On the Agenda~

Cadence plays the piano.  She started a few months ago and has soared in lessons.  Her instructor has instilled pride and joy into Cadence's fingers; as they move across the keys song is what we hear.  She isn't just playing the music as it is written on the page.  She brings the music out of the instrument, off of the staff, to life from within herself.  Watching her makes us feel proud for and of her.  This weekend she will be able to play on her own piano, given to us from dear friends, here, for all of us to absorb and live by.

I come from a long family line of unrecognized musicians.  My late grandmother was a pianist from a very young age and graced many with her music - I never met her.  My brother, many cousins and extended relatives are guitar artists and many of us use our voices as instruments.  My late cousin Cameron made a living on the side as a musician singing and playing on albums, on radio shows, on coffee-shop stages, but the living wasn't about the money, it was about the music.  The joy or sorrow, the pain or laughter, the love or anger that music evokes is individual, indeed, but music is a universal language that can bring one comfort or a crowd to chorus.  Profound.

Monday, my own lessons start.  I am not a savant when it comes to an instrument, unlike many of my family members. I cannot just sit down at the piano and play; I cannot just pick up a guitar and strum; I cannot just rosin up a bow and bring music forth.  I, at one time, could easily harmonize with another in song, but that talent has collected dust.  Over the next 8 weeks I will hopefully pick up a new foundation to play with and the dust may be swept off my vocal chords as well.  Who knows, Cadence and I may be hosting Open Mike Night in our living room before the summer is out~

Before the piano rolls in and the guitar is tuned, a 5K will be pounded out by all five of us RI Burrills.  Scott is well rehearsed with the organized run, as Sean is, but we three girls are new at the event.  We also have dinner planned with friends, a baby shower to attend, a lawn to mow, and thirteen other 'must-do's' to finish before the new week plays out.  It would be easy to talk myself out of participating in the 5K to save time and knee pain, but then I would miss the experience of crossing the finish line with the rest of them.  I am my biggest challenger and I am my biggest challenge.

Before the day moves any further into the sky I should go eat breakfast.  You all know what I am going to say next...

Anna~

Challenges; Challengers!

Challenge: a call to take part in a contest or the act of engaging in a competition.  Getting out of bed in the morning, completing a day of work, running a 10K, climbing Mt. Fuji and getting along with your mother-in-law all qualify as challenges.  Eating a whole foods diet.  Exercising on a regular basis.  Taking care of your own mental health.  Nurturing your own emotional and sexual needs.  Education.  Challenges are faced, overcome, or ignored depending on one catalyst: you!

Our middle child is doing a non-fiction report in her fourth-grade classroom this week; Henry Ford is her subject.  One of his quotes that found its way onto her story board is, "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right."  This has been ringing in my ears for days now applicable to almost every decision, trivial or significant, I make throughout the day.  Can I run 5 miles?  Can I get the laundry done?  Will I have dinner ready on time?  Do I have time for myself?  Can I add guitar lessons and a nutrition class to my schedule?  Am I able... ?  The outcome is usually certain before any task begins based on my own belief in my own abilities.  Whether I think I can or I can't, I am right.

Challenger: one who competes against another in a competition or contest.  It is socially acceptable to compete with others in many different arenas around the globe.  Football, soccer, gymnastics, glee, battle of the bands, chess, debate.  Other challenges are against abstract opponents; a thyroid disorder, insulin dependence, depression, an unhappy spouse, a difficult course or class, a dissatisfying job, weight, health insurance, an underwater mortgage.  Nothing is harder to battle than the challengers we battle emotionally and physically at once.

Abstract challengers are arguably the most difficult to overcome. "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right."  Can you lose weight?  Can you beef up your education to get a fulfilling job?  Can you eat better food in order to rid yourself of disease?  Can you become less dependent on your doctor and more dependent on nutrition?  Can you find happiness within yourself?  Are you able...  ?

