Joy, do you take vitamins? And if so, what kind? I'm not entirely sure why this hit me just now. But I remember you mentioning that you're pretty much eliminating your meat consumption for now. I know you eat other veggie sources of protein and try to keep things as balanced as possible - but you seem to have a pretty good grip on getting good, natural things to eat without being all hippie vegan. I noticed (and some other people have too) that I haven't been eating a lot of meat lately. I still eat it, of course, but it's mostly chicken or turkey for what ever reason. And I'm trying my best to eat a little healthier and try and still get a balance of nutrition and vitamins. I have a hard time remembering to take vitamins, because I have to remember to take four other prescription pills during the course of the day.
I take a multivitamin every other day. It's just the Whole Foods Adult Multi. (The iron in it - everyday is too tough on my system.)
I do take Vitamin C every day I exercise, and a B complex. I take it with my post work out snack & a glass of water.
If I'm drinking something like an odwalla blueberry monster, then I don't bother with the supplement.
I used to take a bunch of stuff, but have cut most of it out, without noticing any decline in my general health.
For food based good stuff:
Lots of avocado and olive oil, with a variety of veggies and fruit. I really like what some nutrition people are doing now with fruit & veg recommendations. Instead of preaching specifics all the time, they're saying your plate should always be colorful. If you have a rainbow on your dinner plate, you're getting a good balance of most vitamins.
Black beans help with iron, as does using molasses in my regular cooking. I sprinkle ground flax on my morning yogurt, and toss a scoop of it into most bread & muffin recipes.
I think the biggest thing is that I don't tell myself "no" anymore. I may say "later" when it comes to sweets and junkfood, but not "no". If it's a stressful day, and I'm craving ice cream, I'm going to have ice cream. It'll just be later, after dinner, when I sit down with a cup of tea or coffee and a book. If I savor it, and make it a big deal, one scoop with some sliced strawberries and sprinkle of dark chocolate is more satisfying than scarfing down a frosty on the way to pick up the kids. Same thing goes for cheeseburgers or pizza. One medium rare burger, with a thick slice of cheese and tomato on a buttered bun, is worth waiting for. Especially when the quick fix is McDonalds or Burger King. (Not that I don't grab the occasional Whopper Jr. w/cheese after a long ride on a hot summer day.)