To Paleo or Not to Paleo?

Have you been hearing or reading about the Paleo way of eating? 

[Let me take a second to vent: I am distressed about the way the word "diet" has been changed - everyone talks about following "a diet", but in reality however one eats is ones diet. So I will not be calling this a diet, but rather a preferred way of eating.]

Yes? Good - if you are reading about it then you are undoubtedly at least intrigued.

No? Then I encourage you to do so.

Am I going to preach here about how following the Paleo eating guidelines are superior to any other way of eating? No, not exactly. Rather, I would like to simply point out a few lessons learned and encourage you to test them in your own life.

I began investigating the Paleo way of eating when my son began talking about it. I liked most of what I read, but there were some things that bothered me: no sugar, no dairy and no grains.  Hmmm, I thought, that means no spaghetti, no french toast, no yogurt - and no ice cream!

But I read about people who were stronger, thinking more clearly, feeling healthier ... all things I wanted in my life. And like anything else, if you want the results you have to invest in the practice. I confess that I began in the negative - rather than thinking of it as a change I started removing things: no more cereal, no yogurt in my smoothies, no... no... no... See the pattern? I was trying to change by focusing on what not to eat.

Then I started reading books like The Paleo Solution and Everyday Paleo. I began seeing how much easier and better it would be to begin focusing on new recipes we could try rather than focusing on what we were no longer going to eat.

Have we completely "gone Paleo"? No, and that leads to some more lessons learned.

WISE CHOICES: We went out to dinner for Father's Day, and reviewing the menu it was easy to choose something that fit the way I choose to eat: a steak, a salad, and a baked sweet potato. It was my plan to stop there, and that would have been perfect. In fact, I later learned that it would have been perfect based on calories as well (I track my daily eating on an app called Lose IT!  and it keeps a tally of the calories). However, I let myself be enticed by a piece of New York-style cheesecake. What a mistake! Not only did that throw me 1050 calories over the ideal, it sent me into gastric distress that robbed me of a night's sleep and made it necessary for me to stay home from the office the next day. Lessons? That huge influx of dairy and sugar and grain was too much for my system now that I have drastically decreased those things, and many of the digestive issues I have had over the years are likely the result of similar poor choices.

IT'S NOT CHEATING: Once I began really trying to walk the Paleo talk, there were things I would call "cheats". But I have recently begun to reconsider that term, because a "cheat" denotes a feeling of doing something wrong. So from now on I will refer to these as allowances. I have allowed myself to hang onto a little dairy+sugar in the form of ice cream. It is real ice cream, not low-fat-sugar-free-ice-cream-wannabe. I have tried to eat this little 150-calorie treat either when I come home (while fixing dinner) or immediately after dinner. I will likely continue this through summer and then as the weather cools and the desire for ice cream lessens, I hope the taste for it will be gone by next summer. Lesson? If there is something that doesn't result in negative consequences and you can allow it to yourself from time to time, do so.

ON THE POSITIVE SIDE: We have a lot of stuff in our pantry that is non-Paleo-friendly, like flour and oatmeal and rice. They are still there. But I am not focusing on the fact that we are not using them - I am looking at all the good recipes from people like Sarah Fragoso (follow her blog at everydaypaleo.com) and enjoying lots of new dishes. There are lots of things we have always eaten that fit our new eating style too. Lesson? Focus on what you ARE doing and not on what you are NOT doing.

ANYTHING I CAN DO...: Please note that most of the pronouns in this article are in the first person singular. While my beloved husband is forced to eat what I choose to prepare for dinner, he still sticks to his preferred breakfast and lunch. Without going into details, let me assure you that is it carb-laden and far from Paleo. Lesson? fight the battles you can, and let the rest go. I am not going to change the entire world, and each person must make his/her own decision to buy into a lifestyle and dietary change.

I AM NOT SICK: It occurred to me the other day that I have come through the winter and spring without a cold - not that it was common for me to get lots of colds, but perhaps one a year. So this past week we have had a lot of non-Paleo treats at the office and I crumpled in the face of temptation. Chocolate chip cookies, mini-muffins ... and then some of the gumdrops my husband keeps around ... candy ... and what attacked me today? A cold! Lesson? What I eat does affect my health and all that crap does affect my immune system.

Yes, there are other lessons - and there will continue to be lessons. We are not totally Paleo, and rather than taking a 30-day cold-turkey approach we are gradually making changes to our diet and lifestyle. (Yet another lesson - this may seem better but it probably is not. It really would be better to make the change all at once.)

