I love eating. I love smelling a meal with all its flavors and ambling toward the aroma. I enjoy sitting with others or alone and placing a forkful of delectable delight on my tongue, and observing the different tastes and textures. Spending time with people close to my heart often accompanies and enriches this experience. The practice of sitting at a table with others and experiencing nutrition tangibly exemplifies how spiritual, emotional, physical and mental health are inescapably intertwined. Eating is more than just a fun activity; it can be a political act, and and issue of both mortality and morality.
Sometimes it is hard to find a balance between enjoyment and giving my body the required nutriments. I hate to think that eating could be only "fun". Once it is solely fun to me, I will eat the wrong things and too often. Eliminating hunger will not longer be a primary goal. One the other hand, eating should be a richer experience than popping supplemental pills without chewing it, tasting and appreciating the feelings it produces.
I seek balance. Which is why I am starting Kathy Freston's Quantum Wellness Cleanse today. In this book, she maps out a strategy toward achieving better habits and a wiser perspective on food: no animal-products, no alcohol, no gluten, no caffeine, no processed sugar. As someone who is used to making a conscious effort to be sober and vegan, the real challenges for me shall be the last four items listed.
Today, forgoing my usual morning coffee was difficult. It was not difficult to decide not to drink the coffee, but it was difficult to work through the confusing lethargy, dizziness, headache and cognitive slowness that I am not used to. For example, I looked out the window this morning and saw that it was blue sunny and warm. I left for school, looked out the door seperating my lobby from outdoors, and saw a large puddle on the ground with drops of water continually flowing into it. I thought "It's raining - I must go upstairs to get an umbrella." I went back to my apartment and looked out the window again in confusion. How could it be raining in that one spot? I realized then that the puddle I saw had been from the sprinkler next to the walkway. Needless to say, it took me a while to realize this. I must infer htat the coffee slowed this realization, because I am not usually this slow (or I would like to think that I am not normally that slow). Today's menu is as follows:
Breakfast:
-1 Cup of vanilla unsweetened almond milk
-Bunch of grapes
-Cherry Coconut Breakfast Bar
Recipe for Cherry Coconut Breakfast Bars:
1/2 cup vegan butter
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 1/4 cups uncooked oats
1 cup shredded coconut
1 tsp. baking powder
3 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1/2 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries
1 banana, smashed well against the side of a bowl
Egg replacer equivalent to 2 eggs (Ener-G brand recommended)
Preheat oven to 360 degrees Farenheit. Put the vegan butter and agave in a small pan over medium heat and stir until melted. In a large bowl, combine the oats, coconut, baking powder and sesame seeds. Add the prunes, apricots and cherries and mix well. Fold in the prepared egg replacer. Add the agave mixture and banana and mix. Pour into a square baking pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool. Remove from pan and cut into rectangular bars.
I had no shredded coconut, prunes, sesame seeds or cherries. I used chopped almonds, dried cranberries, raisins and fresh blueberries instead. I had no egg replacer, so I added 2 Tbsp. of water and one half of a banana instead. I do tend to like banana flavor more than others, but I thought it turned out to be very tasty.
Lunch:
-Sandwich of banana and toasted, unsalted almond butter on gluten-free bread.
-Coconut water
Snack:
-Banana and blueberry smoothie with base of vanilla, unsweetened almond milk. Added ice and little squirt of agave nectar.
-Apple with almond butter
Dinner:
-Creamy Italian White Bean Soup
-Green tea
Recipe for Creamy Italian White Bean Soup:
1 lb. dried cannellini beans
6-8 cups cold water
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 tsp. fresh oregano
2 bay leaves
8 cups vegetable stock
1 cup diced tomato
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Place the beans in a large pot and cover with water. Let soak overnight and then drain and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the beans, thyme, oregano, and bay leaves. Stir in the stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot, and allow to gently simmer for 2 hours or until beans are tender. Allow to cool slightly and then remove the bay leaves. Puree half the soup in a food processor or blender, then return to the pot. Add the diced tomato, basil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
Instead of cannellini beans, I used a can of garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas) and approximately 1/2 lb. of lentils. I also used parsley along with the other herbs. I had only 4 cups of veggie stock, so I added a bit more water and hoped for the best. I also added a can of diced tomatoes instead of 1 cup, because I love tomatoes. I found the soup to be very tasty and filling.
Overall, I feel okay right now, albeit a bit of a brain-freeze-like headache. I recommend drinking lots of water and embracing whatever pain you feel during this day as a sign that you are taking the necessary steps toward ending an addiction.
