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Renew the Mind, Renew the Soul….?
What does it mean to “renew your mind” or “renew your soul“? I hear these sayings often and I think I get the idea. But we are souls with bodies, not bodies with souls, right? So how do we “renew” ourselves anyway? After all the word “renew” means to “make new again” or “refresh”.
For many this is done by taking time to embrace the simple joys in life. Going on a walk, reading a book or magazine article, listening to music. Maybe it comes by someone else reminding you of who you are and why you are here. Getting encouragement that you, as a mom, are truly important. (Perhaps the most important part of our society in some ways). That the nurturing, teaching, loving you do matters in a myriad of ways. And maybe you get that encouragement by reading a devotional for moms or a blog for moms (hi there!) or talking with a mentor.
And yet… is there such a thing as “too much renewing”? Can we begin to focus more on the desire to feel as if we are in a zen-like existence rather than getting to the tasks and responsibilities at hand? And is that “zen like” state we actually seek really just the absence of doing anything? Do we get distracted by our cultures absolute desire to find happiness or relaxation and want to only exist there? Is THAT what we are meant to be or do or act upon? Emotions and feelings? Simply not acknowledging the needs around us in exchange for escape?
Now, before you get angry, I am not saying that we do not need to get re-focused or energize our weary minds. I, by no means, think we can do without rest and relaxation and I have learned that the hard way this past year. In addition, I find books and blogs and podcasts to be a lifeline in a mother’s world. Truly. (I personally listen to and read many). But I do feel many of us fall prey to distractions that ultimately take up our time but do not renew us in any way – adding no value to our lives whatsoever. And here and there, this is fine. But, in the long run, it can be damaging to our soul rather than an asset.
So, myself included, I challenge you this week. (There’s the sound of the gantlet being thrown down ladies). I challenge you to find one thing in your life that really does not add value to it. It does not encourage or refresh you. It does not energize you or “renew” you in any way. It is simply a habit you have. One you may not want to give up. But, I encourage you to put it aside for one week. Just one week and replace it with something you haven’t done in a while but you know does bring you joy.
Perhaps you’ll replace a reality show for a book by Jane Austen you read (and loved) in high school. Or maybe you’ll nix the daily Starbucks run for a walk with your kids. Or maybe you’ll forgo your social networking to sit and color or play with clay or just lay on the ground and stare up at the sunny sky (if you HAVE sun where you live). Whatever it is, embrace that little change. Embrace that piece of real life, the life around you (you yourself, not someone on TV). Let that reality seep into your soul this week and let the old habit fall away. I promise you, you will NOT regret it.
Now… off to stop searching Craiglist for a patio sectional.
The image for this blog post came from debolinasbooks.blogspot.com… if you want a book to read and don’t know where to start, start there.
Tortuous “Princess Leias”
My husband’s birthday was Saturday. I made his favorite dessert – apple pie with alterations so I could have a bite (can you say maple syrup? Yum!) Then… phase 2 of “celebration weekend”. We went to dinner at a fantastic little Italian place (shout out to Casa D’Italia in Ravenna). No dessert. The next day, Sunday… our friend gave us babysitting as a gift and the real test was had.
We went to a movie at Cinebarre – a place you can get good food and a movie. And not just any food… one food in particular is our favorite. Perhaps the BEST dessert in the North Seattle area – “Princess Leias”. Six (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6!) handmade miniature cinnamon rolls with a warm mini bowl of icing to dip them in. Made to order!
Think heaven with icing on it.
Warm, buttery, cinnamon-y deliciousness. All warm and hot from the oven. Soft in the middle with a hint of crisp on the edges. Perfection. BUT… refined sugar. Doh!
My husband, having a lapse in my quest, was gracious to put the entire plate in front of me so I would have easy access. I was strong at first. (Oh the smell wafting… ignore it… ignore it…) Then I started to rationalize the idea of eating just ONE of the minis. I mean… one mini is only one large bite of a typical cinnamon roll, right? And one bite after a weekend of goodness? Come on! It is my husband’s birthday celebration after all.
Luckily the movie was eventful and kept my attention. So, I nudged the plate over to my hubby’s neck of the woods. He then slowly (tortuously!) finished all six throughout the remainder of the film. Whew. I was saved.
Now… only 2.5 more weeks. Birthday out of the way. Cinnamon rolls of heavenly goodness overcome. I. Can. Do. It.
