WHAT THE HELL AM I PUTTING INTO MY BODY?

How did this happen?

1. We live in a society that is always to trying to lose weight, but eat more. Trying to find substitutes so that we can indulge but not be penalised.

--How about we just stop?

2. We live in a world that constantly wants more, never is satisfied, wants to escape from our realities. There was an article recently that stated, even though the economy is doing horrible the Wii is flying off the shelves. Why? Because people want to escape. We use, entertainment to escape our lives. But everything that we use is so false, it creates a very false sense of reality.

--The Wii is not a reality alternative that is healthy for long periods of time. Watching a Shakespeare play, a much better alternative.

What I realise last night as I was shoving crap into my face

1. Indulge, then ask yourself was it worth it?

--Nope, I felt like shit and quite honestly I wont ever do it again.

2. I am not putting anything unhealthy into my body anymore on a regular basis. I have to overcome this ingrained mentality that it's ok to shove myself full of crap because of a list of reasons. It isn't. My one exception: moderate amounts of red wine.

--We only have one go.

3. Splenda, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Diet Coke w/ Vitamins (?), WW desserts (which taste like plastic), WW Frozen meals, etc. They are all just masks for thing which 1. aren't good for you anyways 2. they are totally processed so they can't be any better.

--My food has to be naked of processed.

Naked healthy food. That's what it's come back down for me. We were born naked...our food should be naked. No frumpy t-shirts, no black, no corsets, love handles. Just pure, unadultered food.

~M

Losing weight is hard work, and a lack of focus can keep us from getting the results we want.  While breakfast is the most commonly skipped meal of the day, some of us blaze through lunch carelessly without paying attention to what we put into our bodies.  It’s essential to give this midday meal just as much attention as we do any other meal we eat.  Many times our lunchtime habits sabotage our success.

Most of us work, meaning that we can only have lunch at certain times throughout the day.  What’s even worse, some people are so busy that they grab a quick bite and eat at their desk, never allowing the body to rest, relax and enjoy a nutritious meal.  The best thing you can do for yourself is to take a lunch break at the same time every day.  Get out of the office if possible.  Go for a walk afterwards if you have enough time, to kick start quick weight loss.  But stop working long enough to concentrate on your meal.

Another bad habit we get into is eating out every day.  While it may be convenient to slip down to the cafeteria or vending machine to grab a bite, this can wreak havoc on our waistline.  Or sometimes, in an effort to be social, we go out with friends during lunch.  Try to keep your lunchtime outings to once a week, and pick healthier foods when you do eat out.  Always know where your local grocery store is, and if you have to go out, hit the salad bar or deli instead.  This option is much healthier and many times less expensive than a sit-down meal.

Lastly, try not to bring leftovers from last night’s dinner to work for lunch.  For many of us, dinner is the largest meal of the day, and consuming the same food for lunch and dinner can pack on the pounds.  When grocery shopping, choose light nutritious foods like yogurt, fruit and nuts.  Many create healthy wraps instead of using bread, and some opt to bring only salad.  Keep from overeating with a natural appetite suppressant like hoodia, and keep portions down to reasonable levels.

Scoots loves when dad comes home.  I mean lets face it, moms make you do homework and dads make great ponies to ride on.  We both welcome the change when dad comes home!

Scoots loves the little incline in our yard, it helps him sit all by himself.  He can do it on a flat surface, except when he kick kick kicks, on a flat surface he loses his balance.

Not as afraid of the grass this time

But not in love with the grass either

Definitely a motivator to raise your head up so grass doesn't tickle your nose

A little tree for little Scoots-just his size

Perfect for grasping leaves and I just noticed his outfit-perfect for the occassion

Hmmm, you know what he is thinking-this looks good

So you can tell who has the camera by the artistic shots-Cammon, being much better at this than I.  Mine is more of a raw point and shoot before the baby falls down approach.

Take my eyes off of him for one second and look what happens.  This leaf saw its last day as it was pulled off of the tree and into the mouth.

One of those, look up here at the camera-quick while he is looking too-but don't let him eat another leaf looks from me I guess. Scoots is thinking, I like leaves.

And playing with dad while the sun sets.

