Eat To Live and a Life Overhaul

I have been MIA for the last few weeks, but I can explain.

The last few years have been the most stressful period of my life. In the span of a few months, I found out that I had high blood pressure, lost friends for various reasons, and had to take on a tremendous amount of responsibility at work. I didn't have time to think about much, so I worked hard, tried not to think about what was happening, and I ignored my instincts. Soon after, I started having panic attacks.

When the panic attacks started, I realized that things were out of control, so I worked on it. For a multitude of reasons, I became a vegetarian, but the most important was a desire to get healthier (Why I Became a Vegetarian). I had high blood pressure, borderline cholesterol, and was uncomfortably overweight. Becoming vegetarian helped me learn to eat more healthy and make things in my life more manageable; I was able to cut back on my blood pressure medication, my panic attacks eased, and I felt a lot better.

Unfortunately, a horrible, emotionally abusive person entered my life and knew exactly how to prey on my insecurities. Even though I understood that this was more of a reflection of this person, I took it very personally and I reverted to bad habits. I ate crazy amounts of sugar and processed foods, which left me constantly exhausted and grumpy. I gained a bunch of weight and had given up on myself. 

While on vacation at Universal Orlando (Universal Studios Orlando), I met a lady who told me about a book called Eat to Live . We discussed being vegetarian/vegan, and she suggested that I check out the book. I wrote it down and completely forgot about it for a few months.

At the beginning of July, while searching through my notes for a book recommendation, I happened across the book title. I checked it out on Amazon, and since the reviews were so intriguing, I bought it immediately. When I read the book, things clicked for me. For months, I had been toying with going vegan, but there was such a stigma with that word, it scared me a bit. However, the main premise of the book, which is that to be healthy, we have to eat nutrient packed foods (vegetables, fruits, and beans) and they will heal our bodies, made perfect sense to me. I pledged to start the six week program on July 3, the start of a nice long vacation.

I have sugar detoxed before, so I was prepared to feel pretty grouchy and the tired for the first few days. I timed it well and was able to sleep a lot and have some fun learning to cook in this healthy way (without oils!).

I was amazed at how quickly my body responded to the healthier food. Within the first few days, I was sleeping soundly, my breathing/allergies got remarkably better, and I wasn't hungry all of the time. I have always been self conscious about my skin, so when it not only cleared up, but it now seems to glow like when I get a perfect suntan. 

It has been four weeks, but I have hit a snag... 

I can pinpoint the time period when my weight and health issues began. I went through a horrible break up, was having a lot of trouble at work, and was extremely emotional all of the time. A couple of well-meaning friends counseled me, suggesting that I needed to toughen up a big and be less emotional. They explained that as I got older, I would grow out of those emotions. It made me mad at the time, but I listened and tried my best to keep from being emotional about everything. Unfortunately, instead of dealing with my emotions, I avoided and tried to ignore things... and I ate. So, while this detox and healthy eating have freed me in so many ways, it is also forcing me to face the emotional part of me. I'm having to deal with a lot of things that I tried hard to hide and reminding myself that feeling my emotions is a good thing. 

So aside from being a little extra emo about everything, things are going well. I feel a lot happier and am surprised to find this way of eating is even easier than just eating vegetarian. I've lost 9.5 pounds, I'm quickly weaning off of my blood pressure medication, and I haven't had a panic attack since I started. Plus, it all just feels right to me. Overall, pretty amazing results.

Bibliophilia 2012: Books 33 - 41

33: Tao of Pooh and 39: Te of Piglet

I try to read The Tao of Pooh once a year. Why? Well, it makes me laugh and think about the important things in life - a perfect combination. Benjamin Hoff is able to describe the Taoist principles in clear and entertaining examples, and the beliefs and ideas make sense to me. Plus, I love all of the Pooh characters. I read The Te of Piglet less often; it is equally interesting, but it doesn’t jump off the page quite as much as The Tao of Pooh. The books always inspire me… this time reading the books, they inspired A Walking Meditation.


34: Scar Tissue

I have always enjoyed the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but in my younger days, I absolutely loved them. I’m pretty sure that aside from my Beatles obsession, I didn’t listen to much else than Blood Sugar Sex Magik in the 8th grade. It was pre-Eddie Vedder/Pearl Jam, and I remember watching the Under the Bridge video over and over again (I had taped it – VHS style). It was different from everything I had ever heard; the music was amazing. I was completely mesmerized by Anthony Kiedis; I loved his tattoos, long hair, and the way his face looked when he was running shirtless and all funked out.


A couple of months ago, I was reading the Wikipedia page about Anthony Kiedis and was floored at his life story. I noticed that he had written an autobiography, so I bought it. For the first 25% of the book, I was pretty mad at myself for buying it; he had a severely messed up childhood, and I found his nonchalant attitude towards the crappy things he did to people really revolting. However, as the book progresses, you can tell that he went through some serious hell and he seemed to progress and grow in the book. It gave me a new respect for him and a new interest in the awesomeness of Flea.

