Eating That Elephant

I’ve decided to change the way I eat for a few weeks. After that, we’ll see. I write this with some trepidation, though; it’s seems every time I tell people I am embarking on a new way of eating, I quickly abandon it, as though the commitment itself gets in my way. I’ve not figured out why, but rather am just determined not to let it happen this time, and everyone’s support means a lot to me, so I’m going to risk it.

The main idea is that I’m cutting out certain foods from my diet completely for a while. I know this is counterintuitive. Deprivation, and all that…but I think that not having some strict structure really backfires for me, somehow, especially around sugar. I’m starting to think that for me, having a little sugar is feeding my addiction to it, screwing up my blood sugar, and messing up my willpower to stop at just a little. And, it’s not like I have been eating all kinds of junk. I’ve had a fairly healthy diet for a while, just with the more-than-occasional hit of sugar, sushi, pasta, or one leading to the other 🙂

I know from experience that going lowfat would help me lose weight…but I don’t think my hormones are up to that stress right now, so I’m going to try this first. Here’s the plan.

– Focus on grassfed, organic meats, eggs, vegetables, and high-quality dairy
– Eliminate sugar and processed grains
– Eliminate all hydrogenated oils and highly processed oils
– Eliminate additives and artificial sweeteners
– Avoid potatoes except sweet potatoes and those I get from my CSA
– Keep whole fruit, coconut flour, quinoa, and some other ancient grains (black rice perhaps, maybe soaked oats later)
– Allow small amounts of honey, dried fruit, nuts, and nut butters
– Use coconut oil, olive oil, and grass-fed butter, avoid all other (seed) oils

I welcome questions about foods I have not thought of and how they might fit in, especially if you are considering doing this yourself.   If you are curious why I’m going with an animal product based diet versus low fat or vegetarian, or you wonder why I would use butter and not canola oil for example, look at websites such as www.westonaprice.org, http://realmilk.com, or do a search for “paleo diet with dairy”.  Honestly, though, this is a divided issue and both sides can find research to support their case; right now, I’d rather not debate the various camps.

My belief is that everyone’s genetics, personality, and values are different so there is no one right way for everyone – I have no vested interest in this being the “right” way for anyone else. The same request applies to those that would question whether going on a strict “diet” is the right way to approach weight loss or whether weight loss should be the goal – it may not be your goal or your approach, but trust me, I’ve been around the block a few times.  I know the arguments, and I’m comfortable with my strategy at this point.  (And if you think this is dangerous for me, I’ll just mention my blood pressure is way too low already; I’m not planning to send my body into ketosis due to the fruits and healthy grains; and I’m only talking about 2-3 weeks here).

Recently, some books and resources have been recommended to me, plus I have a list I like and this is as good a place to collect them as any.  I’ve not read many of these.

– Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats by Sally Fallon
– Eat Fat, Lose Fat: The Healthy Alternative to Trans Fats by Mary Enig
– Potatoes not Prozac and The Sugar Addict’s Total Recovery Program by Kathleen DesMaisons
– The Mood Cure by Julia Ross

– Women Food And God by Geneen Roth
– Health at Every Size by Linda Bacon
– Suicide by Sugar by Nancy Appleton
– Sugar Blues by William F. Duffy
– http://www.squidoo.com/sugar-free-halloween

I welcome anyone that would like to to join me.  Thanks to all for your support (and trust that I am capable and smart enough to not hurt myself even if you think I’m a bit wacko :).

Lisa

I’m sitting at my computer with the sun streaming through the frigid air outside and into my warm room, sipping coffee brought to me from across the ocean by a friend, it’s rich flavor blunted by local raw cream and a bit of honey. The dichotomies of life seem harsh and stark today.

The world seems off-kilter, tilted, like the deck of a boat in uncertain weather. The thoughtless routine of daily life goes on, and yet it seems ever more important to elude it’s pull. And to find meaning; if not outside of that routine, then somehow within it.

I’m eating my local organic eggs with a mango, which I see (after scrounging the label from the trash in curiosity) is from Peru. And I’m remembering a sustainable local dinner provided by a lovely vibrant woman, a woman who would embrace my mango from Peru and yet, also inspire me to notice, to appreciate, to live with awareness and conscious choice. A woman who is suddenly gone. Somehow I just can’t find the meaning in that, quite yet. But I can sip my coffee with awareness and appreciation, and I can give out unconditional love, and that will have to be enough for now.