Defining challenges and challengers is certainly an important part of any growth or health plan.  Remembering that you are your biggest challenge and, you, your biggest challenger is the most important piece of tactical information needed to overcome any and all opponents.  You decide to forgive, to try, to learn, to eat, to sleep, to smile, and to love yourself and others, or you decide not to.  I encourage you to eat food that fuels and nourishes your body, to drink water to nurture your health, to give your vitamins their vitamins, and to wash your hands of doubt and obstinance.  Whether you think you can or you can't, you are right!

Anna~

Take Just a Moment~

I can't imagine yesterday.  I can remember walking the shores of Rhode Island with the kids, examining sea shells, crab claws, and layers of shale.  I can remember traversing retaining walls and train tracks.  I can remember hiking around Melville Pond, watching the kids fearlessly leap over water falls and creep under fallen trees.  In the evening, the world was quiet as I challenged myself to another run while watching the sun set over Narragansett Bay.  Everything yesterday from memory was enjoyable.  Safe.  Satisfying.  Fearless.

I can't imagine any of those events ending in terror or explosions or chaos.  My thoughts and strength are with those who were affected by yesterday's unimaginable events in Boston.  What an incomprehensible world we live in...

Anna~

Juicing?

This past weekend I watched "Hungry for Change" on Netflix.  This movie is on the same line of thought as "Food Matters" and "Forks over Knives".  All of these documentaries point at food as the foundation for all other things.  And, interestingly enough, all support 'juicing' as a way of helping your body stay clean.  'Juicing'.  Hmmmm.  Sounds expensive.

I do not have a food processor, nor do I have a juicer.  I own a blender and a water bottle, ice cube trays and a bit of imagination, but that is it.  Juicing requires an apparatus that turns raw food into juice and mountains of fresh produce.  I can justify spending money on food, I am even doing better choosing organic food over the pesticide variety, but I do not have the budget for juicing as a staple in my diet (especially since there are four others to feed), at least not yet.

Before I go and try juicing recipes and blending food flavors and combos I thought I should give the 'juice' a try first.  Naked Juice has several varieties of smoothies available ready made so that is where I started.  The Green Machine and Blue Machine were my first two choices and they are fantastic.  I do not want to buy bananas, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, apple juice, mango, heads of broccoli, spirulina, ginger, pineapple, wheat grass, blue green algae, and odorless garlic to purée, but I don't mind purchasing the blend ready made for my enjoyment ~ and my health.  Naked uses NonGMO produce and all natural ingredients.  They don't add sugar, they don't add preservatives;  'they only add a label'.  I look forward to trying more of their blends.

So why juice?  Why isn't real food enough?  When we eat we have to digest.  The body has to liquify our food in order to absorb it.  Some foods contain fat and water soluble nutrients which require more or less form the liver, the pancreas, and the intestines.  Juice, because it is already in liquid form and because it is made of raw food, is recognized and absorbed immediately by the body without the process of breaking it down.  From mouth to cells in roughly 15 minutes vs the 30 minutes to 12 hours cooked or intact foods can take to digest.  Not to mention the powerful, cell cleansing ingredients!  (This week we'll talk about those ingredients!)

Juicing.  After a few days and then a few weeks I will let you know if I notice any differences (internal or external).  For now, I encourage you to eat real food, to give your vitamins their vitamins, to drink plenty of water, and to remember to wash your hands.  Try something new~  or turn it into juice!

Anna

Don't Buy It: Roast it!

In the beginning of the week I suggested you eliminate foods with ingredient lists and instead use recipes.  Labels have given us all food for thought for the days or weeks to come especially as we implement new habits, introduce new foods, and experiment with our weekly menu planning.  Do we stick to strictly organic?  Do we search for NonGMO foods?  Do we spend extra on 'free range chicken' and 'grass fed beef'?  My advice is to take on one label at a time.  Maybe just start by planning a menu and looking at its face value!

Breakfast.  I can think of about 77 breakfast foods (some require assembly, some don't)!  Whole wheat toast, orange slices, coffee and fruit preserves is one of my favorites.  Egg sandwiches are another weakness of mine.  When assembling a breakfast menu when processed foods are absent whole wheat toast isn't an option.  Eggs, quinoa, steel cut or rolled oatmeal, and milk are all good, high protein ways to start the day.  Add fruits or veggies (think omelet) to get your vitamins.  If you need yogurt or cheese, have yogurt or cheese but read the labels before you buy~  not all cheeses and yogurts are the same.

