On Memorial Day we had the pleasure of hosting some very special guests for their first traditional U.S. barbeque (hot dogs, burgers, salads, etc). Our guests are the nephews of family friends and the boys have recently been brought here from Ukraine.  Their parents, both healthcare professionals are now armed and fighting in the Ukraine military.  The guys are attending middle school in Fairfax County and seem to be doing very well.  I am certain that their parents, heroes in so many ways, are happy to know their children are safe here as they are fighting for their lives and the freedom of their country.

We absolutely loved watching these 13 year olds devour foods that they are not used to eating.  They consumed LOTS of burgers, hot dogs, sodas, macaroni salad, potato salad and of course, they were able to “save room” for dessert.   Observing this, I was brought back to my days as a teen/young adult when I could basically eat/drink anything I wanted to and remained at a skinny 155 pounds.  Early in my college years, I could drink alcohol every weekend and still not gain weight.

We all have experienced this “slowing metabolism” phenomenon as we age.  We simply cannot eat and drink the same amounts as we did in our much younger years and NOT gain weight.  It seems that almost every year we need to adjust how much we can eat and drink in order to maintain the current weight.

Adjusting your dietary intake for age is a vitally important concept for those that want to reach/maintain a healthy weight.  Gone are the days of not paying attention to the quantity of high-caloric foods we eat and alcohol we consume.  Unfortunately, the aging process plays a role in how we need to approach weight control.

And a prayer for the boys:  Your parents define the word “heroes” and we all pray for their safety, health and your return to them shortly.