Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Food from a Younger Land

I started reading this book "Food from a Younger Land" last night that I think is really interesting. It includes pieces that supposed to be printed in a book called "America Eats" in 1940. It details recipes and therefore cultural regional food interests in the time. I started reading it because I thought I could look at how different how eating has become over the past century. However, once I started reading it I started thinking about Thanksgiving. This year I will host Thanksgiving for the first time. For the previous 34 years I have probably spent 32 of them in my parents home or with my close family.

Big things are afoot in the family Johnson so we will be home this year. I started planning my meal and thinking about tradition. How food is passed on and is part of our rich cultural heritage. And how I probably won't make anything exactly like my family made it.

Isn't that strange? I am making a traditional meal for my family and won't bring any traditions along with it. But then think - we live in a society that presses us to "get over our" childhoods. The things our parents did to us to cause our issues and please get on some drugs.

When did the past become something to get over? I think I'll have to do something in that case. Perhaps it pumpkin pie for my Papaw (I was thinking about pecan instead) or weirdly foiled chocolate turkeys for my mom :). Or maybe, I'll continue my mom's tradition of making something brand new and throwing it in there for fun!

I am all for starting new traditions with my family. But they have to come from somewhere if they are going to have any meaning.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Cleanse

You probably don't want to know about my poop, so I won't share that, but thought I'd mention I am on day four of a colon cleanse. First day fully sans food. Just been feeling grumpy, tired and getting indigestion.

The last thing I ate? Corn. :)

What did I dream about last night? Twinkies. Corn, right? :)

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

dp

so as a long time diet pepsi drinker I have enjoyed it for varied reasons. The fizzy feeling on your teeth (that makes you think they are cleaner for it, but is actually killing your enamel), the flavor (of course), and the caffeine. I have quit a few times since birthing my son as it seems there is a correlation between um... post-partum... issues... down there and dp. So, I've quit. And then I start again cause I just like it so much and really, it doesn't seem like something one should have to quit.

After a recent trip to california with the family I decided my consumption was up too much, so I thought I'd quit. Not quit in a never gone do it again kinda way, just quit in a "lets see how we can moderate consumption" kinda way.

Since August 3 I have had dp 3 times. Twice, it has made me ill. Today I actually threw it away (gasp!). Weird... Something I have drank for twenty years NOW makes me ill? My body sure is getting sensitive. Or maybe the fact that I am healthier than I have been in my entire life means there is less leniency for variance from the norm. Or maybe I'm just getting old.

I used to have a stomach of steel. I used to eat Mass Confusion at Denver Diner as fourth meal at 3am and trip on lightly afterwards.

In the past year I have disovered: dairy makes my stomach upset, I don't handle carbs well in the afternoon and if I eat greasy/fried foods and then lay down I get indigestion. Oh, and dp can make my stomach woozy.

Guess it was a good thing I enjoyed the crap food when I could. Cause I can't now.

Monday, August 23, 2010

endurance, pt 3a

I was running today thinking about a job. Thinking about getting a job immediately makes me think, "Oh god, it's sooooo boring. What if/when I hate it? Can I quit? What is the point of this? OK, so I WON'T get a job." Pretty quick progression really.

But today, as I'm running I am thinking about how juvenile that that is. How that is very much the way I felt about running, biking, Olympic triathlons, staying at home with a child and cooking. All things I now enjoy. All things that I have found through age, maturity and persistence. It reminds me once again that I might have had a super strong leg in soccer, but now I something that takes more than running after a soccer ball. I have endurance and strength of mind.

I don't sound like that person anymore who used to say everything was too hard, too long, too boring. I have grown up a bit in these last four years and perhaps that applies to working as well. Perhaps. It might (probably will) still be boring. But now I have the longevity to deal with it. The patience to understand that I am working towards a larger goal. And that this goal is important to the me I am becoming.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

soooo tired

I had no idea I was getting more sleep. I had no idea how great it felt. Until now that I haven't slept well in 3-4 days and I feel like I am dragging again. No energy is one thing, but my brain doesn't function and all I feel like doing is laying down and watching tv or reading (although the book can't be too hard or I just lose interest).

Guess I need to go get more sleep stuff. Guess I need it. Guess who doesn't want to?

Monday, August 9, 2010

Food Rules, Take Two

1-Food should be eaten at a table and/or with someone else. Preferably both.
2-Never consume the food at coffee shops - just the coffee
3-Food should not be eaten after 8pm (ish)
4- Ingredients should only contain real food (not something made on the new jersey turnpike)
5-Whenever you have to choose between sugar and fat - choose fat
6-Limit consumption of sugar and carbs together (unless you want to feel puffy)
7-Food should not be consumed in a car (see rule 1)
8- Eat 5-9 veggies a day (OK, some can be fruit)
9-Eat as much variety as possible (need to refine this a bit)

That's it for now...

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Happy Anniversary

to me. One year of being thin or thin-ish or whatever I am. But it has been a year. I've spent this year concentrating on my health - trying to eat well, exercise well, and be well mentally. It has been hard work sometimes and rewarding other times. What I've learned this year is that health can be as hard or easy as you make it. To sometimes let go and just be. What I am wondering now is that I've spent a year concentrating on this one thing - is it time to move on? With this anniversary and some other changes (my yoga teacher is leaving me, preschool starting up again) my husband suggested I shift my priorities elsewhere. Like a job - uggh, but it makes me wonder. Is my year of health over?

I have achieved a lot. 25 weight loss maintained. household eating overhaul. olympic triathlon. balancing pincha mayurasana.

Happy Anniversary.

And my next goal is: ????

Thursday, August 5, 2010

I'm kinda

pissed. Because in my entire life when I have I ever wanted to go running? Let me answer that for you. NEVER! But now, that I want to, crave it, something that gives me peace - I can't - or shouldn't at least. My hip hurts. It aches. It gets worse when I exercise. What is the one thing that gives me a semblence of sanity? Exercise.

I'm tired of it hurting. I haven't run in a week. Have only worked out once. Now I feel like a big, fat, sluggish fatball of goo. So Saturday I'm going running. And the first three-four miles will feel ok. And then after that I will "feel" my hip. And then the next day it will ache and hurt and then I'll be pissed all over again.

I might be whining because at 35 this is my biggest injury. Well, longest recurring. And that says a lot from a soccer player of 20 years. A soccer player of 20 years whose hip hurts because I did yoga yesterday. Yoga. (I snorted as I said that cause I'm kinda pissed.)

and on. and on.