Do I want all of you to immediately become devotees of the Paleo lifestyle? It would be great if you are so moved, but most of all I would like you to evaluate what changes you would like to see in your life, what changes in your diet and lifestyle need to happen to achieve those results, and then go forward and do it.

I hope you'll follow our journey and benefit from our lessons, and I would love to hear your lessons and comments!

A REAL VACATION

This week my husband and I have been at the beach - Ocean City MD - for a vacation. Seems simple, but this is the first time we have had an entire week that is truly vacation.

Usually there are conventions associated with our time here, with a couple days being actual time off. Usually my husband has meetings and I spend my time writing while also keeping up with things at the office.

But this week we have done nothing but "vacate".

Every day was a no-alarm-day. Most days we decided what to do that morning, even if we thought about it the night before. The day it rained we pretty much stayed in the hotel.

Here at the end of this wonderful week, I am looking back at the peace and relaxation we have enjoyed. Mini-golf, wineries, skee ball... Even on the boardwalk this morning (with the weekend crowd having arrived) it seemed relaxing because we had nowhere to go that we didn't feel like going.

This morning I had an incredible experience - God spoke to me as I was waking (see my other blog, Prayer Under the Palm Tree, for more about that). And I realized that we are so rushed, so appointment-oriented, so planned and and scheduled, that I rarely have time for God to talk to me so clearly. There is always noise and haste. As soon as I open my eyes I am thinking about my workout, my breakfast, my day's schedule. I hit the ground running already feeling like I am behind.

So several lessons have come from this week away:

• take time all the time; set aside some free time, like Sunday afternoons, for just doing something fun - alone or with others
• start the day slowly; lay in bed a few minutes and just listen to the birds, say good morning to God, do some deep breathing
• exercise; even a few minutes of walking/marching/running in place or some stretching will get your metabolism started and will relax you for the day. Then take a few breaks in the day to do something: talk a walk, stretch and try to touch the ceiling and then the floor.
• Priorotize: determine what must be done and get it done; then choose what you want to do with the time that's left and do that.
• Plan for fun times. We are at the end of this vacation, but we are already looking forward to the next time we come (a weekend in winter?) and planning another week here (next May?). Plan rewards.

Whether it's an afternoon, a day, a weekend or a week, everyone needs some true down time. Plan it, and then keep to the plan. Perhaps all you can manage is a Sunday afternoon sitting in your favorite chair reading a book. Maybe you can manage a whole week at the beach or in the mountains. Whatever you can eke out, do it for yourself.

And perhaps you'll let me know what YOU learned?

The Year of Humility Continues

Just turning the calendar page apparently does not mean that we have learned all we are supposed to learn. Last year was The Year of Humility - a lesson I needed to learn and was forced to face by leading a retreat on the topic. Apparently, I still need some lessons...

Yesterday I received my annual performance appraisal, and was blind-sided by the report that staff members find me to be negative. To say I was stunned and hurt is an understatement. My perception of me (and my wholehearted desire) is of being supportive, encouraging, and appreciative. I love to tell people how well they are doing, and encourage them to pursue what gives them joy. One of my mantras is "if that makes your job easier".

Another lesson in humility - another area I did not explore last year - is that how I see myself is not how others see me. And added to that is that what I think others want from me may not be accurate at all. My perceptions and filters are all clouded by ... selfishness? Pride? and unwillingness to change?

So thus begins a period of re-examining what I do for others and how, and how I can be a better servant leader. Of being quiet and listening more closely.

Any ideas? Have you experienced this?

peace and quiet and time to write

It's 9:30 am here, and I have been enjoying a morning of peace and quiet and time to write. Craig is off to work, and other humans (and the dogs) are still sleeping. The bunnies have had breakfast and are happily playing in their yard - I can hear them leaping and tossing toys around as bunnies do.

Outside the window I see a constant stream of cars, a few walkers, and a couple of cyclists. The sun is shining and it looks delightful - which is deceiving because the weather app advises that the actual temperature is not yet up to freezing and the wind chill is in the teens.

So here I sit in the warmth of my dining room, having enjoyed a bowl of the delicious granola gifted by a friend and about to enjoy a hot cup of cocoa complete with whipped cream. Yes, it is Saturday, a Saturday without specific commitments, and therefore a morning of peace and quiet and time to write.

Now that the cleaning out of my father's house has been completed, I am cherishing these opportunities. As much as I dislike winter for its cold, I do like the chance to sit indoors like this without feeling the tug to complete outdoor chores. Once we hit March and new growth begins, mornings will be pressed into service with weeding and cleaning out and preparing for the new season.

