What traditions have you not kept that your parents had?
My family still gathers for holidays, but not nearly as much as we did when I was a kid. I guess that is one tradition that has passed with the past. However, in my life, I have chosen to forgo the tradition of high-carbohydrate foods and sweet treats.
I always say that I grew up poor, but my mom and dad always made sure that we had everything we needed. We always had clothing, shoes, and food on the table. We didn’t have a lot of money, so my mom got the best food that she could for us. As kids, we grew up on cereal, oatmeal, malt-o-meal, and other types of cereal. Rice was another high-carbohydrate food that we ate often. My dad had to have it with every meal.
Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, our meals consisted of turkey, potato salad, cornbread dressing, sweet potatoes, and a whole host of desserts that lasted for days.
Since my mom passed in 2013, my brother and sisters, and I, and our kids (who are grown now) have moved away from those traditional holiday meals. We have toned it down; less carbohydrates, less high sugar content, and not nearly as many desserts that last for days. Everyone is trying to watch the figures and most of all, to improve our health.
Type 2 diabetes is one of the leading killers, if not the leading killer, of people in the world today. My siblings and I do not want to be a part of those statistics. My own kids go to the gym regularly and are mindful of the food they consume. The same is true for my brother and my older sister’s children. My youngest sister did not have children.
This past Christmas, when we were together, we had prime rib roast, asparagus, and a few other things that were not so high in carbohydrates. It was very different from the traditional Christmas meal that my mom would’ve made.
For the last few years, we have been seeking out traditional foods of other cultures for the holidays. It has been fun trying foods that we’ve never made before.
For years, it seems that each new generation has been able to make more money than their parents did. Though many of us would still consider ourselves poor, we have managed to change food traditions that were not necessarily good for us. My family still makes some of the old dishes every now and then because it reminds us of our parents. So, instead of keeping food traditions alive, we try to keep memories of our parents and grandparents alive.
Some traditions are worth changing. 
tltatemakeover.com 
I am happy for you that intermittent fasting is proving this beneficial 😊 Is this also a lifelong thing of is there a specific period you need to do this?
As far as fasting, that’s probably lifelong. As for the diet, at some point, I will probably add in some low-carb vegetables. Right now it’s zero carbs. And sugar is out of the question except on special occasions, long after I add in low-carb veggies. I would like to say I will never eat trigger again, but we all know that’s not gonna happen.
My doctor specifically told me to “cheat” every so often, for otherwise it’ll be impossible to keep up my veggie diet on the long run. She called it “ensinning”, as in “enjoyable sinning”; not sin every day but sporadically. This way treats are actually that: treats. And no longer a way to munch away stress. Works so far! I hope you’ll get there, too, Tony 😊 But like I’ve said before: I have faith you will.
Okay, I am not sure what happened: I was commenting on your other post but Jetpack placed my comment under this one 🤷♀️
I love how you’ve honored your family’s memory while also creating healthier traditions for yourself and the next generation. It’s inspiring to see that you can balance nostalgia with mindfulness about health, keeping the spirit of family alive without being bound by old habits. Exploring foods from other cultures sounds like such a fun way to make new memories together!