By Atty. Antonio P. Pekas
To sustain my slowly improving condition, I have to eat well. That means proper nutrition and that I should enjoy taking in the food. Not forced or just to satisfy some requirement without gusto or alacrity.
Of course, meals everyday starts with breakfast. One great breakfast I remembered when I was still in the lower grades was composed of “tuyo” or dried fish (the good kind), paired with fried rice done the best way you can with garlic downed with piping hot brewed coffee. A good side dish would be sliced raw tomatoes.
Most of all, however, these should be eaten with your fingers or “kinnammet”. And you should have all the time to savor the food, feeling and enjoying all its goodness. That manner of eating makes the food taste even better. So you should be prepared as you will eat a lot more.
Another thing to greatly enhance the situation is when you are eating with a smiling wife or partner and a soothing soft music that does not interfere or intrude but to just subtly make the environment more wholesome.
You will really be perked up as the hot brewed coffee spreads throughout your body with all its caffeine. Suddenly everything would look good. So, if you are still single, make sure you are with somebody you would be glad to fall in love with. Otherwise, you might just be wrongly get carried away by the situation which a friend described as “naka ka in love”. So, guard yourself not to get into something you will regret all your life.
My problem though is, now, having become a vegetarian I have to change some of the components of that breakfast. I don’t eat “tuyo” now so I can substitute tufo. I also have to go slow on tomatoes as I have to restrict potassium intake, but cucumber is a good substitute, if not even better.
How about a good lunch? I have to think about that but a good component of it should be eating under a mango tree. And the activity should also be done the “kinnammet “ way. And better if you are casually dressed with shorts, loose T-shirt, slippers, and with good company—that is, not boring. It should be with bagoong or some other fermented appetizer like kimchi.
Well, the combinations for a good healthy and nutritious meal are unlimited so I would rather stop here and wait for some suggestions from you dear readers. Am sure some will help me come up with better meals to further my continued recovery.
How about alcoholic drinks as appetizer or smoking after eating? Sorry, we are talking of becoming healthy, so no addictive stuff or similar things that feed vices.**