I am a little weirded out that my favorite RHCP song, I Could Have Lied, was written about Sinead O’Connor. It is still not as weird as the Alanis Morissette/Dave Coulier bomb.


35: We Bought a Zoo

I’ve written about this book a bit (Finding some inspiration…) because I loved both the book and the movie. I like to read stories about people learning and growing, but I also learned that I really love to read stories about people’s interactions with animals. This book is sad in places, yet funny and beautiful. Although the movie’s storyline is different, I felt like Cameron Crowe did a wonderful job of transferring the story, with all of the feelings and important bits, to film. Only problem is now I really want to go to England and visit the real zoo.



36: Eat to Live

While on vacation at Universal Orlando (Universal Studios Orlando), I met a lady who told me about Eat To Live. We were discussing being vegetarian/vegan, and she suggested that I might want to check out the book. I wrote it down and completely forgot about it. 


Well, I have been eating horribly lately (eating crazy amounts of sugar and processed foods), which has made me feel awful and gain a bunch of weight. A few weeks ago, I got frustrated and happened across where I had written down the book title. As I read the book, things clicked in my head and it all started making sense; the main premise is that to be healthy we have to eat nutrient pack foods (vegetables, fruits, and beans) and it will heal our bodies. I started eating according to the plan, and only two weeks in, I’ve lost six pounds and am feeling tremendously better. I have more energy, I’m not hungry all the time, and my body is seems really happy.


37: Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes

I bought this cookbook awhile back because I was interested in how a lot of vegan recipes sweeten food using fruit. Turns out that most of the food in the cookbook is perfect for my Eat to Live eating plan, so I’ve been using it for inspiration and trying all kinds of recipes. Apparently, my interest in veganism (although I kept denying it) was because I knew where I was headed.


38: Bridget Jones's Diary

I have read this book many times. It makes me laugh in that obnoxious, uncontrollable, out loud way that makes people look cross at me like I'm making fun of them. I love that Bridget is bumbling, impractical, hypersensitive, imperfect, and completely inappropriate. She is real and that’s what makes me cheer her on.




40: PS, I Love You

As with the movie version, I enjoy the concept of this book. It’s a love story, but from the opposite end of the spectrum. Usually, the story is about how people meet and finally bumble together, but this story is about saying goodbye and learning how to move on. Life is a constant up and down, so it was refreshing to read about a character who is doing her best to successfully pulling herself back together.



41: The Witches

As a child, I always loved Roald Dahl books. He was blessed because he was able to hold on his childlike imagination and relate to it. It allowed him to remember what it was like to be small and to create bizarre, oblong worlds. I remember a teacher reading us this book in class and feeling like it was so hysterical and inappropriate. It made reading fun and interesting. It is the same for all of Dahl’s books.

"Ripple in still water..." (Grateful Dead - American Beauty)

I bought American Beauty a few weeks ago. Because I had heard it was so amazing, I wanted to wait for a special time where I could listen to it without interruptions. Then, during my vacation, I watched Magic Trip, which only made me more curious about the Dead. (Also, I learned about Acid Tests, Ken Kesey, the insanity of Neal Cassidy's ups, and that my longing for a time machine back to the 60's is still alive and strong.)

Saturday night, I finally made the time and mental space for American Beauty. I was up late, working on my family tree; my house was dark and quiet, so I turned it out and turned it up. It was emotionally beautiful and serenely melodic. I was instantly in love.

Specifically, I am in love with Ripple. There is something about this song that gets into my head, mellows me out, and reminds me to be Pooh (A Walking Meditation). I want to sway to the music, close my eyes, and smile. I wish that I could bottle the warm and peaceful feeling that it puts in my heart and share it with others. Suddenly, I feel like I'm really starting to understand the Dead Heads. 

I don't normally include full lyrics, but this one is far too beautiful to not share.

Ripple

If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine
And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung,
Would you hear my voice come thru the music,
Would you hold it near as it were your own?

It's a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken,
Perhaps they're better left unsung.
I don't know, don't really care
Let there be songs to fill the air.

Ripple in still water,
When there is no pebble tossed,
Nor wind to blow.

Reach out your hand if your cup be empty,
If your cup is full may it be again,
Let it be known there is a fountain,
That was not made by the hands of men.

There is a road, no simple highway,
Between the dawn and the dark of night,
And if you go no one may follow,
That path is for your steps alone.

Ripple in still water,
When there is no pebble tossed,
Nor wind to blow.

You who choose to lead must follow
But if you fall you fall alone,
If you should stand then whos to guide you?
If I knew the way I would take you home.

Ringo Starr

Part of my love of the Beatles is rooted in the countless hours that I spent watched A Hard Day’s Night and Help!. There was one week where I watched Help! around 20 times in a row (yikes... my poor parents!). In both movies, the main story line is focused on Ringo, which has always endeared him to me. He is always sort of bubbling, adorable, and sweet.

