Food Fog

The Cacao Nib Sleep Experiment

I threw caution to the wind this evening, and risked the unsettling effects of raw chocolate, for the momentary gratification! Ijust had cacao nibs at almost 8pm... wonder if I'll sleep tonight? I made a lovely little granola bowl for tonight's dessert... buckwheat crunchies, hemp seed, a few raisins, CACAO nibs, cinnamon, maca powder, vanilla stevia and a pinch of sea salt, topped with homemade hemp milk. Yum! It was worth the potential insomnia... but, only because I have nowhere to go tomorrow! I had a simple salad first, so got my greens on, too! Maybe that'll balance things out? :-) It's been a long day... and I guess those old emotional ties to chocolate die hard. As my diet has gotten cleaner over the years, I've had to come to grips with the fact that things like chocolate, and even certain natural teas, really do have an impact on how I feel. At least I'm aware of the consequences, even if I don't always heed the warning! For me, temperance and timing is definitely the key with cacao... I'm not ready to completely abandon raw chocolate quite yet! :-)

Fall Reflections

After several interruptions by my four-year old and failed attempts to keep her occupied, I managed to compile yet another video of reflections on my food fog journey. It's been a few months since I was able to clear the time and space for the luxury of recorded reflection, but the journey continues...

It was an adventurous summer, filled with road trips and reunions, and some valuable insights along the way. Despite my concern about the three week change in routine, and traveling alone with the kids, I managed to stay fairly balanced, and return home no worse for the wear; possibly even toting a few more nuggets of wisdom.

We're now into the Fall, and our hectic "school" year schedule is well underway. My biggest challenge remains finding balance in all the busyness, and not neglecting my own needs. So, I'm continuing to try to prioritize, day to day, and just carve out bits of time here and there for relaxing, creative ventures, and connecting with friends and family. But, overall, there's so much to be thankful for, that my challenges are generally outweighed by hopefulness and anticipation of what's to come!

Routines & Roadtrips

Just a quick blurb before I head North to Eastern Canada for a few weeks for a family reunion. I'm burning the candle at both ends trying to clean and pack for our trip on Monday. I haven't been away this long for quite a few years, so I'm pondering my current routines, and expecting to have to be flexible with food and fitness while we travel. But, I plan to focus on keeping myself rested, moving, hydrated, nourished and balanced while we travel, so I can help make this a positive and fun experience for the kids and a memory they will treasure.

Stay tuned...

Summer Update - Lyme Disease Scare & Sensitive Teeth

Whoa! I got rambling a little on that one... thank goodness for editing tools... snipped it down considerably to save the time-challenged viewer the monotony of my introspective musings... So, just a little summer update for ya!

Summer is rolling along, and I'm still here, working on finding that balance in my life that is so essential to wellness and long-term health. I've had some minor health challenges recently, including a diagnosis of possible Lyme Disease, and some issues with sensitive teeth, which is just no fun. So, I'm taking a step back and looking at the big picture, trying to work on those things that I have control over, and letting go of those I don't. We have a fun summer ahead, and I will, of course, document our travels and my "food fog" adventures, and be back soon (eventually) with another update!

Have a great summer!

Happy Mother's Day - Nurturing Myself

Today was my eleventh year celebrating Mother's Day, as a mother myself. It's hard to believe that much time has passed since Florence, our first baby, entered the world. Since then, I've certainly grown a lot as a person, as well as, a mother. One of the things I've learned over the years is the need to "mother" myself; to nurture and love myself as I do my children. When you really love someone, you wouldn't think of neglecting their needs. But, all too often, mothers do just that. There frequently doesn't seem enough hours in the day to do more than just what needs to be done.

I know that this is a season in my life, and the winds of change will surely come, leaving me, someday, with more time and energy to focus on my own needs. However, I do recognize the importance of doing what I can right now to connect to that inner-child in myself; to allow myself a brief reprieve within each day to reflect on and appreciate all I have. So, that is my gift to myself this Mother's Day; a simple awareness of my needs and the love for myself to fulfill them.

Happy Mother's Day to all you fabulous mamas out there! May your role as mother serve to give you a deeper understanding and love for yourself, so you may pass that understanding and love onto your children to discover their own truth.

Jump Start to the Day on my Bellicon Rebounder

So, this is me, in my morning glory! I don't have time these days to try to look good for the camera! And, after all, my goal with this channel is just to chronicle my health-seeking journey, and to keep it real, so this is as good as it gets!

One of the only ways I can get in exercise these days it to wake up before my three year-old. So, I set things up for the path of least resistance, putting my new Bellicon rebounder right next to my bed. I literally hop out of bed, and jump on! Well, sometimes I make a trip to the potty first. :-) But, it really is a fun way to start the day and get things moving. I have it in front of my TV, so if I feel like it, I can catch up on YouTube videos or stuff on my DVR (which is perpetually backlogged). There is no comparison with this rebounder to the other ones I've tried. This is like jumping on air. I love it!

