Immigrated to the United States

I was born in Reims, France to Portuguese parents. We immigrated to the United States when I was a little girl with my brother and sister and landed in Rhode Island.

Being exposed to different cultures growing up has given me a passion for exploring food from around the world. No matter where I have traveled I have found food culture to be so diverse in so many places that I have lived and traveled. Wherever I go I always find wonderful meals that I have discovered. Which is why I ask the locals the same question, "Where's a good place to eat?"

I can remember the first time that I was in the kitchen with my mother and godmother making crepes for the family. I was 5 at the time and when one did not flip over they would hand it to me to eat! That was the beginning of my love of food. I learned how to cook from my mom and she made the most wonderful meals on Sunday.

Now I try to do the same for my husband Jeffrey and my 2 dogs whom I named, Driving Miss Daisy and Mr Bailey from It's a Wonderful Life. What can I say I love a good movie which helped me to learn English.

Diagnosed at age 25 with Degenerative Disc Disease

I was diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease over 25 years ago, it is a constant battle to keep my weight down and eat as healthy as I can to stay slim. This helps control chronic pain and inflammation in my body. My biggest issue is food and how I cook is the biggest factor in how I feel daily. Many of the chemicals in food will affect my condition.

Menopause Weight Gain

Once I entered menopause the weight gain became an issue and any diet I tried just did not work. It wasn't until I did tons of research that I discovered what women did around the world to stay healthy. It was so simple and yet so difficult to discover so I decided to share my info on Menopause Monday with Lizzy.

Once I started to follow my new lifestyle of eating for menopause the weight came off and my night sweats, mood swings, and joint pain went away as long as I stick to my diet.

I follow my diet 80% of the time so life is good. Now this is not for everyone and I am not a nutritionist or a doctor of any kind. What I am is, a woman who is sharing her experiences with you to let you know that with time things got better for me.

Diet I Follow

With a Low-Carb, with lots of Protein diet 90% of the time but I must have the 10% to cheat once in a while! When traveling I love to explore new foods but am aware of my limitations so I limit my intake during the day.

Where Shop for Healthy Groceries

BJ Wholesale
Farmers Market
Publix
Whole Food - ONLY SALE items!

It's a Lifestyle Not a Diet

People always ask me how I stay slim at 54 years old with menopause which is a big factor in weight gain. There are things that I don't eat and I always drink water. Water is key for me to feel good. I also do some type of exercise for 45 minutes 5 times a week. Even if it just walking in the neighborhood.

Drinking Water

Water is key for me to stay hydrated so I feel less pain. I can always tell when I have not drank enough water because I start feeling my stomach bloat and my urine is bright yellow. That is a sign of dehydration. Yes, this makes a very big difference for me more than anything else so I drink tons of water.

What I don't eat or drink

Because most foods are filled with chemicals that harm the body and make me gain weight I follow a few rules when it's time to shop for groceries. Here are my guidelines:

No soda
No beer
No box food
No Sugar or very little
No white flour unless it's Einkorn flour or organic
No Artificial Sweetener of any kind
No GMO
No food that has been shipped to the USA
No pre-frozen meals at the supermarket
No processed food - sometimes I cheat and pay for it every time!
No food that is orange like Cheetos!
No eating white food at night (rice, potatoes, pasta, bread, etc ) If it's white not at night. They take longer to break down and when the body is resting it affects my sleep.

Enjoy Life is My Motto

Over the years I've gotten better at cooking meals to accommodate my health issues. Even if I can't eat something because I know how I will feel the next day, there is always an alternative.

Most of my recipes I have gotten from friends and family or on my travel adventures, which then I will turn into a healthy twist! Thank You for stopping by and hope you will join me on my menopause journey in search of the perfect bite!

Some of My Experiments with Myself