Saturday: Janna's mom suggested a walk to sightsee in London, and it was fun/tiring at the same time. It started at St. Paul's Cathedral, which I had been inside before, but this was the first time that I climbed up all of the stairs to the top of the dome (the 2nd largest in the world after St. Peter's in Rome)!  My calves kinda hurt but we made it all the way and saw some cool views of London.  Then we walked towards the Thames to visit the Temple church (of The Da Vinci Code fame.. haha).  I had never been inside so that was interesting.  It's a pretty small church, but it's nice because it's tucked away in an enclosed courtyard area right off the Strand.  I wish it was warmer here because I'd totally go there to read a book or something.  We kept walking along the Strand to Covent Garden, where we went into some cute (but kinda expensive) shops and watched a circus-type act.  There's a cool store called Octopus that sells random coloful trinkets.  We finished our walk in Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery.  Then, after being on our feet for like 7 hours, we rested, and later went back out with Vanessa to see "Spamalot"! 

Sunday:  Vanessa, Janna, and I caught a early-ish train to go to Hampton Court Palace about 35 minutes outside of central London.  It was used as a residence for Henry VIII and then later for William and Mary of Orange.  Vanessa and I went there 3 years ago in November, but all I really remember is being FREEZING cold.  We would just go from room to room finding the heaters and standing in front of them.  Anyway, this time was a lot more fun because I actually cared more about looking at things and because we got to tour part of the garden.  We did a few audio tours for different wings of the palace and the kitchen area.  Then we got a tour from a costumed guide, went through a (pretty lame) maze in the gardens, and back home!  We also ate dinner at Wagamama-a chain of "fusion" Japanese restaurants with hip decor-and it was really good!  That was the second time we ate at Wagamama while studying abroad and it is definitely not the last.  Mmm I want some ramen. 

British-ism of the Day: "pissed" = drunk
(Ex)  When I woke up in the morning, I was still pissed!

You can choose any culture, any country you want and you will find specific traditional food for each and every one of them. But there is something different about the way the Spanish cook, they just make food enjoying it and this is what matters and offers such tasty results.

First of all you have to know Spanish people like to eat a lot of eggs. But they never, or almost never, eat boiled eggs like we do. The traditional egg preparation method is to scramble them and fry them, obtaining a delicious omlette with potatoes and lots of onions added in the frying pan. The Spanish tortilla, as it is called is an exceptional and nutritional way to feed your family for lunch.

Another wonderful dish is the paella. The paella means that you will pretty much throw in the frying pan everything you have in your fridge. Everything that goes with each other, of course. The base for the paella is usually obtained out of boiled chicken wings of legs and to it we will add vegetables assorted to our taste. It is important that we fry everything together in olive oil for a better taste. We can even add fruits in the pan and after everything is done, just a minute before turning off the fire, we pour in the pan an assorted natural juice or liqueur or wine, whatever we want as long as we think we will like it. And the result will be an absolutely extraordinary dish made to fit our every taste and desire.

Spanish deserts are often a dream, but they can be rather difficult to prepare and they usually contain lots of calories. Spanish cooking in generally is for people that really have time to spend in the kitchen and enjoy doing it. Most Spanish dishes take a log time to complete and a regular Spanish meal can require up to 3 or even 4 dishes to serve.

If you are willing to try but don’t really have that much time on your hand them you can just go to a Spanish restaurant near you an d see for a change how Spanish people eat. But if you experience weight problems you must be careful on how much you eat, Spanish food can be addictive and it contains many calories to give you lots of benefic energy.

For millions of years, humans had only our senses to rely on in selecting food. We were guided to eat fruit by our ability to see colors against a contrast of green, smell enticing fragrances and taste sweetness. During those millions of years, our bodies adapted to our environment and became entirely dependent on certain conditions for optimal health. The closer we can get to those ideals in our modern lives, the higher the level of health we will enjoy.

Humans have been cooking food for thousands of years. Nevertheless, our biological and physiological requirements were in place long before the practice of cooking food began. Evidence that we are flouting our biological heritage by cooking our food is plain to see. No other animal on Earth cooks its food, and no other animal besides humans (and the animals we feed) experiences disease on the scale that we do.

Heat changes the molecular structure of foods, rendering nutrients mostly unusable. Cooked and otherwise denatured or processed food is less digestible than raw food. Anything that is consumed that cannot be digested or stored must be eliminated as waste. Eating cooked food produces so much waste in the body that our eliminative organs cannot keep up, and waste accumulates. It is this accumulation that leads to an overall toxemic state in the body and results in disease. Biologically-appropriate, raw food is almost entirely usable by the body, and provides all the nutrients that the body requires, as it does for all the other species of animals on the planet.

