Food Fog

Vibrant Living Festival Trip

Tuesday, 31 August 2010

Summer is winding down, and it's been an eventful and busy season, with lots of visits with friends and family and little trips. Our most recent trip was about a week ago, to the Vibrant Living Festival up near Philadelphia. It was organized by Arnold's Way Raw Vegetarian Cafe in Landsdale, PA, and this was their first year. So, when we found out about it a couple months ago, we wanted to go support their efforts, and enjoy the company of other raw food enthusiasts and eco-conscious folk. We went too early, and the kids burned out by 2 o'clock, at which point, we retreated to the hotel to swim. I'm sure things probably picked up after we left, and we missed some of the fun. So, if they do it again next year, we'll be better prepared!

Nonetheless, we enjoyed a couple days checking out the area, including the big Whole Foods Market in the Plymouth Meeting Mall. Between there, and Arnold's Way Cafe, I got my fill (overfill) of raw food packaged goodies and wonderful fresh produce. Of course, three days of eating raw treats didn't leave me feeling too well by the time we headed home. But, we had a good time and will definitely head back up to that area occasionally for a visit and some more sightseeing in near Philadelphia.

Spontaneous Green Smoothie Day

Wednesday, 21 July 2010

Darren and I had been reading about fasting for time management lately, and though we're not up for another juice fast at the moment, we thought just having three green smoothies in a day would be a big time-saver, even compared to juice-making. We figured we could do anything for a day, so we gave it a try yesterday.

Our first smoothie was simple; papaya, mango and dandelion greens. It looks like toxic sludge, but it's actually one of my favorite combos. Next, we did a savory "salsa" smoothie, with the fresh tomatoes we got this week from our produce co-op. And, to round out the day, we made a dessert type smoothie with various superfood powders, including cacao, carob, maca, chia and hemp. I also threw in some raspberries, soaked goji berries, a date, and spinach (it's a green smoothie, after all).

So, all in all, it only took about 15 or 20 minutes to prepare all our food for the day, which is at least a quarter of the time it usually takes. I think I will definitely do an occasional "blended food" day. Toting a smoothie jar along in a cooler is easy, even if you're on the go. And, it would be interesting to go for a longer stretch to gauge the digestive impact of only "eating" blended food.

Summer Update

Thursday, 15 July 2010

A lot has happened since Mother' Day, as it is now mid-July. So, I won't even try to condense two months worth of thoughts into a coherent blog entry. But, I will touch on a few highlights.

Since our Mother's Day trip to the Philadelphia area, where we walked around Valley Forge National Park and had lunch at Arnold's Way Raw Food Cafe, we have launched fully into Summer. For Father's Day, we got a picnic lunch at Roots Market in Clarksville, Maryland, and went and walked around Fort McHenry for the afternoon. So, natural foods and historical sites seem to be the theme to celebrate our respective parental days.

This month we went to Vegetarian Summerfest in Johnstown, Pennsylvania at the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. It was five days of lectures, music, vegan food, community and fun for the kids. Unfortunately, because Zofia kept me so busy, I missed most of the lectures I had planned to attend. But, on the positive side, I got to spend a lot of time with her, walking around the beautiful campus and getting lots of use out of our new jogging stroller. And, I enjoyed not preparing food for five days! Their salad bar and raw foods bar were good, so there was plenty of raw food selections. But, it did kind of throw off my groove a bit, being out of my regular routine and eating different things than I usually eat. The kids had a great time reconnecting with friends from last year and making a few new ones. They really want to go again next year, but I think our plans for a trip to Canada will have to take priority. We'll see, though.

So, now we're here in mid-July. On Sunday, Darren's sister, her husband and three kids are coming down from Canada to visit for the week. Our niece, Samantha, came to Summerfest with us, and just headed back to Ontario last week. So, our guest room has been getting a workout this year. The rest of my week consists of meetings, appointments and cleaning, so I'm off to try to get the kids to bed again, so I can rest up and have a few minutes to myself before I succumb to complete exhaustion.

Mother's Day Trip to Arnold's Way

Sunday, 16 May 2010

The past three weeks have escaped me. Since my last entry in April, on our relaxing Anniversary day, it seems like I've been on a family life marathon, just finishing one event, and gearing up for the next. But, that is the nature of life in the suburbs with three kids, a house and a dog. So, I continue to train for such marathons. The program is rigid, involving introspection and self-analysis, team building and relationship coaching, nutritional education, sleep studies, stress management, scheduling challenges, instructional videos and much more!

Nonetheless, I did get a day off from this intense training on Mother's Day. I had the best day, underscored by great weather, minimal traffic and fairly cooperative kids! We took a daytrip up near Philadelphia, stopping first at Valley Forge National Park, where we spent the late hours of the morning walking around, and then on to the town of Lansdale to have lunch at a vegetarian/raw food cafe, called Arnold's Way. I had stumbled upon his store on YouTube, and then at a recent potluck, a friend who had been there a couple times said that even though it's a small place, it's definitely worth a visit. So, I knew that's where I wanted to go for Mother's Day; to let someone else prepare the food for the day!

