I've been in sort of a holding pattern since my "detox". I ordered Tosca Reno's Clean Eating Diet book for some motivation and tips. I used the time between ordering, and the book's arrival, to dabble dangerously in wine, bacon, and the occasional cheese puff. What a slippery slope! But this week, I "checked" myself, did some clean shopping and got back on track. No harm done.
The book arrived! I got a few pages in and then read something that sent a chill down my spine. Something about drinking coffee...black? I read that sentence over and over again. And then over again. I blamed the lighting, it wasn't great. Rob was taking down the Christmas tree (yes, we know it's the middle of January) so we lost some additional lighting in the living room. Maybe it was time I admit I need glasses? I couldn't believe my eyes. There is nothing dirty about half and half! Then I read something about keeping 6 cooked chicken breasts in the refrigerator at all times for "snacks". She regularly (who really does this) wraps a chicken breast in a whole wheat tortilla and eats it with a cucumber....mid morning...as a snack! And wine. One glass. Special Occasions. (snort, giggle, guffaw!)
Look lady, I've been shopping at farmers markets, the "perimeter" of the grocery stores, and trying to buy my meat from "local" ranchers for almost a couple of years now. I try to eat mostly whole foods, preferably when they're in season. There is a limit to what I will do (or won't do). I also realized (again, because I realize this same thing often, and then forget) something else. Eating responsibly, for my own health and the health of our environment and to support "local" is more about how it makes me feel. I don't need to get ripped like a "physique athlete" (I think that's what she calls them). Just a very slightly smaller, more "athletic" version of myself would be good.
I did buy a whole chicken to roast and then slice up for "lunch meat" (I don't think I read that in her book though), and I bought a cucumber to "snack on", just from pure power of suggestion. But other than that....if I wasn't so lazy, I'd send the book back for a refund. As it is...I AM lazy. So....who wants a Tosca Reno Clean Eating Diet book?
In other news, I am fairly immersed in training myself and my horse in the old Vaquero tradition. How far we will get, who knows. There is no time line in this discipline. It takes as long as it takes. It has quickly become a grand passion (or obsession depending on how you look at it). Here are some informative links if anyone is interested.
The first link is an 18 minutes documentary on the history of the Vaquero. Rob enjoyed it and he doesn't ride, so you may too!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjBondpRaz4
The next one is a great article called "Some Thoughts on the Hackamore". I like to share it with people so they have a better understanding of why I'm not "putting that horse in a bit" (right now). I get that alot.:
http://elvaquero.com/The%20Hackamore.htm
Friday, January 20, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Day Three. I'm Done.
Game over!
I consider myself physically, emotionally, and spiritually "reset". Yayyyyy me.
Three days no coffee, three days no wine, three days no food other than fruits, vegetables, and one light, healthy, balanced meal per day.
It really was a lot easier than I thought (dreaded) it would be. I only notice a slight "lethargy" that was the worst on day two (probably because I cheated and had 1 cup of coffee on day one). But today I feel great! And I'm sleeping reaalllllllly well. I may even switch permanently to decaf tea. I actually sort of, kind of looked forward to it this morning!
I asked Rob if I acted even a little bit cranky without coffee (and food!) and he said "No," Then I said, "What about on day one when I asked why you were chewing your gum so loud?" God bless a man with rose colored glasses and a bad memory! It's especially funny because that's the one day I did have coffee.
I feel like I could stay on this detox plan longer. I'm not quitting after three days because "it's so hard!", it's really not. I just feel like I got what I needed out of it. I've purged the bloat, the cravings, and I feel like I'm at a great place to launch into "Phase Two". Wait. There's a "Phase Two"? Yes. But it's really just a return to my old "clean eating" habits of the earlier part of 2011 (before we moved).
In case you're new to the clean eating thing, it's not a diet, it's a way of life. It involves eating whole foods, as close to their natural form as possible. Organic, in season, local if possible. It usually involves one entire half of a Saturday every week for shopping (farmer's market, meat market, etc.) but I'm food obsessed, so that part is really fun for me! (I'd rather shop for food over clothes or shoes any day of the week)
Oh, and Rob and I are going to convert the garage (or part of it) to a gym. We toyed with the idea of a gym membership, then we laughed our asses off at the idea. The two of us...in a gym...together. It would only be a matter of time before one of us decided to sport a terry cloth headband. Then we wouldn't stop laughing....we'd cry all over the equipment...people would get mad...we would get kicked out. It's just not a good idea.
