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In early 2009, through Leo Babauto’s fitness efforts, I discovered Mark’s Daily Apple. I was amazed by what I read, & if you take a look, I’m sure you will be too. I was high skeptical at first, but the more I dug & the more I’ve read, I’m pretty much sold on the idea of eating like our ancestors.
There’s a LOT to slog through over there (if you’re interested, I’d suggest starting here), but here’s the basic idea: Our DNA hasn’t changed much in 100,000 years. At that time, we were hunter-gatherers – hunting our meat & gathering our nuts, seeds, veggies, & fruits. We didn’t eat grains, because we couldn’t really until the agricultural revolution that began only as recent as some 10,000 years ago. With so many people experiencing gluten intolerance, it follows that we, as a species, are not really designed to eat grains.
As I mentioned, I was HIGHLY skeptical about this idea. But after a year of reading about so many food allergies, intolerances, & problems with our food supply from a variety of blogs & books, I was ready to take the dive & give it a try. It took a few weeks of “tomorrow I’m giving up grains!” only to eat a big bowl of pasta before I was finally able to do it. At the beginning of the new year, I finally did it. & although there have been a few slip-ups, I’ve been pretty successful at doing so.
Now, I’m not going to be preachy about this, especially since there’s more at stake when it comes to eating than simply science. Most people are vegetarians/vegans for more reasons than health, & I certainly don’t subscribe to the idea that we’re meant to ONLY eat meat, as some followers of the paleo lifestyle believe. I eat more fruit than many people do, & come summer, I don’t intend to care about carbs when I dig into an absolutely delicious fruit salad.
But I can tell you that since starting, I’ve lost weight without even trying & I feel absolutely wonderful. I haven’t craved the carbs like many people seem to, but I equate that to the fact that I’d already cut way back on sugars & had cut high fructose corn syrup out of my life for at least six months prior. I don’t miss the pasta or sandwiches, but I won’t lie – I could really go for a good chunk of Panera bread. But so far, so good, & I’ve only slipped a few times. I doubt I’ll ever live this life 100%, but 80% seems like a pretty good start.
So consider that my explanation for where all the recipes disappeared to. As my eating habits change & I re-work some of my favorites, I’ll be sure to keep them coming. But in the meantime, I’m eating a lot of baked chicken, steamed veggies, & stirfries. My tummy is very happy, but sadly, it makes for boring recipes that basically include the following steps:
01.) Drizzle your choice of oil in pan
02.) Saute your choice of veggies + meat until cooked through
03.) Place into bowl; drizzle with marinara sauce as desired. Enjoy.
What I really do like about all this, though, is that I’ve essentially eliminated all processed food. I cook nearly everything from scratch from good, wholesome ingredients, like eggs, butter, coconut oil, & almonds. I made my own chicken stock to make sauces & gravies & to add to vegetable dishes. This is something that I think everyone, no matter what their diet, ought to do more of. Fewer Lean Cuisines & canned pasta; more good, wholesome food made from scratch. I’ll tell you a little secret – it doesn’t have to take hours to make. Throw some chicken & carrots in your crockpot with a bit of chicken broth, & then go enjoy your time with loved ones. It’ll be ready in about an hour.
My promise to you is that although most of my recipes from this point on will focus on this style of eating, I will not preach about this. Ultimately, everyone’s health is different, & I’m certainly not one to judge your personal decisions. Be happy, be healthy, & above all, love life.
I need the world to slow down! I don’t know how it happened, but somehow, today is October 20th. The two hundred ninety-third day of the year. Last time I checked, 2009 was brand new – full of promise & guaranteed to be productive. & yet, somehow, we’re more than 3/4 through the year! When did that happen?
With the end of the year beckoning, I’m swamped. Deadlines are approaching & I just cannot seem to find any extra time! Posting around here will be spotty, but I promise I’ll keep in touch. Enjoy the colors of fall, wherever you are!
Obviously, I’m back! I appreciate everyone’s notes & concerns about my whereabouts – it’s always nice to feel loved, especially with what I’ve been going through. The crux of the matter is that I didn’t realize how deeply I had let unhappiness sink, & I’d been making excuses for why I’m not happy. It’s not necessarily a depression, but it took a good shake to get me to realize that hey! I’m being a bit hypocritical, & I need to start loving life! If I can’t be happy when things are going okay (they aren’t great, but they aren’t bad by any stretch of the imagination), what will I do if something really does implode in my life? I have my job, a career I love, a fantastic, supportive & loving man in my life, & three wonderful kitties. This is in addition to a pretty fabulous family & several good friends.
I’ve been saying for awhile now that I’ll be happy when we find someplace to call our own; when we get out of Ohio; when we do this or that. But with all those other things going well, why does happiness hinge on that one variable? It doesn’t, obviously. So for the last few weeks I’ve really been trying to work on “getting my groove back,” & although it’s a work in progress, I’m doing marvelously compared to a short while ago.
I’ve been reading Happiness by Matthieu Ricard, & I find it endlessly fascinating. More than once I’ve come away feeling more enlightened; it’s pretty obvious that for whatever reason, I’ve chosen this “suffering.” That’s just downright silly, wouldn’t you think? So now I’m learning to love & appreciate everything. I’ll never have a perfect life, & something is always bound to go at least slightly wrong – roads will be detoured, kitties will get sick, the car will act up, a key ingredient for what I wanted to make for dinner won’t be stocked in my rather small kitchen. It’s how we react when things don’t go as planned that show our true grace. Do you turn around & head home, or consider the new route an adventure? Are you stuck at home without a car, or does this give you the opportunity to explore the neighborhood on foot? Is dinner now peanut butter & jelly, or are you given the opportunity to discover if that ingredient is really necessary, thus streamlining your recipe?