Lunch.  Trying to steer clear of the deli meat sodium attack?  On Sunday, roast an extra chicken, turkey, or pork shoulder, even a beef roast will work... you'll have lunch meat all week long.  Deli meats are convenient, but they are expensive! The home-made variety is easy on your wallet and delicious in salads, quesadillas, soups, and sandwiches alike.  Last night's leftover roast works just as well if you don't want to dedicate a whole bird to lunch~  (Remember, salad means 'a medley of food'...  only involve lettuce if you want to!)

Dinner.  Right now in RI, fennel, beets, carrots, asparagus, kale, chard and artichokes are in season.  Onions, leeks, potatoes and peas are also on the list (to name a few).  If I just use seasonal veggies I can load my plate with different items each night of the week without much repetition and without sacrificing flavor.  What's in season where you live?  If the list is short, take a trip around your produce department and look for veggies that are crisp, bright, and smell good!  If they don't smell, they were picked too early and might not offer much nutrition.  If they are dull and limp, again, they are probably deficient.  You can always find live lettuce and nuts and seeds and dried or dehydrated foods~  all excellent choices!

Dessert.  Have dessert.  Chocolate.  Mousse.  Chocolate mousse.  Pudding.  Sherbet/sorbet.  Gelato.  Ice Cream.  If you don't make it yourself, read the label.  If you read 17 ingredients, don't buy it.  If the label reads something like, 'Milk, cream, sugar, cocoa powder, almond extract, salt,' it might not be a bad choice to satisfy a sweet tooth.  Enjoy all of the real foods you find this weekend~  Remember to give your vitamins their vitamins, wash them in with water, and, as always, remember to wash your hands.

Anna~

Is GMO on the Label?

GMO: Genetically Modified Organism. Biotechnology has been touching our food for decades and GMOs are the result. Plants that withstand chemical pesticides, yield larger fruit, produce more vegetables and grow in unlikely conditions, move from the super market shelves to our dinner tables without detection. Animals that possess giant breasts, meaty shoulders, rotund butts and the pinkest flesh have gone from farm to 'Friday's Menu' as well. GMOs may look and taste delicious, but they create a few problems along the way.

Genetically Modified Organisms were created to "withstand direct application of herbicide and/or to produce an insecticide." They may ward off bugs and tolerate chemicals but they do not offer a nutritionally superior product. Interestingly enough, they aren't even labeled! As we are meandering through the grocery store we may not be able to tell which foods have been engineered and which are the real thing.  The problem with that is not knowing where our food comes from - Earth or Engineer?

Why does that matter? Is Genetic Engineering (GE) of food safe?  "This experimental technology merges DNA from different species, creating unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and viral genes that cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding."  I don't know much about the science, nor do I understand all of the repercussions of GE, but if a food is designed to withstand herbicides and pesticides I know it is being doused with the chemicals it is modified to withstand.  Do I wish to eat such a food?  There is the question, dear reader...

How do we steer clear of GMO's?  Though it may not be this simple, look for 'Organic' or '100% Organic' on the label or brand of the foods you consume.  'Natural' is another word to look for when choosing fresh foods to put into your body.  Ask your local growers if they are part of the NonGMO project.  Do a quick internet search to find out if your favorite brands of bread or potato or chicken or pork are NonGMO verified.  Education is the key~    

Just as the labels in our T-shirts tell us if they came from across the globe or the USA, so should your food be labeled to tell if it is laboratory grown, genetically modified, or locally cultivated.  Because GMOs are not labeled, a bit of detective work is necessary....  more investigation is needed~
Yesterday I gave unsolicited advice to a friend who expressed a desire to lose weight.  I suggested she eliminate all processed food and fatty meat.  She then asked, "What would I eat?"  I said, "Eat real, whole, naturally occurring foods, add a vitamin, drink plenty of water, and remember to wash your hands."  I wonder if she will take my advice?  

Anna~

 (Maybe I should make her a menu?)