Raw foodists eat fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. The ideal percentages seem to be 75-85% fruit, 10-20% green leafy vegetables, and 5% nuts and seeds. Most people who change to a raw food diet initially go through a period of eating very complicated combinations of foods as a way of replicating their favorite cooked foods. This is a healthy, painless way to transition. There are lots of 'uncook' books on the market now, with recipes for everything from raw lasagna to cookies and pies. These kinds of dishes can be very helpful in the transition process. At first, it is common to eat large quantities of food and to eat more fatty and dense foods like nuts and dried fruit, as these give us the "full" and "satisfied" feeling that we're used to getting from cooked food. This changes over time. Eating cooked food for an entire lifetime causes our digestive systems to build up protective barriers to prevent too much absorption of the harmful, denatured substances in cooked food. A diet of raw, biologically appropriate foods allows the body to slowly and naturally shed that protection, thereby increasing its ability to absorb and assimilate nutrients. When this happens, our bodies demand less.

The story on protein has been so hopelessly and deliberately obfuscated by commercial propaganda that it's always the first question that is asked about diets that include no animal products. It is surprising for most people to learn that human protein needs are actually very small. Overconsumption of protein presents a far greater threat to our health than not getting enough. The truth is, it's practically impossible to not get enough, and actual cases of protein deficiency are almost nonexistent in our culture. Our true protein needs can be ascertained quite definitively by examining the relative protein content of human mother's milk. When we are infants we grow faster than at any other time in our lives. Consequently our relative protein needs are the greatest at that time as well. Yet breast milk contains a very small amount of protein -- 1-4%, depending on the age of the infant (percentages change at various stages of development). It is no coincidence that fruit contains roughly the same percentage of protein on average: 1-6%.  

By

VIKRAM KARVE

When I was a small boy in the nineteen sixties Pune was a “Tea Town”. Everyone drank tea and all over the town there were chiefly two types of tea for the laidback discerning gourmet Punekar to relish – AMRUT TULYA CHAHA at the ubiquitous Amrut-tulya Tea Shops in every nook and corner of Pune, and the peerless IRANI CHAI served by the numerous Irani Restaurants all over Pune City and Camp like Café Naaz, Lucky, Good Luck, Volga etc.

Amrut means Nectar, and Tulya means Comparable, so “Amrut Tulya” means “Comparable to Nectar” and indeed, true to its name, Amrut-Tulya Tea is comparable to nectar –  sweet, ambrosial, like the elixir of life! Amrut Tulya Chaha is not brewed in the traditional Tea service style – the tea is “cooked” in front of you.

Come, my dear Tea Lover, let me tell you how to make Amrut Tulya Chaha - The Art of Tea – Pune Style.

Assemble the following Ingredients for Two cups of Amrut Tulya Tea “Special Chaha”

Assam CTC Tea or, if you live in Pune, get the famous CTC+OP “Family Mixture” Tea Powder from your favourite “Tea Depot” in the heart of Pune City.

[By the way, the acronyms are: CTC – Crush, Tear, Curl; OP – Orange Pekoe; BOP – Broken Orange Pekoe].

Full Cream Buffalo Milk [I like Chitale’s]

Fresh Water

Sugar

Fresh Ginger Crushed [Better still you can crush the juicy fresh ginger with the chimta directly in the water-milk concoction to let the ginger juices flow out and blend in smoothly]

Cardamom – peel, crush and powder the pods

[NB – Amrut Tulya Tea is not your traditional Masala Chai so please don’t add any Tea Masalas or spices like clove, cinnamon, black peppercorns or herbs like gavati chaha (lemon grass?), tulsi leaves etc. and neither is it the “khada chamach” or “cutting” Chai so please don’t boil away to glory – remember, you must achieve Amrut Tulya Chaha of just the right consistency!]

In a brass vessel [or stainless steel, if you can’t get a brass vessel] mix one cup of water and one cup of milk. Add four teaspoons of sugar. Put on the stove. Medium heat.

Squeeze in a bit of crushed ginger and add a pinch of cardamom powder and the peel.

Lightly stir, let it warm, and bring to a boil.