Not to change the subject, but tonight, I had the best salad I've ever had in my LIFE! This is from Jenna's blog: Eat, Live, Run (this is also her photo, I knew mine wouldn't do the salad justice):
See, people like Jenna are my heroes. Who would think to just "throw" these ingredients together? I know I wouldn't have.
Romain Lettuce drizzled with white balsamic (it has to be white)
Veggie burger, cooked and crumbled
Goat Cheese (lots of goat cheese)
Big spoon full of Tahini Sauce
Healthy squeeze or three of Criracha Sauce (hot, watch out!)
Wow. Wow. Wow.
I consider myself physically, emotionally, and spiritually "reset". Yayyyyy me.
Three days no coffee, three days no wine, three days no food other than fruits, vegetables, and one light, healthy, balanced meal per day.
It really was a lot easier than I thought (dreaded) it would be. I only notice a slight "lethargy" that was the worst on day two (probably because I cheated and had 1 cup of coffee on day one). But today I feel great! And I'm sleeping reaalllllllly well. I may even switch permanently to decaf tea. I actually sort of, kind of looked forward to it this morning!
I asked Rob if I acted even a little bit cranky without coffee (and food!) and he said "No," Then I said, "What about on day one when I asked why you were chewing your gum so loud?" God bless a man with rose colored glasses and a bad memory! It's especially funny because that's the one day I did have coffee.
I feel like I could stay on this detox plan longer. I'm not quitting after three days because "it's so hard!", it's really not. I just feel like I got what I needed out of it. I've purged the bloat, the cravings, and I feel like I'm at a great place to launch into "Phase Two". Wait. There's a "Phase Two"? Yes. But it's really just a return to my old "clean eating" habits of the earlier part of 2011 (before we moved).
In case you're new to the clean eating thing, it's not a diet, it's a way of life. It involves eating whole foods, as close to their natural form as possible. Organic, in season, local if possible. It usually involves one entire half of a Saturday every week for shopping (farmer's market, meat market, etc.) but I'm food obsessed, so that part is really fun for me! (I'd rather shop for food over clothes or shoes any day of the week)
Oh, and Rob and I are going to convert the garage (or part of it) to a gym. We toyed with the idea of a gym membership, then we laughed our asses off at the idea. The two of us...in a gym...together. It would only be a matter of time before one of us decided to sport a terry cloth headband. Then we wouldn't stop laughing....we'd cry all over the equipment...people would get mad...we would get kicked out. It's just not a good idea.
Not to change the subject, but tonight, I had the best salad I've ever had in my LIFE! This is from Jenna's blog: Eat, Live, Run (this is also her photo, I knew mine wouldn't do the salad justice):
Romain Lettuce drizzled with white balsamic (it has to be white)
Veggie burger, cooked and crumbled
Goat Cheese (lots of goat cheese)
Big spoon full of Tahini Sauce
Healthy squeeze or three of Criracha Sauce (hot, watch out!)
Wow. Wow. Wow.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Day Two Detox Missing Words Brain Tired
I was sure that 11am would find me curled up in a ball, crying. But that didn't happen. And I didn't even get a headache. Maybe that will come tomorrow. I was up to 4 cups a day, I was expecting more drama.
I had to run to the health food store at lunch and nearly had a meltdown. Lee's Sandwiches on one side and Bob's Giant Burgers on the other. "It's for the greater good", I told myself, which really doesn't make much sense, but it's all my dull brain could come up with on the fly. I went back to work and my brussel sprouts.
At exactly 2:27 pm, I took a deep breath, exhaled, and felt amazingly and totally relaxed. I felt like how I must feel when I'm pretty close to my absolute natural state without being hopped up on caffeine or going up or coming down from a carb/sugar high. It felt pretty blissful. Like after a really good yoga or meditation session. I recreated the feeling a few more times throughout the afternoon, but by the time I got home and and into my yoga clothes I was hungry, crabby, and tired. So much for that! I did a little yoga, made some mustard greens and kale over quinoa topped with chili lemon shrimp, and now I'm blogging and eyeballing the blanket on the couch.
