you can't always have what you want

Human nature is such that we always want what we can’t have. Perhaps always is too strong of a word but I would say that fairly often, that is the case. Wanting something else is not in and of itself a bad thing. It is a contributor or a catalyst to change and progress. But if left unchecked, it can also lead to a myriad of other problems that range from feeling entitled, selfishly dodging responsibility, greedily seeking after something that is not rightfully yours, and being generally dissatisfied with life—all under the umbrella of “I want what is not mine.”

I experienced such a thought today as I was walking past the windows of Duane Reade and noticed that Easter candy is now lining their shelves. Normally, those types of sugary substances can’t tempt me but for some reason they did today. The reason? I am preparing to start yet another cleanse. I am not entirely sure how I will fair with this one compared to the last. This one is only 7 days but the restrictions are still pretty extreme. No dairy, no meat, no refined or processed anything. It’s basically a vegan/raw diet without the help of any outside manufacturer. I can eat as much fruit, vegetables, brown rice, nuts, beans/lentils, and herbs as I want, but again the trick is that everything must basically be natural and homemade.


You would think that with all of my experimenting, previous cleanses, self-imposed observances of Lent (Yes, I know I am not Catholic) and the like, that this would be a breeze…but I don’t think it will. While I have adopted several really good habits along the way—eliminating this and making sure that I make my own that—I still anticipate that this will be difficult. The level of torture is yet to be determined.


Back to the candy. I am nearly 100% certain that the reason I suddenly wanted to purchase bags upon bags of refined sugar is because I know that starting tomorrow I cannot have them. I want what I can’t have. Men want women they can’t have, women want men that they can't have and I want food that I can’t have. It’s a universal predicament, I think.


Wish me luck!

"you are what you eat, food does matter"

For those of you that know me, you'll know that my quest for a workable and healthy diet has had it's ups and downs and also that I've been a little obsessed with it.  (Apologies if you tire of me talking of how important it is to eat whole & unprocessed foods.)  I have experimented, for varying amounts of times, with diets that were strictly organic, only local, strictly vegetarian, mostly vegetarian, low carb, unprocessed & whole foods, and even some raw & living foods.  While I can't say that I am the best at sticking to any one type of diet, what I can say is that I have gleaned something valuable from each way of life.  I can also say, without the least bit of hesitation, that when you are on your own quest to improve your health and diet, you need to figure out what works best for you.  In my opinion that comes through education, experimentation, evaluation, modification, and finding motivation.  (Doesn't all change require that type of a pattern?)  It also takes time, which many of us don't claim to have.  But if our health is at stake, isn't it worth it to spend a little more time on something that can bring us so many benefits now AND in the future?  

Anyway, one thing that I find myself coming back to when I need a little burst of motivation is a documentary called Food Matters.  My first exposure to this film was when I won this DVD at a lecture about permaculture that my friend Anthony Anderson (aka the Raw Model) spoke at.  I'll have to post the story of how we met some time.  It's a little embarrassing but it makes me laugh and I can't tell you how grateful I am that we did meet.  He has been such a source of inspiration to me...so much so, that I am looking at the raw diet again.  I don't see myself (at this point) doing a completely raw diet.  But rather, I want to see how much I can fully adopt.  Maybe it will end up being a "raw before dinner" type of a deal.  I don't know.  But I really do believe in the power of whole, natural foods and think that we are doing ourselves and our families a disservice if we turn a deaf ear to this whole school of thought. 

For your viewing pleasure and in an effort to persuade you to rent the movie, I've included the trailer.  The video was compelling and presented arguments that can't intelligently be disputed.  So here's to your health!  Enjoy!

cheese

My friend Adam is always teasing me about my impractical “healthy” eating habits. Every time he would come to my home he would inevitably find in the refrigerator something low-fat or fat free. From his exaggerated reactions to these items, you would have thought that I had insulted his very being. (Perhaps I did. :) ) Naturally, the teasing worsened when Lent rolled around and I decided to give up processed foods. The two allowances I made were whole grain bread (I wasn’t about to start paying $5 for a loaf) and milk (I go through about a gallon a week--at least). Other than that, most everything I ate was whole, natural, unrefined, and made from scratch. Talk about difficult and time consuming. Sometimes it would take me so long to figure out what I could actually eat that I wasn’t hungry by the time I had come up with food options. It was trying, to say the least, but it got me thinking about the way that our society views and consumes food. I also started reading labels and figuring out exactly what I am putting into my body. It’s pretty shocking to see what types of ingredients we are consuming without even blinking an eye.

The other day, I was in a rush to get some grocery shopping done and mistakenly picked up some low fat mozzarella cheese. I wanted to make a Caprese Salad with some tomatoes that I had picked up from the Farmer’s Market. When I got home, I realized my folly but wasn’t about to waste my $6 purchase. I made my beautiful, little salad, cut my first piece and took a bite. It was disgusting. The tomato and basil were divine, but that cheese did NOT hit the spot. I started to laugh because I thought of Adam and could hear him saying something to the effect of “See! I told you so!”

I find it interesting that I am in more in agreement with Adam at this point in relation to “fat free” or “low fat” foods. They don’t taste very good and they don’t use real ingredients. I much prefer a little bit of real butter or cream as opposed to something chemically engineered. Lent has come and gone and I have definitely not been as regimented as I was before, but I am still reading labels, still studying up on food and nutrition, and still watching what I am actually putting into my mouth. Now I’m not going to get into the debate between Organic vs. Conventional Foods here, rather, I just wanted to say, Adam, in this instance, you were right...despite the fact that you love processed Kraft Singles.

ode to the trader...ode to the joe

So today during my lunch break I decided to venture to 14th and 3rd. Now if you are familiar with that area, you know the Mecca of which I speak. Now when I say Mecca, I mean it. It has been the destination of many, a destination that I didn't quite understand until just recently. Ok for those of you who don't know, I speak of...

Trader Joe's

As I've started to explore the art of Raw Eating and have attempted to incorporate much of that healthy lifestyle into my life (Attempted=had Ben & Jerry's tonight with some fabulous friends. Don't judge.) I've come to appreciate grocery stores that carry products and produce that are organic, local, and that use as little processing as possible--you know, natural, food that is actually food and not humanly engineered into food.

Now, those of you who do the same thing also know that this can get really expensive, and despite being a high-rollin', fabulously paid social worker (enter sarcasm), I can't really afford to eat completely organic, local, or natural. While I try my best, there is only so much that I can do.

So the fabulous thing about Trader Joe's is that it is super cheap! Instead of spending $40 on a bag of groceries, I only spent about $20. Now that's savings. Granted, it doesn't have everything and it is a schlep, but I think that I'm going to brave the distance, the sore shoulders (because of the grocery hauling), and yes, even the long lines...at least sometimes. :)

P.S. While I'm declaring my love for stores, I do have to give a hearty shout-out to Whole Foods. Can I just say that I am in love with that store? I can wander around for hours, reading labels, dreaming up food combinations, trying to figure out how to make certain products myself, and marveling at the types of products that the health world comes up with. In my heart, it has become akin to Bed, Bath & Beyond (#1 fave) and Barnes & Noble (#2). Shouldn't I get some sort of kickback for all of this advertising??? And why didn't I blog about Whole Foods? I don't know. I guess it's because I got raw almond butter for $4.99. :)