Akron Life August 2023

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

[ Publisher | Colin Baker | cbaker@bakermediagroup.com ]

Stay Strong

Here’s how I wrestle with kale while dreaming of a milkshake.

and apple and Boston cream pies sat in the conference room. I thought several times about getting up to look at the doughnut selection, but if I stood over them, I would have had no defense against that first doughnut, which would most likely have led to another. I realized it’s better to not even look. Eating healthy when dining out is like walking a tightrope. The balancing act between succumbing to temptation and sticking to your health goals is a perilous journey, but I make healthy choices most of the time. Restaurants sometimes priori tize taste and not what’s healthy, and why wouldn’t they? Their jobs are to make you happy, and that is likely going to include lots of butter instead of some kale. Last year, I went through a stretch of time when I was dining out a lot. I thought I was making healthy choices, but unfortu nately during a routine physical, the num bers were telling me something else. The doctor said my cholesterol was high. I was baffled and thought that it must be inac curate. I made some adjustments between then and my next test, and one was not eat ing out as much. My cholesterol came back down into range. But that doesn’t mean I have to cut out eating out entirely. Find healthier restaurants on pg. 22. In the end, my healthy eating journey isn’t about perfection. It’s about persever ance. And if sometimes that perseverance is wrapped in a tortilla and smothered in salsa, well, at least I can say I’m enjoying the journey.

As someone striving to live a health ier lifestyle, I struggle with the inev itable temptations during a night out at a restaurant. That’s when my promises to myself to eat healthier turn into a comedy of errors and my inner fast food junkie masquerading as a dedicated vegetarian is revealed for the world to see. Going to a restaurant has become akin to stepping into a labyrinth where every path leads to a plate of fries or dessert. Often it takes everything in me to resist the dessert menu or choose greens as a side instead of fries. If I am at Yours Truly Restaurant, I get the Notso fries with cheese — I have no defense over them. I’m glad I don’t live close to one of its locations. I’ve begun to dread the server’s approach, their notepad poised for action. Do I stick to my guns and order a salad? Or do I sur render to the allure of a milkshake with peanut butter and hot fudge? It’s a predica ment worthy of a Greek tragedy. There have been many nights when my family has come together for a late din ner, and we have wanted something fast and easy. In my head, I am thinking about Swensons Drive-In, but I know the health ier choice is a salad from Aladdin’s Eatery. I try to tell myself, If we go to Swensons, I’ll get the veggie burger, and that has to be healthy . But the veggies on top of the Salad Boy probably don’t cancel out the cheese and two sauces. As I sat in our office writing this column, a staffer brought in a box of doughnuts,

Colin’s son, Bodhi, with kale

[ Publisher Colin Baker is a retired racing driver and gearhead. ] Comments? Email them to Kelly Petryszyn [kpetryszyn@bakermediagroup.com].

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AUGUST 2023 | akronlife.com