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S Table traditions worth fighting for I felt as if the last place I wanted to be was the dinner table, but it was a nightly command performance. What I didn't know at the time was this evening routine gave me a place of belonging. The food was great, it was delicious, but there was so much more than just taste alone, these people were my "posse." I knew I mattered to them, even though at the time I may not have shown how much they mattered to me. If something was not right in my life those people that sat at the table with me felt it and questioned it. Without realizing it, it was at the table I was learning how to deal with different personalities, opposing viewpoints, and varying generational ideologies. Ultimately , it prepared me for the world to come. The family table was intergenerational, there were children, teenagers, young married couples and the revered seniors all eating together, all healing together. I realize we cannot go back to the way things were, and would we really want to? However, there are traditions worth fighting for, and gathering around the table is one. With the demands and pressures we have today , it would be unrealistic to try to gather daily but comprises can be made. We have to begin by giving ourselves permission to occasionally slow down, so we can take the time to prepare and gather for a family meal. A great way to do this is with a pizza night. You can engage all generations of the family for a fun and delicious evening. Pizza is one of the world's favorite foods and it can also be one of the healthiest. Nutritious pizza toppings taste great and are healthy too. You can use premade shells, whole wheat pita, naan, or dough from your favourite bakery. 10 Healthy Pizza Toppings · Onions -- lower blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure, and reduce risk of colon cancer thanks to the chromium, vitamin C, and fiber. · Black Olives -- full of healthy unsaturated fats that fight heart disease, lower cholesterol, and allow the body to absorb other nutrients. · Red Peppers -- full of Vitamin C, A, and B6, along with antioxidants like beta-carotene. · Spinach -- the iron helps build your blood, lutein and zeaxanthin protect the eyes from muscular degeneration. · Garlic -- reduces inflammation and improves cardiovascular health; has vitamins such as manganese, calcium, vitamin B1, B6, and C, which help boost immune system. · Tomatoes -- sliced tomatoes make great toppings, especially on a white or pesto pizza. Plus, studies suggest it reduces the risk of certain cancers, including prostate and lung. Tomatoes are also full of antioxidants which help reduce DNA damage. · Pineapple -- contains Vitasee The on p.11 7 | Friday, August 9, 2013 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com ocial media cannot replace face-to-face interactions but is rather something best used to augment it. What worries me, however, is when these virtual spaces existing within social media networks begin to corrode or replace good old-fashioned, real-time presence. One particularly tricky situation I have had to deal with personally is when these virtual spaces start taking precedence over our place at the table. Meetings with family/friends while enjoying a meal often now is technologically relegated to an email message or a Facebook post. Existing in these virtual spaces cannot and will not replace or substitute our place at the table. Humans are innately social beings. We thrive when we are connected with each other. I wonder though, how connected we really can be in these spaces, when 93 per cent of communication is done through body language? The number of people dealing with depression is rising and recent research shows that this may be linked to our current lack of face-to-face connections. When I think back to my childhood we had something that didn't have a name but I call it "table therapy." It was that daily gathering around the table that created a forum to communicate with family members. The good food my mother and grandmother prepared helped defuse the often animated and loud family debates. Many times, as a young person, Beam Clean Your Home · 600 Air Watts of cleaning power, strong enough for even the largest homes · High Efficiency Ametek bypass motor for maximum life. · 7 Year Motor Warranty. Lifetime on the canister. · Self-Cleaning Gore Filter to protect the motor. 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