So, until a little more time opens up for me to pursue more varied and adventurous exercise, this is my daily routine... along with an occasional walk around the neighborhood or town, or a few minute session of stretching or resistance exercise on the Total Gym down in the basement. I'm just doing my best to keep moving... You know that saying, a body in motion tends to stay in motion... So, keeping it moving, regardless of the pace!

Boing Boing!

Birthday Fun & Colon Cleansing!

Upon waking, I was greeted by Darren and the kids with cards and lovely tulips, and when Grandma arrived, they put a candle in my green smoothie and sang me happy birthday! Too funny! Grandma came to help the kids set up their little fish tank, that we've been promising them for awhile. Her being here allowed me and Darren to get out alone for awhile, so we seized the opportunity!

To kickstart my 38th year, I scheduled a colon hydrotherapy (colonic) session out at Sally's Cleansing Center in Blue Ridge Summit, PA. Having been interested in natural heath and holistic nutrition for a long time now, it's been on my list of things to try to improve my digestion, but just taking the leap to give it a try hadn't been a priority. But, I thought, what better thing to do on my birthday; try something new and renewing! So, we headed up there in the late morning, and the appointment went fine. It was relaxing, not at all uncomfortable or embarrassing, and I felt quite good afterwards. So, I'll definitely add it to my toolbox of things to use as I continue to strive for the best health possible.

After that cleansing start to the day, Darren and took a scenic drive home, had a nice lunch, and went to see a movie. So, we got a much-needed reprieve from the kid chaos. After our movie, we returned home to find the little fish tank all set up, with two new inhabitants; Betty and Dennis. So, a good day was had by all, and I couldn't have asked for a better celebration of my birthday than to do something good for myself, spend time alone with Darren, and watch the joy of my children with their new fish friends.

Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup

After seeing Brother Echo, from Raw Sangha, make a butternut squash soup, I was inspired to try one myself, considering I had eight small butternut squash in the fridge, some of which I was considering just throwing in the yard for the dog to play with! I tweaked his recipe a bit, using stuff I already had, and it turned out quite good!

If you want to try making it yourself, I suggest you watch his video... it's far more engaging and professionally edited than mine! Just search for Raw Sangha on YouTube and look for the butternut squash soup recipe. :-)

My recipe went something like this:

3 c diced butternut squash
2 c diced carrots (orange and deep purple - which turned the soup brown)
1 young coconut meat and water
1 c orange juice
4 pitted dates
1/2 cup hemp seed
1 garlic clove
1 T coconut aminos
1 T curry powder
1/2 tsp cloves
1 T cinnamon
1 t sea salt

Blended it all up...

black pepper sprinkled on top
sprouts and chopped parsley for garnish

Vision is More Important Than Motivation

Motivation is defined as the drive or incentive to do something. This is a necessary element in the process of creating long-lasting change. But, is it really what carries us through the ups and the downs? After going through the weight loss process, and maintaining it for many years, I've come to discover what many people who overcome addictions and negative patterns of behavior realize after conquering the first major challenge in the process; whether it be compulsive overeating, drinking, smoking, whatever. Desire or intent to do something is not the same as a clear vision about how that looks and feels in your mind, and why it's important to you, above all else to maintain as a focus and priority in your life.

It took me a year or two to really understand the difference between my motivation and my vision for my life. Then I spent another while really defining that vision for myself. But, from the start, it was never a number on the scale that I felt would liberate me from the self-destructive habits and lifestyle choices I kept repeating. It was going to be the hard work of going inward and getting in touch with myself that would bring my vision into reality. And, I'm happy to say, that I'm ALMOST there. There's always work to be done!

A Creative Journey to Better Health - Happy New Year!

This month marks the sixth year of my creative health endeavor. I say it's a creative process, because that's what our health really is these days; a culmination of our resources and our ability to use them creativity on the backdrop of a societal and cultural canvas.

Now that losing weight isn't at the top of my list of resolutions, the goal setting has gotten a little more abstract. For the next leg of my journey, I'll be focusing inward a lot more. It's often said that losing weight is easy, but keeping it off is hard. Well, I think I've mastered the behavioral skills to keep my weight manageable now, but losing the weight definitely didn't make everything in life easier. I'm now left with the task of sorting out the reasons I could get to be over a hundred pounds overweight in the first place, and to be conscious of how those behaviors can still play out in other areas of my life. Awareness definitely is the first step to change or healing, and I feel like I've come a long way. I'm eagerly continuing along the same path, with a little less baggage, a little more wisdom, and a sense of hope and optimism for what is yet to come.

Happy New Year!