Eating Reasonable Things

The thing that makes me happy today is that I am finally making a move to eat more consciously. I have always been a fan of good nutrition, but often choose what is convenient over what might be likely to promote good health. We do eat a lot of meals as a family, and I know that is good, but we have gone through periods recently where most of that has been at Sonic or restaurants. Since I've been off work, it's been a lot easier to cook at home, but I think I will be able to continue it when work picks up again.

The reason I have been working on eating better is that all the reading I have been doing has finally sunk into my soul, and I can't just do nothing.

Quite a while ago I read The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan. It opened my eyes to how food is raised in the US. Then more recently I watched the DVD and read the book of Food, Inc. That made me decide to never eat a LOT of snack foods I once enjoyed again. Gee whiz, corn, soybeans and that corn syrup are in everything!

Now I am reading Food Rules and In Defense of Food, also by Pollan. These books just make a lot of sense. They don't promote one diet or another, just eating reasonable foods in reasonable proportions. Food Rules isn't very long at all and can be boiled down to:

Eat Good. Mostly Plants. Not too much.

That means to eat things you know what they are (like a carrot versus whatever is in a Twinkie), eat more leaves, fruits and vegetables, and don't over-eat. It doesn't say never have cake. Just don't have cake every day.

I had put on a few pounds, so I started eating this way, and walking more, and it's worked fine--lost about 9 pounds in 3 weeks. I know it will slow down, but that's fine. We are trying to eat more organic stuff, and even have ordered our first batch of organic beef from our friends at Wild Type Ranch (if you live around here, check their website for when they deliver near you). That's one thing these books suggest consumers can do to change how the food industry in the US works: buy locally from people you KNOW.

I have watched a number of my friends change their diets in recent years. Some have become vegetarians. A number of people have gone gluten free, so I have seen how that diet can be quite tasty and varied. We also know people who eat an all raw diet. That sounds awful, doesn't it? But no, I can assure you that some of the most delicious things I have ever eaten have been prepared by my friends who eat raw. My friend Karen gave me a slice of pomegranate pie she had made for a birthday gift. It was wonderful. The crusts she makes from nuts and such are absolutely divine. And the agave nectar sweetener is great!

I might not ever got 100% vegetarian, but I already don't eat a lot of meat. I would like to bring a lot more fish into my diet, though I do worry about contaminants with that. And I don't think I'd ever switch to a raw diet, but I'd be tempted to eat a lot more raw foods if I had the time and money to prepare and purchase the beautiful, healthy and delicious ingredients. (The major flaw of the raw diet is the time and expense--you sure have to own a GOOD juicer and blender thingie, plus the nuts and such can get costly.)

I think we are all aware that food-related conditions are rampant in the US. Most can be prevented by changing eating habits. We don't have to go crazy. I am changing one thing at a time, and gradually switching to a healthier diet. For example, I have not had a diet soda (or regular) in weeks. Go me! I've been drinking water, tea, coffee and red wine, because, hooray, red wine is good for you in moderation if you don't tend to abusing it!

I do recommend the In Defense of Food Book to anyone interested in learning the history of the way westerners eat. It's quite eye opening. Even if you do not change how you eat, you will understand why you are finding the things you find in the grocery store, etc.

Near Pea Crisis Averted!

As you probably know, I am originally from the Deep South in the US (scenic Gainesville, Florida, as I like to remind folks). My parents were full of southern traditions, and one of those was to have a delicious New Year’s meal of black-eyed peas, rice, collard greens and cornbread each year. Yes, tradition holds that the beans and greens bring you bucks and also some luck, but my main reason to do it is that I just LOVE this meal. (I looked it up on Wikipedia (source of the photo at left) and discovered that eating the black-eyed-peas started ages ago, and as recorded in the Talmud in 500 BCE. So it’s also a Jewish tradition. Well, what do you know?

Of course, I intended to honor this tradition this year. We headed out to the grocery store last night after work, intending to get those lovely fresh peas they always have. There weren’t any. But I did get some pre-cleaned collard greens, even though that’s cheating. I really am willing to spend a half hour chopping and de-veining greens. So, off we went to the dried bean department. Um. There were about 6 dozen packs of navy beans, some green peas, some lentils and some dried garbanzos. NO black-eyed-peas. I was not pleased. I do NOT want to eat canned peas, even those ones that claim they are oh-so-traditionally done. They put stuff in them that may not be what I want to put in MY peas. I warily bought some dried baby lima beans. Not the same.