We really enjoyed our visit, and sampled a good portion of their menu, including raw veggie burgers, raw pizza and raw spaghetti, as well as, their yummy banana whips for dessert. Our favorite flavor was carrot cake. The store has a great energy, and we'll definitely be returning sooner than later! I wish there was something like Arnold's Way here in Hagerstown. Hmm... Tara's Way? No way! Who has time for entrepreneurial ventures while homeschooling three kids and trying to squeeze in a few hours sleep each night! I'm happy to make the three hour drive back up to Lansdale again, and next time we go, we'll do a little more sightseeing in Philadelphia, too!

Another busy week ahead, so focusing on planning ahead and getting good sleep to help manage the usual stresses. I just finished Geneen Roth's book, Women, Food and God, tonight. It's one of those books I know I should re-read again when I'm feeling disconnected and uninspired, so I'll keep it handy. My night stand is overflowing with other potential reads... think I'll go pick one (or two) and read myself to sleep... It won't be hard... it's been a long day and sleep is welcome!

Taking Time Out

Tuesday, 20 April 2010

Today was Darren and my seventeenth anniversary, so we took the kids to my mom's for the afternoon, and spent some time just relaxing. We walked around the park, taking goofy pictures of each other, then came home and made big bowls of banana "ice cream" for our dinner, and watched a movie together. Just having those five or six hours apart from the kids, made me realize that the time we take alone for ourselves, or together as a couple, are just as important as the time we spend with them. Having that time to refocus and remember who we are a bit, helps to recharge our batteries and give us more energy and focus when we're back in the daily routine with the kids. So, we'll definitely be moving alone time, by ourselves and as a couple, to the top of our priority list.

My health related book of the month this month is Women, Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything by Geneen Roth. When I saw this new book of hers, I recognized her name, and spent a few minutes digging around on my bookshelf, uncovering a couple of her past books on compulsive and emotional eating. I probably purchased them more than a decade ago, so it made me reflect upon where I was then with some of my "food issues," as compared to now. I think her newest book really shines a line on some of my lingering challenges, but frames in such a way that it's not just another defect in my personality to overcome, but really just a spiritual practice of awareness and commitment to observing each moment. So, it's an enjoyable read thus far.

This weekend we are hosting another raw food potluck, so I'm looking forward to socializing and seeing what dishes everyone comes up with. I'm moving towards really liking uncomplicated foods. While I appreciate the artistic side of creating a lot of these gourmet raw food dishes, I feel best when I eat simple, whole foods. We've been doing a lot of green smoothies with just greens, and one or two types of fruit. A few of my simple, five-minute meals lately, have been shredded carrots or zucchini, dulse flakes and mashed avocado, or often spinach and bananas blended in the food processor make a quick filling meal. And occasionally, I'll find a couple good young coconuts, and make a meal out of that, with some chopped veggies or greens on the side. Granted, the kids aren't as enthusiastic about my simplistic meals, so I often end up making additional things for them, but at least my food prep is quick and easy!

Anyway, as this day closes, I can only hope the next seventeen years of marriage can provide me as much opportunity for growth and that I can be the kind of partner that facilitates that growth, too. Somehow, this all intertwines with my ongoing pursuit of a balanced relationship with food (nourishing myself), and I can't help but think, much like Geneen Roth says in her newest book, that the way we eat tells our story, right there on our plates. So, take a look down at your plate. Who do you see?

Dietary Dogmas

Sunday, 04 April 2010

Today is Easter, and with it comes the theme of the celebration of renewal and rebirth. This caused me to reflect a bit upon how dietary dogmas can be akin to spiritual or political belief systems. If we subscribe to nutritional doctrines so blindly that we neglect our own intuition, we can end up adhering to a set of behaviors that do not optimize our health and well-being. Handing over complete authority of our approach to nourishing ourselves to a dietary guru or philosophy can inhibit our growth and limit the expansion of consciousness of the role of food in our lives.

It is important to keep an open mind and accept that as we grow and change in life, so will our understanding of what is best for us at the time. As we navigate through life, gaining knowledge and experience, it often requires us to shed some beliefs, and at the same time, solidifies others. Each of us has a different set of experiences and the paradigm with which we align ourselves can be a big part of how we view and define ourselves. Nonetheless, just like the definitions of some words have changed and expanded through the years, so should we challenge the definition of self in relationship to its current context.

My relationship with food has evolved greatly since my youth, when food was merely a series of measurements; calories and grams of fat, either used with restraint or over-consumed and abused. Even through the next decade, discovering vegetarianism and having that resonate with me so profoundly that I completely gave up meat, and moved towards abandoning animal products all together, I still continued to consume, and over-consume, plenty of vegetarian and vegan processed junk foods that compromised my health and vitality. It wasn't until around my 30th birthday that I started to make the connection between healthy, whole foods nutrition and the potential impact on my health and overall quality of life. This launched my interest in nutrition and my curiosity about how much I could improve the way I felt. Was there a possibility that I could actually find balance with food?