For the last 2 weeks I’ve been meaning to experiment with Gluten-Free banana and/or squash bread.  Today, I decided to bite the proverbial bullet as I stared at my poor sad little yellow squash and wrinkled apples, the last of my summer CSA share (other than the intensely spicy celery, which the guinea pigs are sloooowly making their way through).

I looked through all kinds of GF recipes on the web, and all of them seemed to be comprised primarily of sugar.  Finally, I branched out and found this recipe by Elise, and modified it to fit the ingredients I had.  The result was excellent.  My son and hubby both thought they were as good as or better than wheat muffins I’ve made in the past.

Here’s what I used.  These are called “Kitchen Sink” muffins based on the ole’ “Everything but the kitchen sink” saying; you basically can use whatever vegies/fruit combination you have, and whatever add-ins appeal to you, and adjust the liquid accordingly.  For the flour, experiment with whatever brand of GF flour mix you have; the one I have is no longer in production.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, mix together or beat the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add melted butter and mix thoroughly, then stir in shredded fruit/vegetables.  In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add these dry ingredients to the wet mixture. If needed, add a bit more flour or milk until batter is a thick gloppy paste. Fold in the add-ins.

Put muffin papers into pan. Use a spoon to fill the muffin cups close to top edge. Bake on the middle rack until toothpick comes clean, about 25 to 30 minutes.

I did it! I made it to the top of Horsetooth Rock today (including 45 minutes of yoga in the middle which saved me). I’m so proud of myself (but also exhausted). It was *tough* – I’m probably not going to be able to walk tomorrow 🙂

We left at 7am and got back at 10:40, and that was with a fairly fast pace.

We didn’t actually do our Yoga on the rock – we did it about 2/3 of the way up the trail. This was for effect 🙂

We’ve decided to do an at-least 3 week trial of being gluten-free. (Only for my son and I). We’ve been gearing up for it for a couple months…and oddly, it’s almost anti-climatic now because there are so many substitutes available.

Today I was looking around at restaurants since a friend invited him to Chick-fil-a, which, surprisingly to me, has a gluten-free menu. My son’s response? “No, it’s really not all that healthy. I’ll stay home and have something that is tasty and healthy too.” (Apparently, buying the gluten-free, chocolate covered donuts was a very strategic move on my part. They are fabulous, by the way, although probably not healthy at all. Shhh – don’t tell, we have to do this in stages).

I thought I would collect some of my “finds” here. Note that these are often pretty far outdated – but they will at least give a general idea.

One tip I saw somewhere was always ask for the gluten-free menu – even if you know what is on it. They do prepare it differently sometimes.

Gluten-Free Dining Out: Is it Safe?

Taco Del Mar Wheat-Free/Gluten-Free Items (2004)

Wendy’s

Denny’s

Carrabba’s

Boston Market :: Restaurant :: Nutrition :: Make Your Meal (Note: ingredients and allergens, not an actual menu).

Cold Stone Creamery

Outback Steakhouse

Chick-Fil-A (click on nutrition, then on gluten)

The water of the recently-filled lake shimmers in the morning sun, and despite the crust of sand and dirt on my kayak, my heart swells. Something in me calms and rests as I pull out with soft paddle strokes. I decide to go east this morning, instead of away from the sun as I usually do, in order to get a closer look at a shadow – what might be swans or brown pelicans. They are “just” backlit versions of the usual white pelicans, but are beautiful nonetheless and one lets me get close enough to see the black on his undersides. A great white skeleton of a tree looms along the shore, it’s size doubled by it’s reflection. It’s stunning, though I’m disappointed that no wildlife is using it as a perch. However, around the next bend is a cluster of four roosting white pelicans. All I needed was patience. I regret not bringing a camera. It’s the stuff that inspires writers and artists, both of which I see myself as in theory though reality seems to constantly in the way. A passing thought occurs to me – if only I could write while I was in the kayak.

As I paddle back, almost ready to rejoin the world, I start to wonder how it is I’ve done no writing other than blogging, while saying it is one of the main activities I want to focus on. A constant and never-ending wave of tasks and responsibilities looms over me. It feels futile to fight the tide, and to be honest, I’m getting tired of strategies that get me excited but don’t seem to help, and therefore never last (of course).

I do know I “waste” a lot of time. Yet, there is only so efficient one can be, and how does one judge importance? Should I resist the urge to sit and stare at the multitude of butterflies that my son has raised, in order to clean the house? Should I forego wine and chocolate with friends, over the discussion of a thought-provoking book? Both strategies would feel unfair and counterproductive. (How can one be a writer without pondering the beauty in butterflies and discussing books?)

