Cleanse Weeks #3 and #4- The Phenomena of Food

As the age-old adage goes, you are what you eat.  To me, this is a relatively good rule of thumb and if it holds true then we should soon be turning into legumes, dark leafy greens, and raw nuts.  Followed by blueberry pancakes, ice cream, and cookies.  Yes, it's true, I'm a backslider.  After three weeks of eating perfectly, I gave in to Allen's plea to have breakfast at our favorite neighborhood greasy spoon.  Although I'm not placing the blame entirely on him.  I was ready.  I heartily drenched my pancakes in syrup and slurped my coffee (cream AND sugar) with gusto.  It was so much easier to fall off of the wagon than it was to get on!

  Allowing ourselves a bit of a binge period, we ate with reckless abandon for about two days.  I'm talking candy bars, chips, popcorn, SODA.  Oh, for shame!  However, I'm not looking back with regret: It was disgustingly delicious and I enjoyed every minute of it.  But there was one change that was too drastic to ignore: eczema.  Terrible, itchy, hurt-y eczema.  I inherited this angel from my mother and grandmother, and even though mine is mild compared to some that I've seen it's still annoying!  I was never before willing to accept that it could be caused by my diet, preferring to believe that it was stress-related.  Yet, lo and behold, away it went when I cut out the three main triggers: gluten, dairy, and added sugar.  Bounce that happy little trinity back into the old diet and WHAM-O...flare-up!  So, for now, I'm experimenting...though that Asiago bagel with butter this afternoon was exquisite!  Sometimes you have to give in to the dirty, rotten gluten-sugar-dairy-addicted devil on your shoulder.

  Then you make up for it with these...     

Avocado-Vanilla Smoothie

Fresh fruit with applesauce-sweetened tahini and toasted coconut

Toasted coconut muesli

Amped-up muesli with golden raisins and Western Slope unfiltered honey

Chickpea burgers with oven fries

Kale and white bean stew with potatoes

Toasted-almond broccoli pesto

Pesto and noodles

Shiitakes and brown rice cooked en papillote

Tri-color quinoa with spinach and poached egg

Filet kebabs with grilled zucchini and brown rice

 While I have every intention of continuing to explore which foods harm and which foods heal, never once has 'deprivation' been a thought of mine.  Though every time I mentioned the cleanse to someone they made some comment about never being able to live without their coffee/beer/cheese/donut.  At first, I bristled at those remarks.  Of course you can do without (insert crappy food/drink choice here).  The key is that you don't want to, and so you won't.  But it's also not far-fetched to consider that most of us, are in some way addicted to the worst of the foods that we eat.  I will readily admit to this addiction!  Doesn't mean I'm going to wreck my body willy-nilly just because I happen to adore chocolate-covered anything.  
  How do we control that little voice that says, "I'm hungry," "Something sweet sounds good," "Just one more."?  I'm beginning to think that maybe control is an unattainable goal.  Maybe what we really need to focus on is tricking that voice into satiation by eating foods so fresh and full of flavor that it won't have any reason to complain.  For me, the prolonged and conscious commitment is the only way.  Awareness manifests into understanding and anticipating what the body and mind need to truly be nourished. 

If you don't take care of your body, where are you going to live?

~Lendon Smith, M.D. 

     

The Warmth of Kith & Kin

Park County Aspen

  Fall is in full swing out here in the West, and Winter is already rearing its white head in the high country.  Have I mentioned how much I love this time of year?!?  Autumn has a smell- a sensation: the sweet, wet scent of decaying leaves, wisps of campfire and smoke, crisp air that cools on into the evening.  This season of death reminds us of the cyclical timeline of nature.  From marveling at the splendidly white, snow-capped peaks, to coaxing the first tender shoots out of the ground, to cooing over delicate wildflower blossoms, and then soaking in the vibrant golds, reds and oranges of the changing leaves.

  Last weekend we attended the wonderful wedding of one of my very best friends, Megan.  She and her husband Chris were married in Asheville, North Carolina in the Swannanoa Valley, surrounded by over 200 of their family and friends.  It was such a joyful occasion, and an opportunity to visit with friends that I hadn't seen in quite a while.  Probably the most heartwarming thing about this wedding was how everyone came together to help and make it happen.  All out of love for the bride and groom!
  Dunce that I am, I forgot to bring my camera.  I know, I know, I was continually kicking myself.  But let's just say that I threw my meat free, dairy free and egg free diet completely out the window!  Maybe it's better that I didn't document the absolutely uncontrolled feasting I was doing in the Cackalack...everything from pulled pork to pimento cheese!  Apparently the pimento cheese is a 'Southern Thing.'  NPR did a good story about it a few years back.
  Despite the backsliding, I did eat some other delicious things that are completely vegan...

North Carolina Muscadines

  A member of the grapevine species, muscadines have been cultivated since the 16th century and are native to the Southeastern United States.  You might also see them used to make wine, juice or jam.  They have a sweet, jelly-like consistency.  To eat just bite a hole in the tough skin and suck out the insides.  Watch out for the seeds!

Salad made from local tomatoes, greens and raw baby turnips

Vegan Tofu Scramble @ Early Girl Eatery in Asheville

  However, since I really wanted to include a yummy vegan recipe for this blog post, I've decided to share something I made recently that perfectly captures the warm feeling that being around all of those wonderful people gave me:

Super Easy Creamy "Chicken" and Gravy Stew  

         
  I love comfort food, and it's not something I'm willing to give up just because those foods are normally made from the flesh and excretions of animals.  The Skinny Bitch cookbooks have been a great place to start when putting together vegan meals.  They tend to be heavy on vegan cheese and meat substitutes- not my favorite and not really necessary- but the basic flavors are there and you can make subtle changes to suit your palate.
  The changes I made to this recipe are:

• Cubed, extra firm tofu 
• Gardein Seven Grain Crispy Tenders served on the side (In place of vegan chicken strips)

  Clicking on the title of the recipe will take you to Google Books, where you can view the recipe along with the entire Skinny Bitch in the Kitch cookbook- but you can't print so don't even try.  I didn't post the recipe here because of copyright laws.

  Moment of zen:

Sweet terrarium w/ Red Leaf Maple Tree