As you might know by now (ye faithful readers), I'm a pretty mindful food partaker. I mean I subscribe to 3 magazines: Nat. Geo., Backpacker, and Vegetarian Times. (I dropped Organic Gardening--nothing new under the sun.)

The recent VT mag. examined the pros and cons of wine as a part of a healthful diet. Overall, it's beneficial. For one, the chances of developing Alzheimer's disease is cut in half. That, in itself, is quite significant. One glass of wine per day seems to reduce the risk of heart attacks by increasing HDL cholesterol and reducing the blood's ability to form clots.
Resveratrol, a compound in grapes, has been studied for possible antiaging and heart-protective effects.

However, if your diet is already rich in antioxidants, and your HDL level is high, wine doesn't improve your health any. Besides, alcohol can become addictive for some. In any case, I enjoy a small glass of red wine before dinner, whether it's beneficial to my health or not. It's relaxing, if nothing else.

Speaking of health, I recently read that only 10% of Americans eat the required 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. I'd like to think I'm among that minority.
So I've been examining my diet on paper.

Yesterday, I started my day with cheerios, flax seeds and strawberries added (skim milk). OJ and coffee (half cup with rice protein added) were my drinks of choice.

For lunch I cut up an apple, added blueberries with yogurt and black walnuts on top. In another dish, I had tomatoes with cottage cheese and dill. One small cookie with a sip of coffee ended my noon meal.

For supper, I made a BLT-- my lettuce and tomato, turkey bacon, cheese and low fat mayo. I also had a sweet potato (with Smart Balance margarine and brown sugar) and broccoli (with more cheese). Add a half pear with strawberries and yogurt. Iced tea (sugarless) to drink.

Toss in a few plain persimmons for a PM snack, and apple crisp (with oat meal) for an evening desert ( w/quarter cup coffee). Oh yes, I ate a handfull of almonds and peanuts, at midmorning and bedtime resp. And wine before supper.

Overall, I think I got my 5 servings in (I count at least six). I mean, does orange juice count? Or the apples in the crisp? Or the blueberries or lettuce (BLT). Plenty of dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese--cottage and plain) and protein.

This is pretty typical of my diet and eating habits. My meals revolve around my garden and gathering (berries and fruits) harvests. This time of year brings in the greens of kale, chard, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, beet tops, etc. Root crops (potatoes--sweet and reg., carrots, beets, parsnips, onions), plus winter squash, are rotated from night to night (unless I fix a stir-fry, when I can't decide which one to cook!). Green tomatoes ripen for several months in the basement. I really have more "stored" food (root cellar)than I can eat. The freezer(s) is jammed packed (corn, beans, asparagus, berries, et.al.).

What's for supper tonight? Decisions, decisions.