Smartly add two teaspoons of tea powder and keep stirring gently to ensure the boiling concoction does not spill over. Keep boiling till the tea attains beautiful bright golden-orange colour – the moment you see a reddish tinge, give the heavenly brew a loving last stir, twirl the vessel, and sieve the Amrut Tulya Tea Special Chaha directly into the cups.

Sip the delicious tea slowly and mindfully, roll it on your tongue, let it emulsify in your palate, close your eyes, absorb, discern the flavour, the rich taste, relish every sip lovingly.

Tell me, isn’t Amrut Tulya Chaha lip-smacking tasty and soul-refreshing? Blissful ambrosia, an experience of nectar, isn’t it?

Now you know why they call it Amrut Tulya – comparable to Nectar!

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2008

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

vikramkarve@sify.com

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

After an hour or so of chat, we went on looking for shirts and It tired me a lot walking while raining. Well, it cost me too because I couldn't help but buy foods a lot. We saw her friend April, the cute but matured looking girl. I don't know her and we were not properly introduced to each other. My cousin wanted to escape from her though I can feel that  April wanted to go with us. My cousin gave many alibis just to escape. haha but she went inside the boutique where we were in. She told us she was just passing by.

So we had no choice but to let her go with us. We came back to the place where we ate and ordered the black forest ice cream but it was sold out so we end up eating oreos and ice cream. I just thought that if we did not plan to buy ice cream, maybe we could go home early since it was raining. So, we sat and talked again and I thought it would be endless. I cant believe I was laughing hard with someone I don't know and even sharing many insights about life.

The conversation went on and the topic went to sex. Imagine three virgin women talking about sex and I got a lot to tell about it because I am a nurse. April is a smart person and I've noticed that as the conversation went along. She even shared her experience on how she handled the situation when a guy who was my former classmate and the guy who once asked me if he could court me took him to a motel and asked about sex and how she refused firmly. what a small world.

We went home riding the same public transportation. I asked my cousin how old is she and she said she was just 17 or 18.

I was home already when I realized that she's too young to be that open minded. I was home already when I realized I've talked a lot about sex and she's the youngest among us and my cousin is somewhat conservative about sex. My sister is as old as her but she doesn't want the topic about sex.

So I must thank the idea of buying shirt and eating black forest ice cream though it became sold out because I had a very interesting conversation yesterday.

Her face isn't sunken and sickly anymore.

"I think the medication they're giving me to improve my appetite is working too well," she complained.  "I'm eating three meals a day!"

O, the horror.

She's not fat, but I'm sure she thinks she is.  I almost said she looks healthy, but her color is terrible, her eyes are tiny and puffy from exhaustion, and of course she has no hair.  But her cheeks aren't concave.  Her jawline doesn't look like a weapon.  She's actually eating.

The next brain scan is at the end of this week, Thursday, I think.  For the moment, though, I'll take this as a success.

She read me the report of the bone scan.  The report showed minimal tracer absorption in her bones, but she was concerned about the part that described significant and symmetrical absorption in her kidneys.  I thought fast and realized that the tracer is probably processed through the kidneys, which is why it was accumulating there, and explained that and pointed out that if both kidneys are absorbing the same amount, they're both working properly.  I'm making this up as I go--I have no idea how the tracer is metabolized--but it seems to make sense and made mom feel a lot better.

I think she was planning on staying awake tonight until 2130.  Considering how exhausted she's been and how early she's been going to bed, this is pretty impressive.  Of course, chemo starts tomorrow and the fun begins again.

She's planning on bringing a tuna sandwich to have for lunch.  The first day is long, and she'll be there well past lunchtime.  It's the first time I've heard her plan to pack food to bring for chemo.

A Voce's design reflects a natural as well as a modern urban aesthetic. The dining room is enveloped by two “garden” spaces, one literal–the 100-seat outside dining piazza adored with lemon trees, flowers and herbs–and the other figurative–an impressive indoor art installation entitled “Falling Twig.”

The restaurant interior features a mix of modern accents evoking Italy's industrial history: stainless steel and high-gloss chocolate and vanilla lacquers, while American walnut floors, leather-topped tables, and horsehair-upholstered banquettes lend the space an urban elemental feel.