We came home (after stocking up on 50% off Christmas candy to stock my candy bowl at work for the next couple of months) and I cautiously approached the pantry, fingers crossed. Would there just possibly be a bag of dried black-eyed-peas there? It’s hard to find anything in there, with the interesting collection of things that now dwells on the floor, but, I stumbled to the bean section and, lo and behold, my heart filled with joy. A bag of fine looking black-eyed-peas greeted me. I’ll put them on to soak tonight!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

PS: One thing I am very grateful for is that all my family will eat black-eyed peas. I do make them a pork roast to go with it, since the men-folk seem to think that a ham hock in the peas does not constitute the “meat” portion of a “balanced meal.”

Chatty Stuff and Friday's Feast

Cool Bug
Originally uploaded by sunasak

Things are a bit better with Beccano--he got a good grade on an exam (in a Pre-AP course!) and did math tutoring well yesterday. I hope he will just keep it up. In his honor, here's a photo I took of a really cute bug on his pineapple plant. Up close the picture is interesting--you can see webs on the leaves.

I am having trouble keeping up with things. Stuff's happening to online friends that I can't even manage to comment on, and I want to be supportive! But I need to focus on the family (that would be a good name for an organization, huh?). In family news we went back to a barbecue restaurant we used to go to when we first moved here, which was under new management. The pulled pork barbecue was incredibly good (really tender and flavorful yet not fatty), as were the very crisp sweet potato fries and an odd but delicious side dish of mashed potatoes, cheese and tortillas. Glad we went back. Even Lee's odd-sounding barbecue ranch chicken sandwich was good. So, that was a fun event for me, Lee and Beccano!

Tuba Boy had the night off and went to visit each of his friends, it appears. He is spending more time with a variety of friends, which pleases me.

OK, here's the feast.

Appetizer: Given the choice, would you prefer to live in the country or in the city?

Normally I'd say the country, but with gas prices now, I am wondering what to do.

Soup: Who is the cutest kid you know?

Beccano.

Salad: Fill in the blank: I couldn’t believe it when I heard ___________.

...the results of the most recent Board of Directors elections at the Dysfunctional Nonprofit Organization I used to work for.

Main Course: If you could star in a commercial for one of your favorite products, which one would you want to advertise?

Olay Regenerist serum, because it really has helped my face be less read and flaky, for years now.

Dessert: What type(s) of vitamins and/or supplements do you take on a regular basis?

None. I try to eat healthy foods and extract vitamins from them.

Slow Day

It's been a slow day, but not a bad one. The person who was supposed to give me a ton of work isn't at work today, so not much to do but apply for jobs. I have done so with a vengeance, including a couple as an online community manager. I loved that part of my old job, so that would be great to do. I just hope there aren't thousands applying for each of these positions.

The boss took the department out to lunch today, though one was not able to come, "too busy," she said. Wah. Now I wish I had gone out last week when she took my friend who's already gone out to lunch--but that day I was just way too down. Anyway, we went to the Hyde Park Grill in the scenic part of Austin, where we people up on the northwest boonies never get to go (it's the restaurant famous for its sign that is a giant fork). I'd forgotten how good this place is--I stopped going to "good" restaurants while Jeff was around, and never got back to it since. Maybe when the "good" job manifests, I can start going fun places with Lee (who never wants to go in to Austin, but I miss places like Central Market and such). I really, really like to eat at upscale restaurants, and keep picking guys who don't like to do that--the XH and I did have some fun times with our fancy meals! I just love the ambiance and interesting combinations of flavors you don't get at barbecue spots and the ubiquitous generic Chinese/Vietnamese restaurants!

Our food was delicious but really copious. The new girl got a HUGE pork chop. I had meatloaf, with delicious homemade mashed potatoes and collards sauteed with bacon. The latter were delicious, but I believe have made me a bit sick to the stomach. I need to remember I have no gall bladder and can't do a lot of fat. Then we all had wonderful desserts. A peach cake/pudding and a chocolate brownie. Each of them was gigantic. We could not finish either, so will eat them tomorrow at lunch. Wow, if you go there, try one of those desserts!

As you can tell, I am still in a better mood. Doing what my tarot cards said and not letting stuff get to me. I am trying to assume the good things will happen, and stop the panic. I know it pleases Lee to see me happier, and I will be trying harder to do so, and maybe the bad downer feelings will abate for a while. Fingers crossed.