Slowly but surely, we’re getting on with our new life.

Michael’s mommy is recovering. Her new medications may be helping the crucial problem of fending off plaque buildup in her arteries, but they’re also making her feel like she’s got a bad case of restless leg stomach flu. With a side of insomnia.

Meanwhile, we’re scouring the metro area looking for actual food.

Let me explain.

One of the things we have learned, as a result of this surprise, is that our biggest enemy in the fight for health is the food supply. And not just from restaurants, but from the supermarket. If you’re not extremely careful and wise in your selections, you will load your grocery cart up with more calories than you’ll ever need, and less nutrition than you’d believe.

Even things promising a “healthy” option aren’t necessarily so, since nearly every pre-packaged, processed food is overrun with High Fructose Corn Syrup, sodium and myriad unpronounceable, mysterious additives.

And restaurants have their part in the comestible chaos that reigns out there. Portion sizes are the biggest problem. Since the 1970s, portions have nearly doubled. And not just with the food, with the sugar-drenched drinks as well. Remember when a large soft drink at McDonald’s was about 20 ounces? Between then and now, it swelled up to 42 ounces. Yikes.

All this to say we’ve discovered that the deck was stacked against us. We’re thwarted at every turn.

But we’ve learned our lesson. Our eyes are wide open now, and we know where to steer to find the things that are proper to eat, to maximize nutrition while providing the proper caloric intake for dad, mom and kids.

I’ve long said that I want to be around to see my kids grow up and have children of their own (if for no other reason, than so I can have the satisfaction of seeing them go through what their mom and I go through every day; and I hope Michael has twins). But I very likely would not have made it that far if we’d kept up our standard dietary habits. Every day I’d wake up tired, run down, sore and wishing I could just take a break for a while.

Since we’ve started eating right, I feel ten years younger and a whole lot more alive. I feel like there’s hope for my wife and me to reach our golden wedding anniversary, which is still 45 years in the future.

So watch this space. Every Monday I shall present facts and recipes for a healthier lifestyle. In between time, of course, you’ll be subjected to the usual rambling palaver.