NOW FELLAS AND LADIES PAY ATTENTION...FELLAS IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A DATE YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT OUT...THIS WOULD BE A GREAT SELECTION FOR THE PROPER AMBIANCE AND YET ENOUGH LEISURE ROOM TO ENJOY HER COMPANY AND LET HER FEEL COMFORTABLE.  LADIES IF A MAN TAKES YOU HERE TAKE HIM SERIOUS...AT LEAST HE'S TRYING.  ALSO, THIS IS A GREAT AND ELEGANT PLACE TO MEET UP WITH YOUR GIRLFRIENDS LADIES, FELLAS THIS MIGHT BE A NICE PLACE AFTER WORK TO MEET THE FELLAS AND HAVE SOME FINE CUISINE WHILE ENJOYING THE "VIEW"!   FOR LOCATION OF THIS FINE RESTAURANT COMMENT AND I WILL GIVE YOU THE ADDRESS.

However, in the meantime, ripe vegetables are finally arriving en masse. Today and this weekend, more than 7 lbs. of tomatoes have come ripe. A few more and we'll be really ready to break out the new-to-us food mill for some sauce-making.

Our peppers have grown, beets are ready, scarlet runner beans have pods on them, and even the peanut plants are large and healthy beneath their carpet of tomato vines (will there be peanuts underneath the dirt? Stay tuned).

The potato plant hasn't died back yet, so I'm not sure if there are tubers in there.

We're having a small fall crop of strawberry plants, and the bushes have spread beautifully in the late summer.

And if the frost doesn't arrive, one huge pumpkin just might manage to turn orange, three petite cantaloupes might finish their maturation process, and our butternut squash could provide a fall surprise harvest.

The Meyer lemons are turning yellow, and the plant actually has leaves in preparation for its migration south indoors for the winter. (I believe the house wall to which it's adjacent will shelter it from any chill tonight.)

And best of all, if the aphids don't finish them off, I believe we will be able to harvest at least a few Brussels sprouts this year.

The sprouts already are big enough to eat. I view this achievement as a major accomplishment, as it has taken us three or four years of trying to grow Brussels sprouts to get them this far! Cross your fingers and suck some aphids off the plant ...

How does your garden grow? Have you thrown in the towel? Tried ladybugs this late in the year for the aphid problem? Just starting out Down Under?

Today, I succumbed to that impulse, and picked up ingredients for a rich, gooey baked macaroni dish, with a spicy twist that mimics the ubiquitous Austin dip, queso (to more closely approximate queso, add avocado and tomato chunks and omit carrots).

Macaroni con Queso

• 2 cups macaroni
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 whole jalapeno, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/3 cup onion, chopped
• 5 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 3/4 cup (soy) milk
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I used a cheddar/pepper jack blend)
• Garlic Crostini (or other crunchy crackers -- these were on sale at Target in their Archer Farms brand), smashed into crumbs
• Stravecchio or parmesan cheese, grated
• Salt, pepper, paprika to taste

1. Cook pasta according to package directions minus about one minute (so it's still pretty firm). Drain and put in 2 qt. casserole dish, and set aside. Preheat oven to 375.
2. While pasta is cooking, saute veggies with butter over low heat until softened.
3. Add flour, salt and pepper, stirring constantly, until well blended and bubbly.
4. Add milk, stir constantly until boiling. Let boil, while stirring, about 1 minute.
5. Turn off heat. Stir in cheese gradually until well blended.
6. Pour sauce over pasta. Put in oven and cook for 20 minutes.
7. Take dish from oven and top with a sprinkling of crumbs, hard cheese and paprika. Return to oven for 10-12 minutes until edges are browned.
8. Eat! Mmm.

On another note: Have I told you lately how I loathe sports? I won't say any more about it now, but if I have to hear another stupid team's nickname and pretend to think it's funny, or pretend to care about another game result, I might go insane.

(: (I'm not in a rotten mood, I swear.)

p.s. Texans: Did you remember to register to vote today? It's the last day to do so for the presidential elections!

Everyone thinks that making chicken stock is really difficult but it’s not and although the stocks on the market have gotten better over the years, I still think that nothing beats a homemade one. This one came from my mother. She always made her own chicken stock and then would freeze it and defrost it as she needed it. I guarantee at this moment, there is a plastic container in her freezer filled with frozen chicken stock. Of course I must confess, I have one in my freezer also which will be great for soups.

