Pâté Saturday!

I wish that life should not be cheap, but sacred,
I wish the days to be as centuries, loaded, fragrant.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

There is probably nothing better than a glass of red wine and a slice of French bread with homemade Pâté! This may be one of the most romantic combinations of food available on the face of Estero Bay! Fodder for poetry, just begging for a breathtaking sunset accompaniment . . . Hemingway would be jealous!

Red wine contains many wonderful antioxidants. For women, one glass a day is all that you need. More than one glass a day increases your risk for heart attack, stroke, and breast cancer, and any number of horrible ailments. For healthy wine drinking, I refer to a culturally appropriate book, French Women Never Get Fat. The author describes the French effort of conscious consumption, taste awareness, and sensual appreciation.  And French bread is not hard to celebrate! There is some wonderful bread available locally: La Parisienne, Carlock’s Bakery, and the Old Cayucos Bakery and Deli to name a few!

Pâté may be harder to find, harder to understand the celebration if you’ve never tried it, but certainly worth the effort. Pâté usually includes chicken liver cooked with mushrooms and herbs then pureed and chilled into a sliceable and spreadable constitution. Liver, an organ meat, is extremely rich in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E & K, essential fatty acids, and trace minerals, copper, zinc, and iron. Clearly, it is best to buy organic, free range, grass fed liver as to avoid any stored toxic substances that the liver may harbor.

Unfortunately, pâté is not sold in any store around here. Trader Joe’s carries it on the winter season only. So, I made my own today!

Not a bad snack! Bring a notepad and pen because this meal is sure to have you hearing La Vie En Rose, smelling three different varieties of fresh ocean air, and falling in love with your taste buds all over again!

Give a Little Piece of Yourself Away

I was watching a tribute E Hollywood Story to Michael Jackson, on the anniversary of his death, and one of the dancers from his last tour said that MJ taught them "to conserve their energy".  He said, "Don't give anything away for free." 

When I heard this it reminded me of something one of my friends said.  She said about facebook, "Everytime you get on there you give a little bit of yourself away." 

I think there is something to this.  There are things that we long to share, human being to human being.  Sharing our thoughts and feelings is a cheap way to learn from other people's mistakes.  It is a fundamental part of relationships.  But, what about powerful, famous people...getting to hear their thoughts is pricey entertainment, right?

Blogging walks the fence on this one.  It is my choice what to share.  It is also a statement of worth; ie. I think this information is valuable, therefore I will charge you money for it.  Or, I think this information is cheap, so I will give it to you for free.  It is an interesting debate, is it not?  Where do you stand?

Losing Sight of the Shore: Mindfulness Exercises

I am totally consumed by the concept of living mindfully.  I buy everything on the subject: books, ipod meditations, local food from sustainable sources, even a sailboat!  I blog. Self-help is my favorite genre.  I try to live peacefully.  I try to be emotionally present.  I try to be an engaged listener.  I try to maintain my boundaries.  I try to do what I have been taught is good.  I try to do what is right. 

I know there is value in this way of living.  I know that these thoughts are worthy of my attention.  I cannot live otherwise, but today...I am exhausted.  I remember hearing an appropriate line from a movie:  “Too much thinking wears down your batteries.” Lois Lane to Clark Kent, in the original Superman.

At any rate, I would like to share a little of the sentence completion exercises from Taking Responsibility: Self-Reliance and the Accountable Life.  This book was phenomenal!  I highly recommend it.  The author has about 30 sets of these sentence completion prompts; here are a few.  Basically, you just finish the sentence with as many endings as come naturally to you.  Don't over-think it.  Just blurt or write out the answer.

If I pay more attention to my inner signals today—
If I am more truthful in my dealings with people today—
If I am 5% more self-accepting today—
If I am self-accepting even when I make mistakes—
If these ideas start working in my subconscious mind—

If I disown what I am thinking and feeling—
If I place other people’s thoughts above my own—
When I look at what I do to impress people—
If I face who I am to make myself “likeable”—
I am beginning to suspect—

Sailor Food, Eating LOCAL, and Carol Alt's Raw foodbook

I have been saving this one up. This is for the all the Foodies and the Foodie in me. I’ve been reading Barbara Kingsolver’s book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. If you don’t know this book, you’ve got to pick up a copy! Barbara Kingsolver is Michael Pollan expanded and enriched. The book is Sally Fallon’s dream! It is the fulfillment of the Slow Food Movement!

I buy it all, hook, line, and sinker!  We have been subscribing to a local farmer's food basket delivery service.  It is not technically a CSA, but it is basically the same concept.  So, we've been doing this for almost 2 years and it has been great!  I don't have to stress about getting to the market and we are eating everything local and in season.  It feels so healthy!!!

I love feeling more in tune with my surroundings, the land, growing things. . . and the composting!  Oh, the composting!  I am in heaven!  We are greener and brighter and cleaner!