It’s a work in progress – we all have things that push us over the edge. My reaction for many things is an explosion of tears, which is hardly a mature response. But little by little, but I’m learning to find the laughter in every situation. Wish me luck!
“They felt the ground beneath their feet smooth & soft, & after awhile they walked more freely, without fear of hurt or fall… He could smell the trees & the trodden grass. He could hear different notes in the rustle of the leaves overhead, the river murmuring away on his right, & the thin clear voices of birds in the sky. He felt the sun upon his face & hands when they pass through an open glade.
“As soon as he set foot upon the far bank… a strange feeling had come upon him, & it deepened as he walk on… it seemed to him that he had stepped over a bridge of time into a corner of the Elder Days, & was now walking in a world that was no more…
“They were standing in an open space… Upon it, as a double crown, grew two circles of trees: the outer had bark of snowy white, & were leafless but beautiful in their shapely nakedness… still arrayed in pale gold. [...] At the feet of the trees, & all about the green hillsides the grass was studded with small golden flowers shaped like stars. Among them, nodding on slender stalks, were other flowers, white & palest green: they glimmered as a mist amid the rich hue of the grass. Over all the sky was blue, & the sun of afternoon glowed upon the hill & cast long shadows beneath the trees…
“It seemed to him that he had stepped through a high window that looked on a vanished world. A light was upon it for which his language had no name. All that he saw was shapely, but the shapes seemed at once clear cut, as if they had first conceived & drawn at the uncovering of his eyes, & ancient as if they endured for ever. He saw no colour but those he knew, gold & white & blue & green, but they were fresh & poignant, as if he had at the moment first perceived them & made for them names new & wonderful. In winter here no heart could mourn for summer or for spring. No blemish or sickness or deformity could be seen in anything that grew upon the earth. On the land of Lorien there was no stain.”
The Fellowship of the Ring, JRR Tolkien
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My true initiation to the wonders of the Internet coincided with my introduction to Tolkien; one passion certainly helping the other to grow. 2001 seems so very long ago, when I began college (my first computer & personal experience with high speed access) & Fellowship of the Ring first hit screens worldwide. I was… well, even obsessed is putting it a bit lightly, but Lord of the Rings is one of those few phenomenons that still inspires & welcomes admirers, long after each new entry into pop culture. & with good reason – the long journey of Frodo & Sam is filled with such beautiful language & images. Each time I take down my copy, I’m immediately drawn to the page, finding something as though I’ve never read it before. I know the story, but the words are what keep me coming back for more, time & time again.
If I could choose one place to dwell, in all the worlds real or imaginary, I would choose Lothlorien. What about you? Would you choose Hogwart’s Castle, or the palace of Tortall? Paris, the city of light, or Shakespearean London? Where would your heart find its beat?
When I was in college, I thought I had it all figured out. Once I finally chose to become a librarian (it was quite a lengthy process getting to that epiphany, & believe me, there were many tears & much gnashing of teeth – there’s nothing quite like feeling without direction), I imagined a life of excitement & glamour. Living in the city, meeting the girls for drinks after work, fashionable clothes, high heels, travels to everywhere amazing. Art films, theatre packages, opening nights – anything you hear about the urban high life, I imagined it as a part of my future.
When that future came crashing down, & I realized that even if that could be my life it wouldn’t be until further into the future… well, it wasn’t pretty. I fell into a deep depression, lashed out at those I love, & withdrew from many of the things I love.
I wasn’t terribly fun to be around. I’ll never forget Thanksgiving that year, when I suddenly couldn’t deal with my own family & had to fight down odd fears just to make it down the hall. A few weeks later, I’d turn 25 & sob on the phone to my mom that I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I gained weight, slept horribly, & was obviously not handling anything at all well. Why Sam chose to stay with me, I’ll never really know – but I’m quite ecstastic he did.
Somehow, though, I made it through to the other side. I started journaling – just writing down my thoughts as they came, trying to get to the root of all my insecurities & unhappy bits. Eventually I accepted that hey, I’m still young, & I shouldn’t let a few not-so-great years kill my spirit. I started doing things that I loved once more, like cooking, playing in photoshop, & photography. I’ve found new things to love, like beading, pastels, blogging. I spend time with my parents, enjoying their company as we play yet another round of Monopoly. I rollerskate, hand in hand & round & round, with my lover & perfect match. I’ve started yet another blog, all about teen services – because I really do love my job, & honestly? I’m rather good at it.
& do you know what’s strange? That vision of myself, the one I used to have? It’s completely different, now. I want a simple life – a quiet existence. I really want nothing to do with the city; I’d rather grow much of my own food & have a very simple, utilitarian wardrobe of soft colors & comfortable shoes. I’d still like to travel, but if I never make it to all those exotic places? I don’t imagine that that equates a boring life.
It’s a completely different outlook that what I imagined just three years ago. I daresay I’m happier now than I’ve ever been before. & honestly, I don’t care all that much about where I end up. The future looks promising, & I’m looking forward to the journey.
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