Happiness Is a Chocolate Cup of Goo
I’m not one to think that not eating little bits of goodness should be endured all the time. Let’s face it, God made food and it’s to be enjoyed. But, God didn’t make food in labs in tubes (thus my “real food” mantra). That said, I made some delicious custard-like bowls of real food goodness two nights ago. (Or perhaps it was custard… have to be honest, I don’t exactly know what defines “custard”). It contained only five ingredients. Easy to make, filling, yummy, and rich.
Even now as I sit thinking about it I wish I had made more. And, why IS that exactly? Because… we like to eat what we like to eat.
Now, juxtapose those custard-like real food yummies with something else I used to like to eat. The boxes of untouched Girl Scout* cookies in the top of my cupboard. (There they sit, up and away from the eyes of my kids who seem to have the innate sense that bright colored boxes mean “food mom doesn’t usually let us eat”). Those crunchy sweet rounds of addiction-inducing sucrose do NOT contain a mere five ingredients. Alas, they contain a rather long list of items of which almost none are found in nature. Check that… NONE of them found in the forms they use in nature (all are refined, processed or man-made chemicals). These little plastic-like coated morsels are very sweet, not filling and NOT easy to make. (Albeit, to be fair, some – as in the case of the devil-created Thin Mints – are still quite delicious).
There was a time I could have chowed down half a box of any given variety of those bad boys. But now that I have embraced the idea of eating only real food for so long those boxes sit there because they aren’t that great tasting to me. (Trust me… me and a Samoa met for the first time in two years the other day… the memories are better than the reality).
And yet… they were bought. They ALWAYS get bought. Every year. And why? Because, you THINK you will like them as much as you used to. (Or, in my case, you come home to find out your husband who has a wonderful heart bought six boxes from the adorable little neighbor girl up the street).
It is funny how nostalgia plays such a part in our food choices. We grow up eating something so we think we really like it or need it. We even crave it when certain songs come on the radio or we see people dressed a certain way. We think we need that food to add happiness to our lives year after year. To recreate fond memories. We simply tell ourselves that this is a treat, it celebrates life, it will make us smile. But we aren’t really seeking out what our body needs.
If you take a break from what you are used to and start making small choices that are better for you you will find that old habits don’t really make your body as happy as you might think. They are simply old habits that recreate a piece of a memory or happy feeling. And you rely on that food to make you “happy”. Which is when food has the power to control you. Not good.
So, here’s to my bowls of goo. Ugly yet delicious globs of “I think it might be custard”. I eat you slowly with delight (or I will once I make more of you). Food is good and life is to be celebrated but not at the expense of your health. And, sure, I might have thought a version of myself a complete nut job 10 years ago but now, I celebrate my coconut milk, agave, chocolate custard! I celebrate my desire to ignore the chemical “food like” boxed cookies and instead master homemade Samoas! I celebrate making new memories! I celebrate the fact that old habits die hard but they can still die! I celebrate… celebrating. Why not? It’s Friday. Let’s do it!
No Sugar… Day… 4.5
Since I have made errors out of simple forgetfulness these last days – once in particular with three sips of a malt on vacation with my family (Yes… I confess… three sips into a real malt – something I have MAYBE once every year or two – and I said “Man, this is SO sweet” then, cur-plunk. Guilt and shame) – I have decided to add a half day to my 30 sugar-free days so as to redeem my error.
That said… I am currently wishing to be on a quest for agave sweetened dark chocolate. Alas, I feel that misses the point of this entire “fast”. So, I succumb to the spirit of the thing rather than the law. (Sigh). Accountability really does help you stay on the straight and narrow. Even if you’d rather wander.
Sugar Fast, Day 1… (or Should I Make it Just “Prep Day”)?
If you want to set yourself up for failing a “sugar fast” do the following: take your children to a special, gourmet doughnut shop which you frequent only 5 times a year. Try to refrain as you smell the delicious blend of oil, yeast and icing. Look through the glass panes upon the lazy susans all lined up, stacked high with doughnuts ranging in color from chestnut brown to flamingo pink, some of them spinning as workers pull a doughnut from their abundant pyramids of doughy-goodness. Feast your eyes upon the double-delicacy of a chocolate cake doughnut with chocolate icing (your favorite) all nestled and pristine. Calling to you. Seducing you to caress it, smell it… daring you to take a nibble. Just. One. Taste.
These are your nemesises. (Nemisi if you will).
(Sigh).
So, that’s how MY day started out. A fun outing… cruel to be sure. And, it got crueler.
I have to confess, I ordered a chocolate cake doughnut, no icing. I stared at it on the porcelain white plate… “What’s one more day?” After all, I haven’t shopped for food this week, I haven’t written the “chocolate bar of the month” post so I should try the bar ONE more time for that, and… I haven’t, I haven’t, I haven’t….