The answer is yes. I could find that balance; sometimes... a lot of the time. But, just as other areas of life are not stagnant and unchanging, neither is my relationship with food. Sometimes that balance is threatened by emotional triggers or seemingly little reason at all. When this happens, it's necessary to adjust my stance, just like if I were on a balance beam, wobbling back and forth, trying to keep from falling. Failing to center myself and align my focus with where I am at the moment would result in an inevitable tumble. And this is where those dietary dogmas can be a hindrance to growth. If we are not willing to take stock of where we are, and what we need right now to regain balance, we can end up stuck in and uncomfortable stance, clinging to the beam, or falling ungracefully into the dietary abyss.

So, I guess all these metaphors simply allude to my awareness of the fluidity of life and my gratitude for the opportunities for changes in perception, understanding and awareness on this unique journey. I think we can all speculate about the "ideal" diet, but I also think that our evolution as a species finds us so profoundly different now that where we began, that all we can do is speculate and surmise. It comes back to honing in on your own navigational beacon; that sense of where you need to be in order to stay on course, and following the signal, rather than detouring because the group ahead of you does, or because your tour guide says it's part of the package. Gather all the information you can about the terrain ahead, using all the available maps created by other dietary explorers, but don't be afraid to chart your own course!

Still Clearing the Food Fog...

Wednesday, 24 March 2010

Even after five years of gradually losing and maintaining my weight, I still have times where I struggle with old patterns of thinking and behavior. The difference is now that I have more faith in myself to redirect my energy into positive actions and thoughts. But, when they say, "it's not about the weight," it's really true. Of course, when you're carrying around a hundred extra pounds, it feels like it's all about the weight. But, once the weight is gone, you really do have to keep up the process of self-discovery and loving yourself enough to walk through the challenges and triumphs of life without using food as a drug, but rather to nourish and sustain you through the journey.

Reflections on Eating

Tuesday, 16 March 2010

It's my birthday, and about week since we ended our 10 day juice fast. I'm still reflecting on finding balance with food, but feel the fast brought more consciousness and awareness to my relationship with food. I feel like my life will be a continual process of uncovering solutions and unearthing new mysteries with regards to health and everything else, as well. And since our perceptions are formed out of contrast, the juice fast experience provided an amazing contrast to my normal "eating" life. This will undoubtedly serve me well on this journey.

Juice Feast - Day 10

Wednesday, 10 March 2010

We made it! Ten days of drinking nothing but green juices. What an experience! I think I will need a few days to reflect upon it, once slowly transitioning back into eating solid food. I'm a little nervous about the whole process of breaking the fast in a gradual and healthy way. I can't help but think that the first morsel of solid food will unleash a ravenous desire to eat. But, intuitively, I know that my body feels differently now and as long as I stay conscious and connected to those feelings, I will nourish myself in a balanced and mindful way.

So, I'm excited about tomorrow. Chewing! Woo-hoo! Who would have thought that would be such a revered sensation? I think we're going to break our fast with melon, as it's always been one of the easiest things for me to digest. We'll mix in a couple more green juices or a green smoothie, and another fruit mono-meal, too. Then on day 2 and 3, we add chopped veggies, salad and a little fat in the form of avocado or olive oil. Then it's back to meal to meal, just paying attention to how we're feeling. So, the adventure continues!

Juice Fast - Day 9

Monday, 08 March 2010

Today was one of my busiest days, and since I didn't have time to juice this morning, and I had just exercised, I was dragging pretty badly until around 2 or so, when I finally got a few minutes to juice. After that, things pepped up, and I actually had a fairly productive day.

I am noticing that keeping the juices mostly vegetables, with minimal fruit, yields better results for me. It gives me better long-term energy, makes my teeth and gums feel better, and just makes me feel more grounded somehow. It's easy to chug bag a jar of sweet fruit juice, even if it's got spinach or kale in it, but drinking a good veggie juice is a little slower process. Of course, the margin for error with vegetable juices is bigger. You can really make some nasty ones if you don't combine things well. I find that a good base of greens, celery and cucumber are best, then I add things depending on which way I want to go with flavor. Tomatoes, carrots, parsnips and red pepper give more of a V-8 taste. Adding things like jerusalem artichokes or celery root make a lighter tasting juice. We've even juiced sweet potato and added cinnamon, which is surprisingly sweet and yummy. Then, sometimes we just keep it really simple like tonight we had cucumber, coconut water, and spinach. Very refreshing. Lemon, a little pear and cucumber is great, too... kind of like lemonade. Anyway I think we're now Master Juicers. Do they have a certificate for that?

Darren's off to DC tomorrow, so we juiced a couple jars for tomorrow already. That means only two more juices to make tomorrow! Well, I guess we'll probably start off our "breaking the fast" day with a simple juice, but at least juicing four times a day won't be necessary anymore. Phew! Of course, for all the effort and challenge of the juicing routine, the experience has definitely been helpful and will be a great memory for Darren and I, both.
Nine down... one to go!