So, I haven't posted in ages. Reasons being: Busy season at work. That ended mid-November. Then I began sabbatical from work in early December, got sick 3 times since Thanksgiving (my immune system is shot), then Christmas with my husband's family in Kansas and that pretty much brings us to today.
Lots been going on. Namely, I've been cooking some really fantastic dishes, haven't posted about any of them, and I will eventually get around to writing about them, but at this post does not concern those fantastic dishes (although one of which he called "the best he's ever had")
Nevertheless, I have embarked on a new journey- a journey that will hopefully end my chronic winter sicknesses, help me be healthier, fitter, flexible, happier and everything else good you want out of life. My new journey? Raw food + yoga + exercise
Anyone who knows me knows that I cannot stand the thought of yoga. To me it's not exercise, and it sucks because it's all "inner peace" and far too hippieish for me (and for being a pretty ridiculous hippie as it is, that's saying a lot). Yoga is not exercise, swimming/biking/running/rowing/basketball, etc are. However, I'm choosing to do yoga for completely different reasons. It's time I go from mostly healthy (as that's not doing me any favors at this point) to being as fit as I possibly can, and yoga can help me get the meditation and flexibility that I need. Besides, it has proven benefits of helping people in stressful jobs, which I most certainly have, so I really don't see any downsides at this point, except that I hate it. Hopefully that'll change.
Now, I'd like to say that I'm a pretty healthy person- I eat a lot of vegetables, cook almost every dish I eat and abstain from a lot of meat (mostly because I can't stomach touching it to actually bother cooking any of it) and don't consume milk (although I love cheese, eggs and butter). However, I'm clearly not doing enough to get my body in top form, as I've been packing on pounds since my husband and I moved out of the city and no longer walk a zillion miles a day and the farmer's markets are farther away than they used to be.
So this morning I got up and I watched 2 documentaries that have been on my list of things to see: Food Matters and Forks over Knives (both of which are on Netflix streaming). I've also seen Food, Inc., read The Omnivore's Dilemma, Everything I Want to do is Illegal, In Defense of Food, Holy Cows and Hog Heaven: The Food Buyer's Guide to Farm Friendly Food, and others. I know more about food than most people my age and all of it has made me a more conscious consumer of the products I do choose to eat. However, I'm not doing enough.
I can be healthier, I can be better. So starting tomorrow: No eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, animal products, processed foods of any kind. I will eat only raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains. Occasional cooking on my part may be required as I acclimate to this new lifestyle. I will also be abstaining from alcohol. This is no 30-day diet plan, this is not a detox, this is a change in my lifestyle (and my husband is about 65% on board with this).
Thankfully tomorrow is Sunday, which means my Farmer's Market is open where I will stock up on loads of greens and vegetables and fruits and I can supplement everything else from Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. When I get up tomorrow I'll take down my weight, body fat, and measurements. I've got some blood work from earlier in the year that I'll use as a basis for comparison for when I next have my annual physical and we'll see how this progresses!
2012 promises to be a very good year indeed.
