The ever addicting race to optimal health sends many of us down a tunnel with endless possibilities yet many a dead end with a tricked-out light source and possibly thousands of dollars lost to hopeless medical ventures ...
So why not eat this?
The above image is a roasted portobello mushroom cloaked in delicious leftover roasted veggies slathered and sprinkled with with sesame oil and seeds; peppers, green beans, broccoli. And some lightly pan seared spinach also in sesame oil. You can use whatever oil you like. I happen to love sesame!
Maybe my food doesn't look appealing to you and thats okay! Bob Evan's breakfast (see below) loaded with orange-brown carbohydrates once lured me in too. It took time to adjust my taste buds and an awareness that what I put in my body first thing in the morning is what sets the tone for my blood sugar circadian rhythm and possible energy devouring carb-crashes.
I've tried the master cleanse; 10 days of lemon juice mixed with spicy digestive stimulating cayenne and a dollop of maple syrup - for energy? Flavour? To trick the brain? Who knows. I made it to day 4 whereupon I nearly lost consciousness and then devoured a plate of my mother's Huckleberry pancakes, instantly satiated in blissful carb-clouds. Never doing that cleanse again.
I've tried the wild rose cleanse - no sugar, dairy, wheat, fermented foods... Probably some other no-go items which I won't bother to look up. I'll let you ask Google for more details. Alongside a restriction in foods commonly eaten on the daily by most people health focused or not, are a few detox and digestion stimulating pills and tinctures to take. It was the first time in my life I didn't eat eggs and toast for breakfast for 2 weeks. I noted my panic rise at the idea that I would starve to death before noon!
This protocol served a purpose for me though, having recently learned I am likely now needing to avoid many sulphur rich foods (another post on that later) and I have a slight allergy to eggs, perhaps it was helping my system with reducing inflammation. Hmmm.
What it did do was inspire me to create a meal plan using some of the recommended recipes and from reading other people's ideas online. My partner at the time and I stuck to our eating protocol for about 2 months until our sporadic work shifted us out of routine, but we did return to use the plan again and I am feeling inspired to create one right now. Overall our energy levels were higher, he was type 1 diabetic since childhood and we reduced his active insulin useage to 1/10th!!!! the amount... via diet/carb/fibre and exercise tracking alone. Very hot topic that one... So my takeaway wasn't to not eat the limited foods but rather to create a functional meal plan with foods that are specific to each person's individual needs. I didn't have as much body awareness then in terms of deeming feeds as possible culprits for inflammation in my body. That comes next...
I have eliminated wheat (for fun?) Gluten free! Everyone's doing it! Try it! But then defaulted back to our local healthy delicious sour dough toasts (Kaslo Sourdough !) when facing some health challenges where I wasn't able to eat much and the toast was a safe method of surfing some sort of nutrient into my stomach; be it fruit, nut butter, spices etc.
This summer was the most challenging but the most dedicated attempt. I was advised to avoid SO MANY FOODS for mental health and adrenal exhaustive reasons. Cucumbers, avocados, wheat, dairy, fermented foods, specific oils, tomatoes... do you know how hard it is to avoid TOMATOES? If you eat out anywhere it is impossible.. nearly. But I did it, my diet was reduced to some steamed veggies if I felt like eating at all, and I did continue to enjoy freely consuming sourdough toast. I noted when I would sample a meal with some cow dairy specifically that I would have flare ups in my emotional state.. I am working on this and its significantly less, goat dairy is much more forgiving (another post for another time!) The aforementioned was all based off the blood type diet created by Dr. D'Adamo which I argue is not entirely accurate or scientifically backed but if it helps one to eliminate potential allergens or other foods that perhaps has a direct connection to a person's DNA mutations causing them to be unable to break down certain food particulate... then great! Anyways I am not following that anymore, 4 months was plenty.
On topic my whole point was that there is so much concern for post-health crisis care instead of more concern for front-line positive changes ie: YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT! So lets just go back to that, okay?
Eat better = feel better = sleep better = happy!
Also the book in the first image, "Becoming Wild: Living the Primitive Life on a West Coast Island " memoir by Nikki Van Shyndel. My roommate lent me it and I'm quite enjoying savouring this woman's story on her choice to extensively study and live primitively for a period of time. Sort of like "Into the Wild"
... except she survives.
Another post!