Enter nice doughnut shop lady. (Age 42, mother of two children ages 3 and 5 I found out through her conversing happily with my son). She sat next to us at the window counter. She smiled at us. She had no doughnut.
My son was intrigued and asked her in his sweet three-year-old lisp, “Where your doughnut?”. “Oh”, she said kindly, “I’m trying to refrain. I’m just getting coffee instead”. (Expletive in my mind here).
I felt a twinge of shame. Yikes. Here I am touting to readers that I’m doing a sugar fast, starting TODAY, even skipping bread that morning at breakfast (the doughnut outing came AFTER breakfast mind you) because it contains sugar, and I’m giving into the embracing intoxication of the doughnut shop, about to take a bite of a “not-as-sugary-as-the-other-doughnuts” doughnut. Then this kind soul sits next to us only to say she is omitting sugary goodness merely trying to eat in moderation. (Although, why she chose a gourmet doughnut shop to get a coffee baffles the mind). So, I’m basically a total liar, day 1. And now a guilt-ridden liar at that.
Was this woman an angel sent from God to remind me “you can do it” or merely my own guilt in the form of another mom? Regardless, the doughnut was not eaten. And, sugar fast, day 1 officially continues.
“Food, God and a Lust for Chocolate”; My Month Without Sugar
It begins with a flour-less Chocolate Torte. The yummy bits of goodness which fall from this delicacy, I feel, defy most baking science I know. They are truly delicious and even better these two days later as the torte settles onto itself; releasing air and increasing denseness in the best of ways. And, with the last morsel gone, I settle into the reality that my sugar cravings, although much more under control than in my “former” life of coach-potatodom, are beckoning my name.
It’s true, I bake only real food, with actual ingredients found in nature. Raw sugar or agave or the like are my cooking companions now – usually at half of what a recipe calls for, at that. But too much of a good thing can take over your life. It’s easy to justify the presence of something when it’s “better than it used to be” or it’s not taking an outward toll on you (so that others might notice). But, I know myself and I know my vices and I know that chocolate, albeit 70-85% dark, with it’s sugar content and twinge of cocoa bean magic, consume a bit too much of my thoughts these days.
This may seem silly to some. After all, I realize that you can take eating healthy to an extreme and cut out all joy of life. But, let’s face facts, America is by no means taking healthy eating to an “extreme”. (Insert snarky average American diet comment here). And, for me, it’s less a matter of if it is “bad ” for me so much as it is something that I crave often and can’t seem to “live without it”. It’s about allowing food – any food – not to control your thoughts or actions. It’s about not letting your cravings dominate your life. It’s about self control. And, I’m needing to regain some in this area.
So, with that, I set out on my journey of a refined-and-raw-sugar-free month. This, too, of course means no artificial sweeteners as I don’t use those, think they mess with your body, are a cheat – i.e. missing the point of going without- and are foul. (Huh, that’s a strong opinion! Yikes).
I will set up specifics in the days to come so you know how it goes.
It just so happens to be Lent, too. Well, a bit past the start of the season, but I feel jumping right on in there with this might happen to be a timely coincidence. It reminds me of what God says about self control and giving up things you lust after for greater things – like…well… oh, I’ll think of something by the end of the month.
So, as I start on this journey (in 48 hours I will begin – just in time to write the March “Bar of the Month” entry) I hope to chronicle what I learn and how it applies to food, God, and the control of lust (for chocolate). Yup… heavy happenings. But sometimes heavy is good. (As with the delicious torte!)
Working Mamas Still Need to Workout
Without too much harp, I want to let every working mama know that prioritizing a workout will help you out, even if you feel you “can’t find the time”. I work part time outside of the home and know very much the juggle of constantly having a list of to-dos. Not to mention the at-home prep for being away from home, needing things done for work, and fitting in some sort of time with family and friends. But, I really want to encourage all of you to get in a workout, even if it’s a short as 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. It will help you immensely – even if it seems like a tortuous sacrifice of time. (Can you say, Downton Abbey Festival on your bike in front of the computer?)
A regular workout will:
1) Add energy to your tired muscles (not take it away).
2) Decrease stress (which will help you better manage your list!)
3) Help your brain find time to “unwind” (if that is even possible).
4) Give you confidence (for work, life, as a mom)
5) Help you fall into a deep sleep sooner (invaluable when you can NOT shut your “mama brain” off!)
So, prioritize yourself, you stress level, and your self-esteem and get moving. Heck, pop in some DVD’s to Zumba to… your kids will think you are hilarious – giving them a show as you get in your workout!
Eat Your Bright-Colored Fruits and Veggies
I read this in Mark’s Daily Apple Today… fantastic! Enjoy.