Chicken Stock

Ingredients

2 large carrots, chopped in half

2 celery stalks, chopped in large pieces

1 medium onion, chopped in large pieces

2 bay leaves

2 cloves garlic

1 7-8 pound whole roaster chicken

4-6 cups of water

½ tablespoon fines herbes (can be found in the spice aisle)

20 whole peppercorns

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Olive oil

So I have been making chicken stock for a while and it’s really simple. It only takes three steps: Roast, Simmer, then Strain.

For the first step, heat up the over to 375 degrees. Then take the vegetables, the garlic cloves and the chicken and put them in a roasting pan. Drizzle olive oil lightly over everything, add salt and pepper and then stick the pan in the oven to roast for about 30 minutes. This helps to concentrate the flavors. When the 30-40 minutes are up, dump everything into a heavy pot and add enough water until the chicken is entirely covered.

When I am making stock I usually crank the heat up to high until it starts boiling and then I turn it down to low and simmer it for hours. Obviously you will need a long time to cook this. After an hour and a half, it is good to check on the chicken. If the water has evaporated, add more until the chicken is covered again. Simmer the stock again for another hour, adding water again as it evaporates. Cook for another hour and it should be done.

So now here is where I broke from the traditional method of making chicken stock. Instead of allowing the stock to cool and draining it, I got lazy and stuck the whole thing in the refrigerator to deal with it later.

Fast forward to the next day: I started to heat it up and then got sidetracked again so I stuck it back in the refrigerator.

The following day: Okay, now I am thinking to myself that I really have to deal with this because it’s taking up a lot of room in my refrigerator. So, I put the pot on the stove, on low, to loosen the chicken and vegetables from the jelly-like stock. While the stock heated up I took out the chicken carcass (such an appetizing word) and removed the big pieces of chicken. Although it is very soft at this point, it can be used as the chicken pieces in chicken noodle soup, or for chicken tacos or anything else that you might need shredded, cooked chicken.

Drain the broth and throw out any leftover chicken, bones and vegetables. And now, thanks to my laziness, I have this really tasty chicken stock. (If it is too strong, you can add a bit of water to thin it out, but I would do this only when you use it and not before you freeze it) Naturally, like my mother, I stuck mine in a Tupperware container and put it into the freezer until I figure out what I want to use it for. I am thinking of making matzo ball soup!

I cannot even believe how quickly time has blown by. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was laying on my couch, feeling my now almost seventh month old baby moving for the first time. Now he is constantly trying to stand up; eating solids like I cannot believe; cracking up over the silliest things; and babbling in his own adorable little language.

Today he was in his "go-round" and began to walk around it's circular middle for the first time. He usually just leans and reaches as he gets bored; but now he is learning how to push him self from one activity to the next. It is so entertaining watching him- he gets so excited when you first put him in this contraption, he can hardly contain himself enough to allow you to get him seated all the way before he is trying to pound his little fists on the keyboard. I don't know what I was thinking when I bought this entertainment center. The keyboard has three settings, all equally loud and quick to annoy. As much as the horrible arrangement of beats tries my patience, I can only watch him with a smile as he "dances" to the music while bouncing up and down.

As for his piggy tendencies- my son has a new found live for pureed foods. His favorite thus far has been bananas, which I've read is a preference for many babies. This love however may be the culprit for his dramatic pooping performances. Over the past couple of days, I have witnessed quite the range of facial expressions that have accompanied his expulsions of number two's.  This poor child has screamed and cried in ways that make my heart sink into my stomach. I feel so helpless when there is nothing I can do but stand and wait for him to be finished. I decided to decrease the amount of cereal and bananas I am giving him, and try to increase his intake of juice and applesauce in hopes of less painful "situations" for my little man. So far, no change. Hopefully that will not be the case over the next couple of days.

When trying to conquer anything, the first step is to create a plan. Part of that plan is identifying risks that can make the plan fail.

In the case of getting healthy, risks equal personal weaknesses.

I started paying attention to my eating behavior many months ago, and I've found that I'm blessed to have several weaknesses:

• I don't get full. I seemingly have no mechanism that tells me to stop eating. In my younger years, I'd eat until getting physically ill.
• I go into an eating trance. I get tunnel vision. While I'm eating, conversation annoys me and my entire existence is focused on eating.
• I eat fast. Because I'm in a trance, I don't come up for air. I'm always the first one finished with a meal, and before I can swallow down my bite of food I've already put another one in my maw. Disgusting, isn't it?
• There are few foods I don't like. Sometimes I think picky eaters have it best. They have such a sensitive palate, they can only eat a few select foods.
• Any reason is a good reason to eat. Even when I'm being cognizant of my eating habits, I always seem to come up with an excuse to gorge just this one time. It's a holiday, it's a new restaurant, it's the weekend, I've done so well through the week so I want to enjoy a meal, someone else is paying for this meal, I haven't had this particular meal in a long time ...

