Eating My Way Through LA - ON HOLD (for now)

How timely that my last post was about eating my way through LA (with all the food on the list being high in fat and/or not great for one's cholesterol). Then the very next day, Jojo and I got our annual physical exam results (we went in for tests earlier this week). While the results are not horrible, it goes without saying that we certainly could do more to become healthier.

Jojo has a high sugar level and his cholesterol levels are a little out of whack. His good cholesterol is low and his bad cholesterol is high. In my case, I have to watch cholesterol too but my main problem is I have a very poor immune system. For starters, I am recovering from a fungal infection (which I wrote about a few days ago) and I also have the pre-stages of a urinary tract infection. Also, I am being tested for possibly having a overly active thyroid (the results of that test are out next week). Our doctor said that all of our "issues" can be treated through the proper diet and exercise.

So, our plans to go through numbers 4-10 of my "Eating My Way Through LA" list are on hold for now. Instead, we are going to eat more healthy food for the next 4 weeks. We are going to be re-tested then. After that, well, we'll have to try and be more balanced. We can still once in a while indulge in an "unhealthy meal" (we can not totally give those up, after all what would be the point of living?!) but I guess we'll have to have more healthy meals in-between.

Today we visited our local Farmer's Market. I love Farmer's Markets because even if the produce is slightly more expensive than supermarket produce, they are a lot fresher and taste better too. The market we go to is at the Charles Wilson park and is held every Saturday morning. This is when farmers from around Southern and Central California bring in their freshly harvested produce for city-dwellers to buy.

Of course there were lots of fresh fruit and tasting stations in front of every booth.

There was a beautiful spread of fresh veggies! I was tempted to get artichokes but other than eating them with melted butter or dipped in mayonnaise, I don't know how else to serve them.

I thought about planting my own herb garden (wouldn't it be amazing to have them fresh and ready when you need them?). But who am I kidding? My gardening ability is not exactly high on my list of strong points.

I love summer flower arrangements. They look so festive and can really brighten up a room.

How gorgeous are these heirloom tomatoes? Mom makes a salad with just these tomatoes and her own home-made dressing which is just delish!

After shopping, I was so happy with our day's haul that I had to get a group picture. We got avocados, bok choy, white corn, Italian squash, zucchini, bitter melon, cherry tomatoes, red bell peppers, strawberries, fresh peanuts, blueberries, sweet potatoes, mango-nectarines (it's a hybrid fruit) and emerald plums.

We got all these (plus a few more that could not fit on the table). Not bad for a little over $40.00, right?

And so, that's how we spent our Saturday morning.