My fascination with the Monarch butterfly continues! On Thanksgiving Day when the family was visiting, I gave them the chrysalis tour. We now have a grand total of 26 chrysalises in the entry way to our front door. All were amazed and had fun searching for them. It was like an Easter Egg hunt on Thanksgiving Day. The six milkweed plants in our garden are stripped of leaves and there are still at least two dozen caterpillars still gnawing on the stalks and seed pods. And even though their food source has been depleted, they only eat what they are supposed to eat. They don’t begin eating the next green thing. They instinctively know that their little caterpillar stomachs are full of the right amount and the right kind of nutrition to transition to the next stage. I wish my patients would be more like that! There would be less obesity in this world. Look at this chart for Florida! Only 35% of the state of Florida are at a healthy weight! That means the rest of the state is either overweight or obese. Sad but true. This is part of my passion and purpose in doing the one degree of change. My vision is 62% of the population being at a healthy weight. Just one degree at a time!
#6 Try one new veggie per month.
There are so many vegetables out there, people! You are adults, don’t snub a veggie because you didn’t like it when you were a kid. There are so many resources for recipes. Be brave, create something that you would enjoy! Here’s your monthly vegetable list for next year:
-
January: Jicama Try using a Spiralizer (this what I use)
-
February: Rutabaga
-
March: Beets
-
April: Collard Greens
-
May: Eggplant
-
June: Kale
-
July: Swiss Chard
-
August: Spaghetti Squash
-
September: Sprouts (any variety)
-
October: Avocado
-
November: Pumpkin
-
December: Acorn Squash
Okay, I have even done your homework for you. If you click on each veggie, it will take you to a recipe. I used a variety of vegan and vegetarian resources. And, no, I am not a strict vegan or vegetarian. But this helps with those that have food allergies and you know who you are! Give it a try. Make your shopping list each month to include ingredients to make one new veggie dish for a Meatless Monday! If you have eaten that vegetable before, try a different recipe. Make it a family affair!
January-Jicama
And we have a beautiful Monarch!
I just walked outside to check the mail and we have BUTTERFLIES! The first one was on the wall, already out of the chrysalis and drying her wings. I inspected all the chrysalises that formed about the same time and one on the silver palm that was turning dark. An indication that the final transformation is impending. So I walked inside to get my phone to take a picture of the recently hatched butterfly and the one I just observed, hatched too! And I missed it! So is the marvel of one degree of change, right before my eyes. Once again proving that each degree we make in our personal world does make a difference.
Will you accept the challenge on making just one degree of change?