Author: Green Apple Dietitian

Cindy Dexter, RD, CD

Dessert Designed by Mother Nature

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Apples

I’m biased about the apple because it’s in my name. The symbol for health and education, as an RD I want the best from each category for my patients. Apples can last in storage for a long time before eating and come in many varieties. The uses are endless, although my favorite utility for apples is in a pie right around Halloween. But a granny smith also tastes good with cinnamon in my morning oatmeal. When feeling peckish, the undeniable crunch of a honey crisp best satisfies.

Bananas

The most portable fruit of all comes in a self-recyclable wrapper. Once you’re done with it, the skin can feed your plants as compost. They don’t store as long as an apple, and once they become ripe and sweet, it’s a crime not to make banana bread. A banana improves the taste and texture of a smoothie without more ingredients. Once you know what it takes to grow and bring a banana to your table, it’s harder to take them for granted.

Strawberries

They will always remind me of my mother. She used to grow them in our backyard when I was a kid. One of my greatest joys was picking and eating them from the plant. The ones from the store never tasted so good. But of course, I also had an “in” with the gardener.

Blueberries

Rarely, my breakfast oatmeal doesn’t come with fresh blueberries. Unless you count when I eat it with an apple and cinnamon instead. Blueberry muffins were also made in my house while I was growing up.

Pineapples

They’re as funny-looking on the outside as they’re tasty on the inside. Pineapple slices on ham or off the grill give meals that special sweetness. Vacationers like to sip a Piña colada in the tropics, but I love them fresh right after they’re peeled and cut.

Fruit is best when Nature is in charge

Mother Nature designed fruit with the right vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates as part of a balanced diet. All for us to enjoy and ripe for the picking.

She always looks out for us.

When everyone else’s way of doing things no longer suited me

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My father died months before my high school graduation. Grief-stricken, the impatience inside me grew. High school classrooms and coursework no longer held my interest. As a good student who got good grades, there were no plans to take the SATs. No more learning. No more teachers, or so, I thought. I already had a job and was ready to go full-time; out of one cage and into another.

My concentration on my coursework waned. I felt trapped in an environment that no longer benefited me. I didn’t belong in school anymore. High school was for kids. Losing my dad at age 17 sped up the maturity process. During my last semester, my grades suffered. Luckily, I passed all my classes and graduated early— just barely.

As motivated as I was to leave school and get my diploma, there was no vision for the future. Freedom was in my sights, but I had no idea what to do with it. Untrained and undisciplined, I left one job after another feeling unfulfilled. My negative reactions to life’s difficulties only made things worse. Once again, I was feeling stuck.

In my youth, the people around me reacted to life instead of planning for it. When bad things happened, we felt the brunt of it. Unprepared, my mom went back to work at a factory to pay the bills after my dad died. She met him at a factory job before leaving the workforce to raise me, so she returned to the only thing she knew. If you don’t know something else exists, you won’t search for it.

I always wanted more from life, but I can’t tell you what “more” was. Desperate to avoid mediocrity, I attended college for a BA degree. There I learned more about myself and the power of education. Still, I was only going through the motions. I wasn’t all in.

After I earned my diploma, I still didn’t know where I was going. I still reacted to life instead of planning for it. The jobs I accepted after getting my degree were no improvement. I still wasn’t all in.

I was one of many out there who started without any big plans. I knew I wanted to be something and ended up a late bloomer. I made decisions on my own without asking for help. Which meant I took the scenic route instead of the major highway. At least I knew there was something different than where my life “wasn’t” heading.

Successful people always discuss having a vision and a plan for a meaningful life. I know many of us didn’t learn that at the starting gate. They didn’t have people in their lives that spoke life-changing words. But celebrating the little victories one step at a time can lead us into a better situation. There will be less blame placed on everyone and everything around us.

What are you doing that’s no longer useful?

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Negative feelings are calling for your attention. They’re nudging you to take responsibility. Full responsibility. Something in your life is not right and needs to change. Change is difficult and it’s scary. When it’s the end of the road, it’s time to plan a new route. Will you go right, or will you go left? It’s all up to you. No matter what you decide a consequence will follow.

What are negative feelings telling you?

There’s comfort in staying depressed while complaining about your conundrum to others. When people give validation, it’s a never-ending cycle. It’s easier to avoid responsibility by blaming other people or circumstances. Your negative feelings might be responding to what you’re saying or doing to yourself or others. Or you won’t admit you’ve made a mistake. Self-reflection isn’t easy but it helps you learn how your actions no longer serve the world around you. When you understand more about yourself, you’ll act in ways that align closer to your core beliefs.

The best strategy to cope with negative feelings is to be courageous.

Get out from under the blanket of depression. Open your eyes. Stand up and stretch. Starting is the hardest part, but once the mind focuses on what to do the rest falls into place. Start small doing what is within your reach. Many small tasks will help you gain the momentum you need to change.

You might fear the repercussions of how you or others will feel in the short term. But eventually, it could be what turns the negative into a positive. What you fail to notice keeps you from going where you want to be.

Deep inside your mind you know the answer. You know what’s best beyond the chatter of advice spewed by others who are clueless about your journey. Owning your decision doesn’t mean you’ll convince others. Someone you care for might not understand. Getting away from negativity might mean discarding belongings, ending relationships, and moving out. Behind those actions is an uncertain future. The unknown keeps people stuck to whatever no longer suits them. Dare to get out of your comfort zone, and you’ll reap the rewards. You’ll learn how to deal with your negative emotions effectively.