Eat More Fish

I had already resolved to eat more fish, but hearing my doctor recommend it didn’t hurt. “You need those Omega 3s and 6s you get in fish like salmon,” she said.

I’m pretty sure she didn’t mean Swedish fish – the chewy red candy that I’ve been eating by the bagful. But I’ve never been one to ignore healthy advice.

What is it about winter that makes me want to gnaw on something — anything?

I can easily consume a whole bag of Swedish fish while reading Jane Austen. Suddenly my hand is digging around in an empty bag. Hey, what happened? I don’t mean between Darcy and Elizabeth, I mean how did that school of Swedish fish go extinct?

Since I gave up red meat years ago, I miss gnawing. I think we are designed to gnaw on stuff. You get awfully satisfied from chewing.

Now I eat mostly vegetables. And some, like riced cauliflower, are not satisfying to chew. There’s no molar-to-molar contact, and I’m definitely not using my incisors to rip anything. It’s like eating plankton — it doesn’t involve chewing as much as straining. But other vegetables seem to burn more calories to chew than I actually take in – a net loss. Chewing undercooked kale can be exhausting. I’ve been having plant protein shakes lately just because the chewing gets so monotonous. Plus, I needed to gain some weight.

Last week, soon after vacuuming the floor mats of my car, I discovered a Swedish fish stuck in the metal track as I readjusted the seat. I examined it, and turned it over several times. I can’t be sure, but I think it’s circa November 2018. It was as hard as the ice on Lake Michigan this January, for sure.

I dusted it off and placed it on the heated seat. Five minutes later, reheated to its original chewy state, I ate it.

We were meant to gnaw on things. I’m proof that shame takes a back seat to this ancient urge.