As the holidays are upon us, these are the times when a lot of us overindulge when it comes to eating and drinking.  There’s nothing wrong with celebrations in eating or drinking, but in complete moderation…….and healthy as best we can.  We don’t need to sit around and stuff our plates with food all day long, every day nor drink until you can’t even see anymore!!  You’re killing your insides like that.  As I still am in shock and pain from my friend I’ve mentioned on my Facebook, Mr. Mark ‘Elijah Israel’ Fant, who just recently passed and was only in his early 50s, one thing that still does not shock me is the manner in which he died.   Having too much cholesterol in his system.  No, there are no warning signs for the majority of us that we have ‘too much cholesterol’ in our arteries, but here is where we MUST be extremely careful in what we put into our bodies – especially after the age of 45.

Getting regular checkups with our primary care physicians is vitally important, ya’ll, even if we are NOT having signs or symptoms of illness.  Getting regular exercise is also important in keeping those arteries clear of plaque (fat/cholesterol) so that the plaque will not flow to the coronary (heart) arteries and stop the heart from beating, causing a myocardial infarction (heart attack).  Read your labels and see and compare ‘enriched’ or starchy items versus whole grain items and notice how much saturated fats and cholesterol and sodium are in the products you purchase.

I too am cooking the traditional Thanksgiving meal – vegetables being cooked fresh, not canned – but this year I am going to definitely eat in moderation.  Desserts, yes I’m cooking, but family and friends are definitely welcome to come by and take them as I truly do not need whole pies around here!  (lol).

Thanksgiving is the time to be grateful for the many blessings we have and to share what we have with someone who is less fortunate.  I want to wish you all a blessed and thankful Thanksgiving of 2014!