Nighty Night!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Almost Day One Detox
It's only 2 pm on the first day and I'm embarassed (though not at all surprised) to report that I've already cheated! I had coffee this morning. But that's IT, my last cup! And no sugar. (I never put sugar in my coffee anyway, do I really have to stop drinking it?!). I'm pretty sure after our NYE weekend, there's no more booze in the house, so no cheating there. (Rob, if I call you and ask you to pick up a bottle of wine on your way home, pretend you have bad reception and HANG UP!!!)
In case you're wondering, here is "The Plan":
Master Cleanse Lemonade from the time I wake up through lunchtime into the afternoon. I have a 24 ounce water bottle that I fill twice with the following:
6 Tablespoons of fresh squeezed organic lemons, 6 Tablespoons organic B grade maple syrup (not nearly as yummy as A grade), 1/4 Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper - ice and water. It's pretty tasty. I'm usually done sipping my way through 2 bottles worth by....about now (it's 2pm).
(I should probably note somewhere (like here) that I do NOT do the actual "Master Cleanse". That involves NO food and a warm saltwater concoction and laxative tea. Not my thing. I just use the lemonade because I like it, I believe in lemon juice and cayenne pepper for their cleansing and restorative qualities and it does curb hunger.)
Unlimited fruits and vegetables whenever I'm hungry. So far today I've had a bunch of carrots, snap peas, and I'm currently noshing my way through my favorite - a bowl of lightly sauteed brussel sprouts! I'll have an apple for desert. The fruits and vegetables should be organic. Some of mine are, some are not. I couldn't find any organic brussel sprouts (I'll be heading back to the farmer's market to stock up this Saturday and should have a better variety of organic produce). The fruits and vegetables should be eaten raw, preferably, but lightly cooked is ok too.
Dinner: A lean organic/natural protein (fish or chicken), with an organic whole grain (i.e. brown rice, quinoa, etc.) and, yep, more vegetables. Now some people poo poo the protein (animal variety) all together, and during my normal eating plan, I eat vegetarian about 3-4 times a week. But for me (and this is just my preference), I feel that if it's local and/or natural/organic, a little bit of lean animal protein is perfectly healthy and will prevent me from craving protein from a less healthy source - like cheese, in the form of a puff. Trust me on this.
Yoga nightly with an emphasis on cleansing breaths and meditation with an emphasis on compassion and gratitude.
Wish me luck!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Happy New Year! It's a Revelation Resolution Revolution! (say that three times fast)
You know those two pounds I lost? Good news, I found them again!
As I sit here typing, on January 2nd, eating 3 pieces of bacon for breakfast, I have to ask myself; what is really important to me? What am I doing? What are my goals? Why can't I achieve the simplest one of all - just lose 10 pounds? And being the fairly clever person I am - I've figured it out in the 4 seconds it took me to type this first paragraph.
1) First of all, I AM ready. Now. I've always been ready. I just didn't have the right amount of focus or determination. But now I do. I'm going to kick off my quest tomorrow when I return to work (I would do it today, but my husband just brought me some bacon, I didn't want to be rude or ungrateful). Also - notice I reduced the amount of weight I wanted to lose from 15, 20, or 25 pounds to 10. Let's be real.
2) One of my "go to" goals for the New Year has always included some incarnation of "practicing Dharma", "becoming" a better Buddhist, etc. Well, I think I have some new and exciting insight into this one as well. Sometimes I'm annoyed by those cheesy self-help Yahoo! articles or Facebook "posters" that tell you the 10, 6, 12, or whatever number of simple steps/ways of thinking that you need to practice in order to be the happiest person EVER. Most of them are too obvious, old news, or I'm "already working on it". But every once in a while, I'll see a new one, one that I hadn't heard or thought of before, or have forgotten. Here is one such tip: Don't measure or compare yourself against other people, measure or compare yourself with where and what you were five years ago. Brilliant. I see some improvement and I see some old habits returning. I'm on it!