Now for the fun part. How do I mitigate these weaknesses?

• I don't get full, so I'm going to determine how much I am going eat. Before putting a single bite in my mouth, I am going to make a deliberate decision as to the amount of food I'm going to eat. No seconds, no extra scoops. No eating what's left so we don't have to throw it out. Sounds like a no brainer, but it hasn't been so for me.
• I go into an eating trance, so I'm going to break up the cycle. Something to draw me out of my trance. For example, after every bite, set down the fork and take a drink of water. Pause every few minutes for conversation; stay engaged.
• I eat fast, so I'm going to savor the flavor. I love food, but I don't act like it. I've noticed on cooking shows that chefs really taste their food. They enjoy the entire experience. The texture, the tastes, the temperature. I eat like a dog. I wolf it down and bare taste anything. I need to slow down and experience the meal.
• There are few foods I don't like, so I'm going to focus on the healthy foods I eat. I like veggies. Not as much as I like cinnamon rolls, but if I break up the cycle and savor the flavor, I'll get to experience what I like about the healthier foods on the menu.
• Any reason is a good reason to eat, so I'm going to focus on the experience rather than the food. Food goes hand-in-hand with all events. You can't have a party or even a spontaneous gathering without food, so it's no wonder so much emphasis is put on the food. I need to turn that on its ear and really focus on the conversations, people, and environment more than the food. That's what makes an event special.

Seems like a plan, but the true test is in the doing. I need to find the proper motivation.

What about you? What are your weaknesses when it comes to eating?

HELLO!!!

Oh my, you may not remember me, my name is Maggi Smith and I work at UMB in Baltimore. And many moons ago, you were my personal trainer. I have often wondered where you went and what you were doing and lo and behold, I found your blog! And then your website! And it looks like you are doing FABULOUS!!! All I can say is that the folks in Philly are so lucky to be able to call upon you for training.

So, anyway...I wanted to drop you a line to say hello! I am doing well. I had a little boy in December of 2004 (he's in the photo) and yes, I am still exercising and eating right. Albeit, I am now working hard to get the last 20 lbs I put on when I was pregnant. :)Anyway, I think of you quite often. I am following the Body For Life program, I eat well, and I workout in a home gym I built in my basement.

I have to tell you, if I didn't have you as a trainer so many years ago, I would not have known what to do on my own. Because of you, I know proper form, how to recognize when my form is suffering (usually because I am trying to lift too much weight in my super-set) and how to be sure that my workouts target all of the muscle groups effectively. In addition, here is the kicker... way back when, I should have listened to you more when it came to nutrition.

You were trying to tell me, but I could not see it. Well, I do now! (Well, I am learning more, let's put it that way.) I laugh because I look back and I am eating exactly how you told me I should be eating. I coudln't see the value in all that protein, eating small, frequent meals, and making sure my meals were BALANCED.

Heck, I can't believe protein powder and oatmeal (yes, mixed together) are one of my favorite meals But re-learning how to fuel my body, and to FEED my muscles in order to build them has made me think of you and how I am so happy I learned as much as I have from you.

Thanks so much!-- --Maggi
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Tue: Black Beans and Rice w/Papaya Salsa 

Wed: Leftovers

Thu: Ultimate Shrimp & Grits

Fri: Leftovers

Sat: Baked Herb Polenta w/Italian Vegetable Sauce

Sun: Leftovers

It's not always easy (or affordable!) for all of us to get to a game, so we do a lot of home "tailgating" parties around our neighbor's big-screen tv. Sometimes we get the grill fired up, other times we like to just order up pizza or big sandwiches and make the side dishes.  Another great football dish that's easy to make is a big crockpot full of chili, or another favorite - buffalo chicken wings. It's fun for the whole family!

Its week 2 into my Adventure bootcamp and Daniel asked me to keep a daily blog... so here I am blogging away.

Getting up at 5AM has me so tired- so for today I think that all I will type that I am here and will have more soon!

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