Last Sunday, I saw him perform with his 13th All-Starr band at Ruth Eckerd Hall. It was my fourth time seeing him, and as always the concert was consistently entertaining and kind of amazing (See my previous post: With a Little Help From His Friends). Ringo is a great ringleader and does an amazing job of performing and amply sharing the spotlight with a great collection of musicians. This year’s musicians included: Steve Lukather (Toto), Gregg Rolie (Journey, Santana), Richard Page (Mr. Mister), Todd Rundgren, Mark Rivera, and Gregg Bissonette.

As always, it was a fantastic night and I had my moment when I realized that there before me was Ringo Starr, very similar to those movies that I always loved. So, because it always makes me laugh, here are a a couple of fun Ringo moments from The Beatles movies.

“My Shangri-La beneath the summer moon...”: Led Zeppelin’s Greatest

Last month when I saw Chris Cornell, he performed a cover of Led Zeppelin’s Tangerine. It was so beautiful, and I immediately asked my guitar teacher to show me how to play it. Despite a few itchy memories from a past relationship, I still love the song for its absolute heartbreaking beauty. Measuring the summer's day, only finds it slips away to grey. The hours, they bring me pain...

I have sporadically listened to Led Zeppelin. I had IV on vinyl and a cassette of Physical Graffiti. In high school, I remember hanging out with a friend in my backyard. We laid out in the sun on a blanket and played that Physical Graffiti tape on my little mini boombox. Whenever we’d get to Kashmir, we would continually Stop. Rewind. Play. Still, when I hear it, I can feel the warm sun on my face and remember that feeling of total relaxation. Oh let the sun beat down upon my face...

Lately, it feels like every time I turn on Classic Vinyl, they are playing Zeppelin, and considering that my album (part of my regretful vinyl purge - The Lost Art of Vinyl) and cassette are long gone, I’ve been looking for a good album to get me listening to Led Zeppelin again.

Every Monday as part of my Amazon MP3 addiction, I was perusing the $2.99 bin. This week, they had Mothership and a bunch of other great albums. My other picks this week were Greatful Dead's American Beauty and Let It Roll - Songs Of George Harrison.

Listening, I recognized one of the strange powers of Led Zeppelin: they can transport you away. The music is interesting, distinct, and amazing; it allows me to completely zone out and get lost in the music. I admit there were a few moments that I wished that I had my guitar handy... you know, just to pretend that I could shred that hard, but mostly, it was nice to have music that is so apt and interesting that it allows me to get out of my head for a little while and just enjoy the sounds.

Tangerine



Kashmir

Finding Some Inspiration...

I am feeling quite inspired lately. I’ve had some amazing experiences (Discovery Cove and Busch Gardens), watched a fantastic movie (Cameron Crowe’s We Bought A Zoo), read a great book (We Bought a Zoo - Benjamin Mee), and listened to one of my favorite songs on constant repeat (Simon & Garfunkel’s At The Zoo - also see Songs for Planning My Escape and From a Sad Cafe). Are you sensing a pattern yet?

            

I have always loved animals, so going to the zoo gives me a magical, childlike feeling. It is one of my favorite places to be. I just bought a season pass to the Lowry Park Zoo, but the crazy tropical storm has kept me away.

With my new camera and the places I’ve been in the last few months, I’ve captured some amazing photographs of the animals. When I take photos, I love to paint my favorites. In a photo, I can capture a moment and a feeling, but when I paint, I like to mess with the colors and the perspective. I started with an elephant, and then a flamingo, and I’ve just kept going from there. I’m obsessed with the birds, but I have crazy, fun ideas for the big cats.

I recognize that there is something special about my own story in all of this. It is a piece of my childhood that I still love so much. It has ignited a story in my head.

So, with my inspiration, I’m working on two of my bucket list items to write and illustrate a children’s book. It's not to sell, or morph into someone else's idea of what it should be, it is a project that has come together in a fantastic way that makes me feel excited in the most amazing way.

I am still in the initial stages, but I thought that I would share two of my first paintings:

A Walking Meditation

I have always used my daily work breaks to take walks. At first, it was because I wanted extra exercise; however, I’ve found that it also relieves stress, clears my head, wakes up my brain, and gives me 15 minutes to myself each morning. In  The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron suggests that these types of daily walks as a meditation. It feels true; when I walk, I find a special kind of inspiration and clarity.

Last week, I reread The Tao of Pooh (for about the 100th time). I have been feeling stressed and a little lost, and reading the book always grounds me in goodness. In an effort to be more Pooh-worthy, I’ve been inspired to slow down and appreciate things more.

So, while walking earlier this week, I tried to slow down my thoughts and look around. I started during my morning walks, and first thing, I really saw was all of the beautiful, old oaks trees surrounding work. Their trunks are interesting knots of branches that are topped by oblong, airy groupings of leaves. It helped me to stop and respect the moment, so I painted a few of my favorites to remember. I might have improvised on the color a bit.