Diet Opinions

Happy New Year!

I wonder what percentage of the North American population thinks about their weight the first week of January?

Since it seems to be the season for weight thoughts, let's think about them.

For me, opinion only... no advice here, really, even if it sounds like it, even if you take it, these thoughts are just my opinions....

~Your heritage probably matters. Meaning, wherever your ancestors adapted to the local foods sources probably still affects the way you assimilate foods. That doesn't mean that we aren't still adapting, but your ancestry might be a good place to find the basics of your eating style, experiment from there.

~For me, that would be the areas where the Gauls lived. Ancient grains don't seem to bother me, and I think they enjoyed potatoes long enough that I can add them as a staple food, even though they originated elsewhere. Foods that originated with animals agree with me in moderation. Leafy greens really need to be in balance for me, I don't feel the slightest bit well on a diet that is primarily leafy greens... side salad here, please. Onions, on the other hand... bring them on! I have never tried a diet that was just onions... I really think people shouldn't do stuff like that unless their very survival critically depends on it. Variety is best, maybe not too much variety, but definitely variety.

~The Mediterranean Diet and the book French Women Don't Get Fat have served as inspirational guidelines for me, when it comes to focusing on a lifestyle of eating. I don't like the word diet when it seems to be referring to a disciplined and potentially goal-oriented way of eating. I prefer focusing on a healthy lifestyle which includes enjoying foods that are also good for me and ethical regarding the balance of nature.

~I love whole grain biscotti for breakfast, or maybe some cookies from really good ingredients, and maybe fresh fruit in season, especially fresh berries. Nothing like a seasonal morning walk to collect berries for breakfast. A heavy breakfast makes me want to take a nap. Organic milk with organic coffee, brewed at home, keeps me feeling great. The rich stuff I get elsewhere usually gives me a belly ache. Caffeine doesn't necessarily agree with everyone, but I think a lot of that has to do with their primary source of caffeine coming from modern soda, and there is almost nothing good in that stuff. The older varieties of fermented sodas, on the other hand, really were medicinal. Caffeine promotes weight loss and reduces cellulite, but you want a good source of it, something that doesn't aggravate any other conditions that you might have. For many, the benefits of green tea seem to be huge, I personally can't tolerate caffeinated or decaffeinated teas. I absolutely love herbal teas, though, especially before bed in the cold months.

~Lunch and supper are a bit more complicated. I don't naturally like to eat a meal at midday, I prefer to snack, but maybe I should be a bit more serious about it. Sitting down for a break, filling up my body with conscientious sustenance, it might feel like a nuisance if I am busy doing things, but I know that when I do I end up with more optimism and stamina. When supper rolls around it seems to be time for wining and dining, not that I always do that, but supper as an art form should not be underrated. Using seasonal, local foods should be the heart of the artisan supper, but nothing should be off limits, unless it is trashy, i.e. overly processed. Winding down with the magic of kitchen zen is something I am taking baby steps toward.

~Everything derives from nature, somehow, somewhere. The term "natural" is used loosely these days. What you want to watch for is how far from nature the end result managed to get. What is meant by artificial is that it is posing as something else, such as artificial strawberry flavor with zero strawberries in it. I could bake an "apple" pie using zucchini and it would sort of be an artificial apple pie, but that isn't usually how the word is used. I think you can safely translate the food related word "artificial" to mean: avoid if possible. The word you are looking for isn't exactly "natural" but "ethical." Foods carry energy. There is no denying that. You want good energy, you don't want sad energy, or guilty energy, or stupid energy. Nature is smart, you want to interactive intelligently with it, without taking mindless advantage. People have different opinions about how to best do that, but it is an important conversation to be having with yourself, and the energies.

~A lot of people bless food. As I got farther and farther from Protestantism, I became less and less likely to pray before I ate, but I have returned to the belief that the energy is still interactive and mysterious, and I fully enter into a meal blessing now, with the hope that blessings ripple through time and space. I desire to bless the entire process from which my food came, the process of eating it, and the results. A Reiki energy blessing is one way of doing this, but there are numerous ways.

~I am working on appropriate ways to express gratitude to the seen and unseen beings. It is not a foreign concept to me, but it has recently developed a depth that is profound. It certainly has to do with food, as well as other things, but I may have to blog about that in more depth another day.

~Gardening is a spiritual practice that reaps tangible benefits. Gardening is not, and should not be completely about those benefits. Honor the environments, they want to bless you, do not curse them in return. You truly will reap what you sow, but you aren't only sowing tangible seeds, there are intangible blessings and curses that you are entering into as well, they matter very, very much. I am only just beginning to learn about them, but they were wholeheartedly respected for thousands, upon thousands of years. You probably wouldn't be here if our ancestors hadn't been sensitive to the spirits of the environments. Don't mock what you don't understand, they weren't stupid, even if many of them did embrace the negative from time to time, often really. "The times they are a'changing."

~My favorite go to supplements include:

Wine, in moderation, for stress and overall well-being.

Magnesium and Stinging Nettle for allergies

Magnesium and Hawthorn for insomnia and heart palpitations

Milk Thistle for skin conditions, sluggish systems, and feeling toxic. Milk Thistle is said to be great for liver support, shouldn't hurt to get in the habit of taking some when exposed to intoxicants and contaminates. It might also boost the metabolism when taken regularly.

Dandelion was called a blood tonic by the Old Timers. Turns out there may be something to that. Although not a lot of studies have been done on humans, there seems to be some evidence that Dandelion flushes out the kidneys. You really don't want crappy kidneys. I reach for Dandelion when I have water retention. It is a great menstrual support herb for me, especially in combination with Milk Thistle.

Vitamin C, you have probably heard of it. One of the most popular supplements, can be overused, but  overdosing isn't a big issue. What I have learned about Vitamin C is that the wild animals can adjust their levels of it more naturally than we do. When they are sick they automatically shoot their Vitamin C levels up dramatically. Many people take Vitamin C as a preventative, regularly. Although we do need some regularly the benefit of it might be amplified if we take a lot of it when we are feeling poorly. It helps us to assimilate many other beneficial vitamins and minerals.

Sambucus (Elderberry Concentrate) and Peppermint (and/or Eucalyptus) for chest ailments, i.e coughing, bronchial, pneumatic type issues.

Edible berries in general tend to be powerhouses of blessings, especially if they are local and wild, but domestic and organic would be the next best.

Lemon for fevers.

Probiotics including yogurt and kefir for sore throats, digestive disturbances, and system rebuilding during after antibiotics. I am learning about the value of prebiotics, foods that enhance the value of probiotics, I haven't learned enough yet to say that I have a good grasp on them.


~Again, these tidbits are my personal beliefs gathered from about 20 years of observation, but they do not necessarily hold truth for you. Everyone is different.