changes in just 2 days...
And it shows the power of DOING. You can read all the books. Absorb all of the information.
But unless you DO it...