I also do quite a bit to take care of myself. I have to, out of self-preservation. Perhaps, though, there can be some efficiency and balance found there, as I do often berate myself for staying out longer than meets my needs. Time spent on email is another area that both brings me important things and also has a lot of waste that could perhaps be reclaimed.

(As I return to the car I see a man going for a morning walk while conducting business on his cell phone. Already forgetting that I was just thinking of something along the same lines, it seems ludicrous at first and I have a moment of judgment before the empathy kicks in).

What I do know is that trying to solve this problem completely before starting on the next, of becoming a writer, is very unlikely to be feasible. Somehow, despite how much I would like the world to work in well-defined and completable parts, I need to find my balance within what is.

Some people put little “tickers” in their signatures, that say how old their baby or child is, or how many days left until some important event. I’m thinking I would be really motivated if somewhere there was a ticker saying how many emails are in my inbox (the goal being to bring down the number). Nothing like people seeing inside your house to get it cleaned up…

I am making good progress on my email inbox, though. It was over 300 and now is down to only 33. Of course I had to do some, ahem, creative refiling. I took the blogs I read to heart, and figured, “Would I really act on email from back in 2007? Probably not.” So I moved those out of the way, deleted a bunch, and have been slooooowly getting the total down each day.

We’ll see!

I had an interesting 40th birthday.   I’ve gotten asked a lot, “Are you going to do [did you do] anything special for your birthday?”

Really, it started yesterday, when I got a fabulous new haircut, and we went out for sushi and a free dessert.  That was pretty special (especially given the price of each!)

But today is my actual birthday.  First, I went walking with a friend at 5:30 in the morning (5 am wake-up time).  We walked about 8 km (1 hour 40 minutes) in preparation for the Bolder Boulder in a few days.  Most people think I’m nuts to get up so early, much less on my birthday.  It felt great though – I had a sense of adventure, of pushing the limits, and a sense of focusing entirely on myself – the same reasons I’m walking the Bolder Boulder; mainly just because I’ve never done it before.  Special to me, perhaps, though masochistic to the rest of the world.

After getting home, I worked for a while on our radio show.  Again – this was work, but it felt great.  I was doing something purposeful.  Making a difference.

Then an odd thing happened; our area was hit by hurricanes.  Unusual, scary.  It didn’t come very close to us but friends had damage and some damage was severe….our local paper has a Photo Gallery.

Later, friends came over to plan for the Bolder Boulder.  It was chaos, but I tend to thrive in chaos.  It was fun.   A couple of them stayed for dinner and we pulled out leftover cake from the freezer (thank goodness that is no longer calling my name!)I did get to play the birthday card a couple times; hubby ran an errand for us, picked up dinner, and cleaned up the kitchen.

But no, I didn’t do anything “special” for my birthday.  It seems for some reason we view birthdays as either a day that we get to take care of ourselves (as if this should be different than other days), and/or a day that should be different, or unusual.  However, I loved my birthday for the opposite reasons – because it made me value that I do have it pretty darn good already.  Despite tornados.

I just had this realization that I suspect the entire world other than me has already figured out, or known from birth, but I’m hoping for me it will help reduce my stress level significantly.

If you have been following me so far, you know I’m pretty organized (otherwise, with my poor memory, my life would fall apart). And you know that I like to plan ahead. And yet, I always seem to run out of time and not get to the important things that I need to do by a certain time. I’m often changing my underwear and quickly running a brush through my hair when I should have already left (and when I had planned to have enough time to shower, blowdry, and put on a bit of makeup).

So here’s my big realization. Something as old as, well, at least as old as Stephen Covey and he must be getting old by now…”Begin with the end in mind”. I knew this once, but somehow my tired old brain lost it (no surprise there!)

So what if, instead of writing this blog post or checking my email while estimating that — “sure I can get everything ready to go later – I have a whole 80 minutes! Come on! “– I actually did the most important things that have to be done on a deadline, first? What if I was proactive, but proactive working backwards, instead of forwards? Hmmm….I think I’ll go play around with it…what would that look like?

• Deciding what I need to bring, and getting it ready
• Feeding the family
• Getting dressed, eating
• Thinking about stuff I might want to get started for the week also
• Actually looking at my todo list
• NOT reading email
• NOT blissfully following internet ratholes like updating my LinkedIn contacts…

Well, we’ll see.  Perhaps it is just another one of those fleeting strategies that gets me excited for a while and then falls by the wayside.  But at least I can try to get a few days out of it.