Here however we are still in the season of rest - winter is a season for dormancy and renewal. So often we see it as dead and unproductive. But beneath the surface, all of those seeds and soil are resting, gathering nutrients and strength for another growing season.

I am beginning to see winter as that opportunity for me too - a time to spend Saturday mornings in my bathrobe at the diningroom table enjoying a cup of cocoa, thepeace and quiet and time to write.

Which just ended with the sound of puppy paws racing toward the door followed by the removal of the leash from its hook. Oh well... Next Saturday ....

Getting Back to Basics

A few weeks ago, I decided to start something "new" by going back to using witch hazel as a toner for my face. That was the first "beauty product" I used as a teenager. Dampen a cotton ball with the witch hazel and wipe it over your face as a toner/astringent. When you have acne, it stings a little, but it is gentle enough for the dry skin of a more mature face.

A few minutes ago I was doing dishes and reached for one of the other basics - baking soda - as a scouring agent for the pot I was scrubbing. Baking soda is a perfect scouring powder, it works great as a drain cleaner when paired with vinegar, and can be added to laundry as a detergent booster. For starters.

And that white vinegar? In addition to pairing well with baking soda as a drain cleaner, it is a great antibacterial agent, so you can spritz it on counters, wash cutting boards, and pour a few tablespoons in the laundry. It works well to clean windows and spraying it on those little "accidents" the puppy leaves deters the offender from returning to the same spot. For starters.

Why do I bring up all these simple things? Companies are being urged to remove chemicals and non-natural items from products, but we are still dependent on so many chemicals and additives. Every week another new "natural" product appears on the grocery shelf, but it's still important to read those labels. Instead, let's get back to the basics.

Another place this is being seen: glass vs. plastic. Companies who make leftover dishes are putting out glass versions. We are being cautioned not to reheat our leftovers in plastic bowls. The latest trend? Mason jars. Wide-mouthed Mason jars. We get them free when buying such staples as spaghetti sauce, or we can get them at the store for about a dollar each. There are fancy ones, but the basics are still the best. Online you can find suggestions for using these jars to make layered salads and breakfasts. And of course it's simple to put your soup or other leftovers in one and warm them right in the jar (take off that metal lid!) or dump a serving onto a plate.

So get back to basics. Save money and save the environment. Look to the old ways... go online when you have a few minutes and search for uses for vinegar, baking soda, peroxide, and other basics.

And then share them with the rest of us!

Dishcloths

Okay blog fans - raise your hands if you love your dishcloth.

I realize that many of you hardly "do" dishes - you have a dishwasher so you rinse most of the debris off the dishes, arrange them and set the dial. Those of you who have this "standard appliance" probably have very little opinion about dishcloths because you have very little use for them.

However, there are still those of us who are living in the past - we have no dishwasher and therefore "do dishes" by hand. And we have very strong opinions about the dishcloths and scrubbers we use to accomplish the task.

For years I have been a proponent of the little net scrubbers - I would scavenge as many as possible on the dollar days sale at my local grocery, getting six to a package for a dollar. They lasted a few weeks before unraveling, but truth be told I preferred them that way - almost like a cloth but "scrubbier". I also liked them because they were plastic and therefore did not need to be laundered. As long as they were rinsed thoroughly with hot water and allowed to dry they never smelled mildewed, and they rarely picked up any of the stains etc that cloths seemed to attract.

So I have happily used these little scrubbers. When one got a little too worn it was relegated to pot duty and a new one would be pulled from the bag for dishes. For about five dollars I had enough for the year.

In the recent past however it has been more difficult to find the scrubbers, and I have also been convicted of the waste in buying them and disposing of them. It would be wonderful, I thought, if there were wash cloths that I could wash and keep for long periods, but that also had a scrubby quality. Even better if they were the result of recycling.

A-HA!

How many of you have heard of PLARN?

Plarn is the result of cutting plastic bags (the ones you get at the market) into strips, then spinning them into yarn. My industrious and creative daughter makes this stuff. She is also the fastest crocheter around.

I wondered out loud about the possibility of such a wash cloth, and one evening she whipped up a few - each has a slightly different stitch pattern, rendering each slightly different in "scrubbiness".

They are wonderful! Not quite as scratchy to the hands (think of keeping your manicure for a few more days) and yet they are wonderful for dishes as well as pots and pans. After each use they are hung from a clip that allows them to air dry. From time to time they get thrown into the washer, but they must be removed and hung or laid flat - the dryer would be a disaster.

Looking for a wonderful new dishcloth? Find some plarn and then someone who crochets - if you can accomplish both yourself then you are further ahead!

Comments?