The Coffee Challenge

I was challenged by my health coach to give up coffee for three months.  I really did not want to do it, three months is an awfully long time to not have a cup of coffee.  I'd already weaned down to one very small cup per day, 1/2 decaf. Why on earth would I want to give up that measly bit?  And the answer I got back was well, why can't you give it up?  Hmm, because:  1) really enjoy it  2) I don't actually need it  3)  It's only a little bit  4)  I could stop if I wanted to.  And then I realized I sounded like an addict and I don't want any food or drink to have that much power over me. 

So I did it -  for  three whole months.  I really didn't feel any differently without it.  I wasn't completely caffeine free as I did have regular iced tea some days.  When I originally cut my coffee consumption down I felt better.  I had been having stomach aches from the acid and irritability.  This time around I didn't have physical symptoms but I did miss it.  I walked with people leaving coffee houses so I could smell their coffee. 

I did have a two sips of a flavored coffee in early July while I was on vacation.  It was eh and I had to have some water to get the after taste out of my mouth.  My reaction to this was panic.  Did I really lose my taste for coffee?  After years of enjoyment could it be possible that I don't actually like it?  But I was still looking for dark bitter beers to mimic the taste of coffee and I enjoyed those.  Maybe it was just bad coffee or I don't like the flavor. 

I actually discussed this with people.  Some were a little smug and said, "see you have changed and will no longer enjoy the taste."  Others said, "It was probably just bad coffee because coffee really is delicious."  Yes, I surround myself with fellow addicts.  I wanted to believe the latter but wasn't sure.

The three months were up on Sunday.  It was crazy hot and I passed up iced coffee for a raspberry chocolate chip gelato.   Later we were in Whole Foods and there was coffee to sample.  I took the three ounce cup, added my milk and it was delicious, just as I had hoped.  It was slightly bitter, smooth and flavorful.

I haven't had any since and I haven't wanted it.  The three ounces were enough.  I like knowing I can have it again when I want it.  I also know that I will only have it occassionally and not be a slave to it any longer.  It's just another tasty beverage.

Do you have a food or drink that feels like it's impossible to give up?  I'd love to hear from you.

Summer Foods

Do you eat seasonally?  Seasonal eating lets us eat what is grown closer to home.  Food tastes fresher when it's grown locally and allowed to ripen naturally, rather than enroute from across the country.  Berries may look pretty in December but they really don't taste very good.

In the summer I really don't want heavy foods and I dislike turning the oven on for any amount of time.  I love the assortment of fruits and vegetables that are available at the farmers market and I want to incorporate as much of them as I can into my meals.  I've been known to get a bit carried away at the market!

Last night I decided I'd be adventurous and grill clams & mako shark steak that I got at the farmers market.  I cleaned the clams and tossed them on the grill, as they opened I tossed them into a mix of clam juice, lemon, garlic, grated ginger & a pat of butter.  So delicious, I will be making that again.  The mako was marinated in a similar blend with the addition of some carrot juice, chili powder & sesame oil rather than butter.  Again, lovely.  Rainbow chard, mixed greens salad and brown rice rounded the meal out.  We dined outside which was a nice way to end a Monday.

I started today with a smoothie:  spinach, silken tofu, chocolate protein powder, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup mix of blueberries & raspberries, 1 tsp coconut oil, 1 tsp maca powder, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk & ice.  It was exactly what I wanted:  cold, creamy & not too sweet.

Lunch is a riff on tabouli salad, I made it with quinoa and I added in carrots & radishes.  I have some chilled shrimp to have with that.  Yes, I love my fish and my veggies, especially when they're so fresh!

What are your favorite summer foods?

Meditation

Do you meditate?  I try to meditate.  I was doing a short meditation each night for about a week or two.  My mind wanders quite a bit and I have to bring myself back to the breath quite often.  I've tried seated meditation and counting my breaths.  I've tried walking meditation, which I liked.  I bought a meditation cd  set by a renowned leader.  The first cd was helpful and I felt really good after it.  Once I stopped listening to the mouth noises she makes and she makes a lot of them.  You can see how my mind just takes off and I'm reeling it back in.  I didn't love the second cd.  Okay, the part I listened to made absolutely no sense to me and I found myself getting aggitated and speaking back to the cd.  Not really how meditation should go.  I did not feel good afterwards.

So what's the resistance?  Is it the sitting still?  The trying to quiet the mind?  Not wanting to hear what my innermost voice has to say?  Could be that it's all of it.  I'm going to keep trying.  There is a form that will work for me and I plan on finding it.  I'll let you know how it goes. 

Misguided healthy foods or just plain marketing abuse?

Lately everyone seems to be jumping on the healthy choice bandwagon. Where does it end?  Soda made with sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup, sugar cereals made with whole grains, and fruit oatmeals made without any real fruit added to it.  My new favorite is potato chips - gluten free, vegan and made with 5 ingredients or less.  I had to laugh, they were handing them out at a health expo I was attending.  They're still potatoes fried in oil. 

Perhaps the most disturbing is the ad for organic cigarettes.  It came in a magazine and was a large color pull out ad.  The produce was free of pesticides and organically grown so you could "feel safe" about buying the product.  Really?  Does it take those pesky carcinogens out too?  Nope, on page 2 of the ad there was a block noting that the risks of smoking cigarettes are still the same.  I purposely looked for this and I wonder how many people flipped the ad over to see that.  I also wonder how many people will think this is a safer smoke. 

I'm not saying never eat any of these foods but don't mistake them for being healthy choices.  Read the ingredients.  If you cannot pronounce it or don't recognized it as a real food you probably should not eat it.  As for the cigarettes - you know they're bad for you and nothing is going to make them a good healthy choice.