ArcaMax

My grandmother didn’t own an exercise bike. She did not go to the health club and take a spinning class. The picture of my grandmother that the newspaper published was taken outside her home with my grandmother standing in front of her garden. My grandmother did most things to run her own home. She washed her dishes by hand and she worked in her flower garden; a very pretty flower garden it was too. She pulled weeds for exercise. She dug holes and planted in the spring. She tidied up around the yard. That’s the only exercise I witnessed my grandmother involved in during the 20 or so years I knew her; that and catching that piece of flying whole wheat toast as it launched out of the toaster. She also made a mean cup of tea.

My husband’s mother Sally lived until she was 86. She was in amazing shape for her age. She had legs any 40-year-old woman would kill to have. Sally started walking five miles a day in the late 70s. She didn’t run marathons. She just went out and got fresh air and took in her miles at a brisk pace.

Find something you’re passionate about and stay active as long as you can. Staying active helps you keep your bone density and your aerobics in good working order. Strive to be stronger but you don’t have to kill yourself in the process.

Tarragon-Mustard Shrimp (as an entrée or part of an entrée salad) EASY

Serves 6. Can easily be doubled for a party

This dish made a wonderful lunch salad entrée in our Plan Z kitchen. I think it would be GREAT as an appetizer at a cocktail party too. As an appetizer it can be served, hot, room temp or cold. The other guests at the cocktail party will NEVER know you are eating diet food. They will love it too.

For the Shrimp:

1/3 cup of Dijon mustard
1 large shallot or 3 green onions, minced
2 tsp of minced garlic (jar garlic can work)
3 Tbl of minced, fresh tarragon. (You need the fresh stuff for this dish)
2.25 pounds of medium-large shrimp, (3 inches long) thawed, shelled and deveined
Sea salt and pepper to taste
A sprinkle of cayenne

For the optional salad:

3 small heads of leaf lettuce cut up into bite-sized pieces. (Remember salad greens are unlimited so have at it)
1 large red pepper cut into strips
1 large yellow pepper cut into strips
1 large orange pepper cut into strips
2 cups of celery bits
1 pint of cherry tomatoes cut in half

...continued