Why should we eat bright-colored fruits and veggies? Mark Sisson scratches the surface for you (and me!):
Blueberries – Anthocyanin-rich blueberry juice improved cognitive function and memory in aging adult humans.
Raspberries (black and red) – Raspberry juice shows anti-atherosclerotic effects in hyperlipidemic rodents, and although human studies are lacking, there is a strong basis for considering them a healthful food.
Blackberries – Perhaps my favorite berry, blackberries are rich in flavonoid pigments with in vivo evidence of protection against neurological degeneration and bone loss.
Purple sweet potatoes – Tons of references in my sweet potato post (that’s my post about sweet potatoes, not my sweet post about potatoes). Same goes for regular purple potatoes.
Eggplants – Nasunin, a potent eggplant anthocyanin that is strongly absorbed in the GI tract, displays antioxidant effects. Make sure to eat the peel, though.
Cherries – Although (again) human studies are lacking, the considerable anthocyanin content of cherries suggests that their efficacy in animal models may well carry over to us.
Cranberries – Cranberry juice, whose anthocyanins are bioavailable in humans after drinking, improved vascular function in heart disease patients.
Purple tomatoes – In addition to carotenoids (more on those below), purple tomatoes also contain significant levels of anthocyanins.
Purple carrots – Same goes for purple carrots.
There are even vegetables that have feet (roots?) both in the colorful camp and the sulfur-rich or leafy-green camps. Like:
Red leaf lettuce – Leafy green and colorful.
Radicchio – Leafy green and colorful.
Red cabbage – Sulfur-rich and colorful (with 36 different anthocyanins).
Purple cauliflower – Sulfur-rich and colorful.
Purple kale – Leafy green, sulfur-rich, and colorful.
I could go on, but I won’t. The point is that any plant with these colors is going to contain these compounds, because these compounds literally are the colors. That means I’ve missed the vast majority of anthocyanin sources, but it also means that you’ll have an easy time finding them out there in the world. Eat up (but rinse your mouth out after; they stain) and go for blues, reds, and purples.
Oh, yeah. There are a couple other relevant flavonoids. Anthocyanins get the most press, but there are other foods with potentially beneficial health effects due to flavonoid content.
Turmeric – Contains curcumin, which gives the spice its distinctive, persistent yellow color. I’ve written an entire piece on the health benefits of turmeric, and curcumin is responsible for the lion’s share of them.
Apples and onions – A light yellow pigment, quercetin is found in apples and onions (except for white onions). Red and yellow onions are high in quercetin (PDF), while most of the quercetin in apples resides in the skin.
Carotenoids
Carotenoids are pigments that provide the orange, yellow, and red colors found in foods like carrots (get it?), sweet potatoes, cantaloupes, bell peppers, squash, watermelon and tomatoes. You’ve got beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, gamma-carotene, and beta-zeacarotene, which can be partially converted to retinol, the active (animal) form of vitamin A. You’ve also got lutein, lycopene, and zeaxanthin, which cannot be converted to vitamin A.
Don’t rely on carotenoids to fulfill your vitamin A requirements. Liver and egg yolks are much better, more reliable sources. Besides, beta-carotene supplementation doesn’t seem to work very well. In several studies, it has appeared to increase the risk of lung and prostate cancer, and a 2007 Cochrane review found that beta-carotene supplements were associated with an increase in general mortality. “Supplementation” of alpha-carotene, via carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables, however, appears to have the opposite relationship. Huh, food’s good for you… who knew?
Get carotenes through orange vegetables and fruits, like squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupes, and bell peppers.
The other carotenoids – the ones that don’t convert to vitamin A, like lutein, lycopene, and zeaxanthin – appear to be helpful. Both lutein and zeaxanthin accumulate in the retinas of our eyes, where they seem to play major roles. The more lutein and zeaxanthin you eat, the more it accumulates in your retina (although this is most pronounced in patients with low baseline pigment levels). Low dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin are associated with elevated incidences of age-related macular degeneration, and a similar relationship was found for cataracts.
Get lutein and zeaxanthin through spinach, kale (what doesn’t kale have?), dandelion greens, chard, collards, romaine lettuce, paprika, and turnip greens.
Lycopene does some cool stuff, too. It reduces lipid peroxidation in people with heart disease, as well as protects the skin against UV-related damage from the sun. There’s also a lot of research into the effect of lycopene intake on cancer.
