A Hodge-Podge and a Patchwork Quilt

I signed up for a 1/2 marathon.  I have ran 6 miles in the last two days on my way to training for October's event; six miles that took me over 70 minutes to cover.  My legs aren't terribly sore, my ego isn't terribly bruised, my goal isn't terribly scary, but my tummy is terribly hungry. I would love to dive to the bottom of a bag of chips or into the bucket of ice-cream, but I know that if I eat well first, I can enjoy a taste of the desired second.

My diet is a hodgepodge of dietary theories.  I don't hunt or gather, but I eat more paleo than not.  I drink coffee like a European, although I have recently switched to decaf.  I love fish and potatoes like my ancestors, but I eat them rarely and often fried.  I love juices and smoothies like a Californian, but my distaste for waste keeps that to a minimum.  I agree with eating right for my blood type, I like good carbs and good protein, I agree with clean eating and whole foods, but still, I put sugar in my coffee.  I believe I have successfully blurred the lines of at least a dozen dietary platforms and merged them together like a patchwork quilt.

During my studies I have picked up a few gems.  From Ayurveda, balance what I eat with who I am; from Joshua Rosenthal, invest more in primary foods and enjoy better quality secondary foods;  and my favorite, from Dr. Barry Sears, "Protein walks around, Carbs grow from the ground."  I have learned to thoughtfully choose foods that fit within those categories because I can anticipate how my body and mind will feel when and after I do.

By doing this I have learned that I can have a lotta bit of this and a little bit of that while thriving in good health.  A girlfriend of mine recently reminded me that no one's health is perfect.  While my own health lacks perfection, it produces energy, satiation, satisfaction, flavor, and joy.  I have learned I can enjoy what I eat and enjoy what I shouldn't all in good balance and thoughtfulness.  That, dear reader, is the recipe I wish for you all to find.

Begin with real food, drink plenty of water, and give your vitamins their vitamins.  Wash your hands of the things you can't have and instead enjoy them in tasteful portions after you eat real, whole, naturally occurring food.  You don't need a recipe to eat a carrot just as you don't need an excuse to eat ice-cream.

Anna~

CRAP? No. FOOD? Yes!

Lunch has always been a slight point of contention around here.  Three kids packing their lunch at 6:30 in the morning while I am cleaning up breakfast dishes and Scott is trying to make eggs hasn't been working for awhile.  So we have been gradually reorganizing the process of packing lunch.  Along with that, we have been dividing kitchen chores as elementary as possible.   All in all, I think we have made about 5 essential changes to make our kitchen run without a hitch in the 'giddy-up!"

1.  Eat family style meals together and at the same times everyday.  Easy, right?  Not in our house.  Making an effort to eat a 6:20am, 11:30am, and 5:30ish in the evening takes a coordinated effort, for sure, but the benefits of doing so are life changing!  Hunger rhythms and blood sugars regulate, family hunger patterns and moods coordinate, meal preparation is predictable, and more is shared than meals.  

2.  Empty the dishwasher at the same time every day.  My in-laws empty theirs first thing in the morning, I empty mine just before dinner, my parents empty theirs after breakfast.  Utilizing the dishwasher relieves the kitchen of clutter making meal prep and clean up a much simpler, more concise act.  

3.  Assign chores to make coming to the table less complex.  At meal time, one kid pours the drinks, one kid sets the table, one kid puts the dog in the kennel (almost) like clock work.  After meal time one kid clears the table, one kid stores leftovers and one kid loads the dishwasher.  Breaking apart multi-step chores gets everyone involved and relieves the cook of multiple tasks as the roast is coming out of the oven or the pots are being diligently scrubbed.  

4.  Pack lunch after dinner.  We have recently adopted the brilliant idea of dividing the leftovers into lunch sized containers immediately following dinner.  Everything gets plunked in the fridge, sticky- noted, and paired with a fruit; morning lunch prep is reduced to filling a water bottle with fresh water and grabbing something crunchy for a snack.  (Plunk is also one of my favorite words.)

5.  Make the available foods 'Yes" foods.  Almonds?  Yes!  Goldfish?  No.  Clementines?  Yes!  Cheese Doodles?  No.  Apples and Peanut Butter?  Yes!  Doritos and Mountain Dew?  No.  High sugar, highly processed foods cause mood swings, hunger roller-coasters, and addicted tastebuds.  Get rid of the C.R.A.P. and get real F.O.O.D.  

You know what to do~

Anna~

Rut Repair

Today is the day to get out of your rut.  You know, the same old routine and the same old results.  Repairing ruts is a typical spring task so today, begin your own personal rut repair with these five easy tips~

1.  Brush your teeth with the other hand.  Studies show that switching up basic movements like brushing your teeth, create new neural pathways in the brain.  Stimulating your brain can create happiness, efficiency, and spontaneous joy!

2.  Breathe deeply.  Take a moment 4 or 5 times today to breathe as though your life depends on it.  Shallow breathing may be sustainable but your body suffers from it.  Take some giant yoga breaths when you wake, before each meal, and before you sleep-  deep breathing can also thwart stress.  (Thwart is one of my favorite words!)

3.  Eliminate the words 'like' and 'um' from your vocabulary.  If you wish to compare two things, the word like is permissible; otherwise, remove them altogether.  Speaking without filler words will not only challenge your brain to exercise a broader vocabulary, but your posture will improve as well.  Give it a try today!  As you speak as your smarter, well spoken self, your confidence and posture will certainly perk up!

4.  Don't react.  Instead, take action.  If you are stuck in the "That is the way we've always done it but it really pisses me off" rut, change something.  Write a memo, conduct a proposal, constructively state your claim, or keep it to yourself.  If you are unwilling to be part of a solution, you too may be part of the problem.  (That sounds a little harsh, but I too fall into this rut more often than not.)

5.  Ask for what you need.  This may sound simple, but standing in the middle of the room passive-aggressively lamenting on how you wish you had help in the house, in the office, in the bedroom, in the garden, or with the trash isn't the same as directly approaching a usable tool and asking for what you need.  None of us are mind readers.  If you need help, ask for it.

If all else fails, eat real food, drink plenty of water, give your vitamins their vitamins and, as always, remember to wash your hands.  Repairing a rut can be very dirty work.

Anna~

You've been Missed!

I met a woman this week who reminded me that I am an individual.  I love to write, I love to eat, I love to find out about nutritional things, I love to work out in my living room, and I love to contemplate for days before deciding or committing to any one thing.  I have been focusing on social media, business names, logos, headers, footers, and websites lately, none of which I love, but all of which has lead me right back to where I started: a desire to write about food, about nourishment, and about vitamins.

I have missed you, dear readers.  My priorities are now back in the correct order.  I will explain it further tomorrow, in five paragraphs or less.

Until then, eat real food, drink plenty of water, give your vitamins their vitamins, and, as always, remember to wash your hands!  And eat eggs!

Anna~