But the greatest revelation I've had, that will assist with this particular resolution, is that I have realized a new and exciting way to combine my passion for horses and my desire to deepen my spiritual practice. Have you ever trained or cared for a horse? I have my whole life, except for the past 8 years or so. Now I'm back in it and the more I read and study training techniques, the more amazed I become with the connection between horses and Buddhism. There are volumes of books, studies, forums, etc. that explore this connection. There is even a book called: Zen Mind, Horse Mind; the Science and Spirituality of Working with Horses, by Dr. Allan Hamilton.
"Mindful work with horses, says neurosurgeon Allan J. Hamilton, can enlighten the human handler as much as it benefits the horse. Evolving over 30 million years to become the quintessential prey animal, equines have developed acute right-brain survival skills, such as leadership, awareness, empathy, and cooperation. In particular the horse has finely honed abilities to lead, communicate, and connect not with words, but with the vital emotional energy described in the Buddhist tradition as chi. When we learn the language of chi, we become more effective as leaders, more attuned to others, and more joyful as human beings."
And according to Linda Kohanov, Author, The Tao of Equus, horses are "natural mindfulness teachers".
It makes me wonder. Was my old mare my very first mindfulness teacher? Was that relationship responsible for the spiritual path I chose? It would explain, to some degree, the amount of meditative-like calm, pure joy, and intense awareness of each moment I experience when I'm with my new horse. It would also explain that "bolt of lightning" feeling I had when I looked into the eyes of my new horse for the first time and recognized the soul of my old one. My teacher has returned!
As I sit here typing, on January 2nd, eating 3 pieces of bacon for breakfast, I have to ask myself; what is really important to me? What am I doing? What are my goals? Why can't I achieve the simplest one of all - just lose 10 pounds? And being the fairly clever person I am - I've figured it out in the 4 seconds it took me to type this first paragraph.
1) First of all, I AM ready. Now. I've always been ready. I just didn't have the right amount of focus or determination. But now I do. I'm going to kick off my quest tomorrow when I return to work (I would do it today, but my husband just brought me some bacon, I didn't want to be rude or ungrateful). Also - notice I reduced the amount of weight I wanted to lose from 15, 20, or 25 pounds to 10. Let's be real.
2) One of my "go to" goals for the New Year has always included some incarnation of "practicing Dharma", "becoming" a better Buddhist, etc. Well, I think I have some new and exciting insight into this one as well. Sometimes I'm annoyed by those cheesy self-help Yahoo! articles or Facebook "posters" that tell you the 10, 6, 12, or whatever number of simple steps/ways of thinking that you need to practice in order to be the happiest person EVER. Most of them are too obvious, old news, or I'm "already working on it". But every once in a while, I'll see a new one, one that I hadn't heard or thought of before, or have forgotten. Here is one such tip: Don't measure or compare yourself against other people, measure or compare yourself with where and what you were five years ago. Brilliant. I see some improvement and I see some old habits returning. I'm on it!
But the greatest revelation I've had, that will assist with this particular resolution, is that I have realized a new and exciting way to combine my passion for horses and my desire to deepen my spiritual practice. Have you ever trained or cared for a horse? I have my whole life, except for the past 8 years or so. Now I'm back in it and the more I read and study training techniques, the more amazed I become with the connection between horses and Buddhism. There are volumes of books, studies, forums, etc. that explore this connection. There is even a book called: Zen Mind, Horse Mind; the Science and Spirituality of Working with Horses, by Dr. Allan Hamilton.
"Mindful work with horses, says neurosurgeon Allan J. Hamilton, can enlighten the human handler as much as it benefits the horse. Evolving over 30 million years to become the quintessential prey animal, equines have developed acute right-brain survival skills, such as leadership, awareness, empathy, and cooperation. In particular the horse has finely honed abilities to lead, communicate, and connect not with words, but with the vital emotional energy described in the Buddhist tradition as chi. When we learn the language of chi, we become more effective as leaders, more attuned to others, and more joyful as human beings."
And according to Linda Kohanov, Author, The Tao of Equus, horses are "natural mindfulness teachers".
It makes me wonder. Was my old mare my very first mindfulness teacher? Was that relationship responsible for the spiritual path I chose? It would explain, to some degree, the amount of meditative-like calm, pure joy, and intense awareness of each moment I experience when I'm with my new horse. It would also explain that "bolt of lightning" feeling I had when I looked into the eyes of my new horse for the first time and recognized the soul of my old one. My teacher has returned!