The best sources of lycopene are cooked tomato products, like tomato paste or sauce, especially cooked with fat (but not sunflower oil!), but lower levels can be attained through raw tomatoes, pink grapefruit, pink guava, and watermelon. The absolute best source, however, is gac, a Vietnamese fruit that beats tomatoes by 70-fold. It also contains high levels of other carotenoids, all of which are bound by long chain fats, making them even more bioavailable. Anyone every try gac?
Betalains
Although betalain pigments are described as “deep red” and “purple” and sound similar to the anthocyanin family, they are not the same. They look different (just compare a beet to a strawberry – not quite the same). In fact, betalains and anthocyanins have never been found in the same plant; they appear to be mutually exclusive. Besides the beet (where “betalain” gets its name), rhubarb, and the stems of chard, there aren’t very many sources of readily edible betalains. I suppose you could throw together a floral salad of bougainvillea, amaranth, and purple cacti, but for the most part, you’re going to get your betalains from beets.
All beets contain all betalains, just in different ratios. In purple or red beets, betacyanins predominate. In yellow beets, betaxanthins predominate.
Possible benefits of betalains include:
Inhibition of lipid peroxidation.
A beet extract rich in betacyanins showed cytotoxic effects on human prostate and breast cancer lines.
What If You Just Want Sleep for Valentine’s Day?
It’s February 14th in three days. Now, for some, this means chocolates and flowers and a movie date. But, for me, it means the need to be sexy-ish for my hubby. Now, he NEVER has put this on me per se, but, come on, it’s kind of an expectation for husbands in that their is lingerie everywhere you turn and hot models with crazy green eyes promising “yes, your wife will look THIS hot if you let her shop here”. And, heck, I could use some new underwear and a cute bra…
So, what happens if you just want to go to bed for Valentines Day eve? Like, for real – nothing extracurricular, just actual sleep. After all a working mama needs her rest or else all bets are off on a good attitude. But, I realize that’s sort of selfish, too. There are two people in this relationship after all. So, I have come up with a motivator to get me through the day and on into the night. (One which I happily pass onto you).
In addition to paying him (and you) some loving attention you surely could both use, think of your time together as a work out. Bonus. Two-for-one! Heart-pumping, relationship-building bliss. It might make it fun and challenging in the best of ways.
So, pick the music play list now and get some new candles for the bedroom. You’ve got 72 hours until “love day”.
False Foods Are Arrogant Intruders
Picking up my sons the other day from their play area at the Y, I walked in to see the lights low and hear the sound of a voice playing from a tape recorder (or so it sounded). A caregiver of a child had brought in a slide show story for the kids to enjoy, which they were. Seated like school children, they watched the lighted images flip and tell the story on the wall of the play room. It was quiet, except for the noise of the recorder, and it was calming to watch them all intently focusing.
Just then, a women came through the door and started talking loudly. Ignoring the clear signs of the mood of the room, she squawked to the worker and called out for her son to come to her. She was verbose and, to be frank, rude. It was strange to me that she would take no note of the lights being dim, the slideshow on the wall and the voice from the recorder. It annoyed me, but I said nothing as she gathered things, chuckling and carrying on for what felt like several minutes.
To be fair, I realize I sound like a snob of sorts. And, I fought judging my own attitude toward her. However, her strange behavior and disregard for basic observation was baffling to me. And then, in that moment (odd though it seems) I made a correlation: her behavior was like that of an unwanted, misplaced guest much like fake “food” is to our body.
Now, bear with my stretch for a good metaphor of the event (it really was what I thought about in that moment). Her disregard to how the play room was operating was the same as the way chemicals and preservatives act in our body. It is misplaced, in the wrong environment – and it reeks havoc on it’s surrounding. It upsets the body and is unwanted, yet, it doesn’t leave until it has passed through – jarring things and affecting attitudes. Then, and only then, does it leave. But the damage is done.
Because it is upset, the body does not operate to its full capacity. It’s jarred, altered, and distracted. Why? Because what happened is not in flow with how things ought to be – it’s not how our bodies are set up to function. But, if you are apt to eat quite a bit of “false foods” you have slowly grown accustomed to how your body operates with the interruptions, frustrations, and annoyances (I speak from thorough experience, my friends… decades of it!). You don’t fully know the difference and so the disturbances – fatigue, stress, weight gain – seem to be “situation normal” when really it’s a massive snafu and we need to change it.
And, with that, I urge you to incorporate real food into your diet. Strive for 100%, but if you are just beginning, shoot for 80% to start. Read the ingredients – on EVERYTHING – and learn what you are up against. Stop the insanity – the crabby irritations chemicals and preservatives cause can be cured! Trust me, you have no clue until you clear them out how much more serene your body can be. And how peaceful it will seem.