And, I've been trying to go raw, and using Carol Alt's primer to get started.  My contention is this: how do I eat RAW and LOCAL?  Umbashi plums, coconuts, tarmari sauce, flax seeds . . . not local! And not in season!  It is much easier to eat local, but I can make some modifications. I’ve spent a lot more money just getting together a RAW kitchen. I can’t decide which is best.

Which brings me to the discussion of The Cans of Dinty Moore.  After reading Charles Dewell's account of 40 days at sea and losing 41 pounds, living on Dinty Moore. . .  Is this the reality of sailor sustenance?    Really?  Is that necessary?  I get the sea sickness. . . . but, all that MSG?  Really?  Do I have to?  Did they really have to drink grog to stave off the scurvy?

As for sailor food…

Me thinks that sprouted grains and beans are perfect for the boat. Eating in the Raw is possible!  What about dried hummus, dehydrated fruits, bottled kombucha, and live food bars?  Luckily, I can have this conversation in my head and it is all theoretical because we never intend to do any long ocean sails, so hopefully I will never be that far from a beloved farmer's market. 

The food is where it is at!  What do you think?

More on Vitamin D: Argh, Stay Back June Gloom!

I am sitting here eating my overnight oats which seems like perfect sailor food to me and . . .

Me thinks that Vitamin D has been getting a lot of coverage lately.

As for Vitamin D preventing cancer? Hmm. Well, there are other health benefits to be had. There was actually a recent article that showed that people with high Vitamin D levels had an increase in skin cancers. This is probably due to habitual sun over-exposure.

Perhaps the "old reference ranges" used in laboratories past were much lower than they are now, but that is probably because they were based on the idea of preventing rickets. It looks like the newer ranges are based on studies in "native populations" (non-westernized) which probably get more Vitamin D from both diet and sun exposure.

Vitamin D can only be produced by our bodies when we are exposed to UVB rays, and not UVA. Most UVB rays only occur between 10am-2pm in United States (except the southern tip of Florida) and that for 2-6 months of the year there are not enough UVB rays to stimulate Vitamin D production, i.e. during the winter, and more so the further north you go.

Tanning beds are a mix of UVA and UVB, though the newer ones (i.e. high pressure) seem to be just UVA, and hence would not stimulate Vitamin D production.

Unplugged?

One of my super, uber favorite bloggers is gone for the weekend.  Karla, blogger of Foodologie.com, is in NY and has left her faithful following high and dry.  However, I've also been looking for a weekend away from the networking grind.  I thought I would take this whole weekend offline, but, alas, I am not ready for this "spiritual experience." 

An interesting article on CNN.com caught my eye.  I would recommend reading it in its entirety! 
In this article, Nicole Bliman writes about the Sabbath Manifesto. 

The Sabbath Manifesto consists of 10 principles.

1. Avoid technology.
2. Connect with loved ones.
3. Nurture your health.
4. Get outside.
5. Avoid commerce.
6. Light candles.
7. Drink wine.
8. Eat bread.
9. Find silence.
10. Give back.

Reboot and The National Day of Unplugging specifically promote the first principle.  Even as a blogger, I really like it!  I dig it!  I get it!  Apparently, March 19th is the official Day of Unplugging.  I eagerly await March 19, 2011!  The Sabbath Manifesto promotes a weekly technology fast starting Friday nights at sunset. The seaside life lends itself to at least 5 of the 10 principles.  For that, I am grateful.  Does this mean that I can still take TGIF sunset cruise pictures and post them on Saturday after sunset?

The point of the Manifesto rings true.  I recall the No Impact Man saying, "Why don't we remember this year as the year that we lost 20 pounds without going to the gym and we became better parents?"  In his blog, he advocates the observance of an Eco-Sabbath every week.

Food for thought.  Food for thought.

Sea Salt: The Salt of the Earth

The Cayucos sisters at the Brown Butter Cookie Company are on to something good! They just appeared on the Rachel Ray Show!!! But, by featuring real sea salt on their cookies, they’ve not only added taste, but nutrients that many of us may rarely encounter elsewhere. If you haven’t gotten on the sea salt train, let me entice you to come aboard!

Almost all traditional cultures use some salt. Salt provides sodium and chloride which aid in proper functioning of many organ systems, especially the brain. The chloride component activates amylases which work in the stomach and intestine to digest carbohydrates. Excessive intake of salt can be harmful, but complete deprivation of salt is equally disruptive to the system.

Why use sea salt? Sun dried sea salt is naturally occurring, comes in many colors, and appears wet. It contains traces of marine life, organic forms of iodine, magnesium salts, and nearly 80 other trace minerals. The best source comes from the Celtic Sea, is harvested according to ancient methods, and appears grey. But, most of all, it tastes better, richer, and “more complex”, to borrow from the vintner’s vernacular.

Sea salt has a dual nature in Eastern cultures. Its yin nature brings a person “down to earth”; it strengthens digestion and secretion. It is cooling, directing energy inward and lower. Salt is also thought to purify, cleanse, and counteract poisoning from poor-quality foods and unhealthy food combinations. It is thought to soften some areas of the body and tighten others. It is a “contractive” element rather than expansive.

What is wrong with table salt? Table salt is highly refined and altered to create the appearance of dryness, whiteness, and uniformity. The magnesium is removed; aluminum compounds are added. To replace the natural iodine salts, potassium iodide is added. Sea salt is truly a thing of great worth and reliability. It is good for cooking and seasoning. Try something new! It is an adventure! Once you try it, you’ll never go back.

When I asked one of the sisters at the Little Market why they used Sea Salt on their cookies and not table salt or kosher salt, she said, “Because we like the taste!”

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. Matthew 5:13 (NAS)

Sources: Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford

How to Look at the World

One of my patients is an artist. I mean, a real artist…like, with paintings in galleries. Not just a hobbyist. She is radiantly beautiful. She glows with an inner calm, a spirit of peaceful harmony with life and the land. In some minutes of openness, she shared with me how she developed thinking, knowing artist eyes. Her grandmother, also an artist, took her out of school on special days and they would walk the land and look at trees and flowers and grass. And “my grandmother taught me how to look at the world.”

It is not a philosophical or religious question. Well, that is not fair, because maybe it is. But, it is meant to be a health question. How can I live the healthiest life available to me? We look at the world whether we think about how we do it or not. Clearly, some outlooks are healthier than others. Did we learn to look at it? Did I look at it the way I’ve always looked at it? Did I take any different steps in my looking? Were there any new vistas? Are there any new colors or shapes?

Since I’ve started examining how I look at the world, I’ve noticed that playfulness comes easier. There is more room for humor and even failure. What would it be like to have a purple dog? How about green eggs and ham? And almost as quickly as I can come up with these endless possibilities, I want to share them with someone else. This presents a problem akin to the tree falling in the forest. If I don’t post it on facebook, does it really exist?
George Berkeley (1685-1753) talked of objects ceasing to exist once there was nobody around to perceive them. Old George would probably be overwhelmed with the amount of information available at our fingertips today. The internet, while fraught with cyber-pollution and cyber-noise, may not exist if I don’t look at it.

My artist patient is a Baby-Boomer. I’m a Gen-Xer. Everyone born after 1980 is a Millenial. At some point, we all decide how to look at our world. Perhaps more of my days could be “special” days in which I take time out to observe, revere, appreciate, listen, describe, and find peace. Maybe I can pass it on to someone else the old fashion way: in person, face to face, with a bright radiant gift smile.

~Lauren

Taking Responsibility for My Own Happiness, Health and Well-being

Part of the appeal of the name Training Wheels is that we are in a new season of our lives. We are learning to live differently for the first time. Truman and I are both 30-something professionals who have given our lives to our career development. We moved to this quaint beach town 18 months ago with the hopes of downshifting into a slower pace of life.



I currently work 58 hours a week on an easy week, probably 80 hours on a hard week. I am still coming to terms with the demands of my profession. Tonight I had a major breakthrough, an "Aha moment" as Oprah would say!

Nathaniel Branden, PhD has written a great book entitled Taking Responsibility: Self-Reliance and the Accountable Life. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT to EVERYONE! I am reading through this book and am prompted to take greater responsibility for my physical and emotional health. I am not going to be a victim of my workweek any longer. I am unwilling to compromise and accept the fall-out of a lifetime of working 60-80 hour weeks! Don't get me wrong, I saw my parents do it. I have great respect for work ethic and working hard.

I am responsible for my physical well-being. I am the cause of my physical condition. I am responsible for my weight and fitness. My sense of self expands when I exercise with awareness and accountability. I am not a victim of my job. No one will come to save me. I take full responsibility for my physical health. I will make my health a priority by scheduling exercise into my day.

All this to say that I have decided to begin work 30 minutes later on Monday, and leave 30 minutes earlier on Wednesday. I think this will enable me to get to the gym almost every day of the week. I know it sounds crazy that I can only rationalize working one less hour a week! But, it is a start!

My weight has always fluctuated within a 20 lb range. I've felt my best when I was 146 lbs. That was 6 years ago and again 10 years ago. I would accept 148-150 lbs, but I usually I am around 156. Unfortunately, my weight effects every aspect of my self-esteem and sex drive. It is time for me to take responsibility for my own weight!

I am ready to work less. Monday morning I can lift weights and StairMaster, Tuesday evening yoga, Wednesday evening swimming, Thursday evening yoga class, Friday running, then Saturday and Sunday is whatever suits me!

~Lauren