An Amazon Journey

Greetings, friends. Yes, I am owning up to having yet another addiction.  Food blogs. Yes, imagine it…like-minded foodies writing about their love affairs with food.  Jooooooooy! Now I have a cookbook collection par excellence and every recipe website known bookmarked on my puters, and one of my favorite ways to kill time is to sit and look at pictures of food and try new recipes. That being said,  my relationship with food has had to change dramatically this  year. I simply can not eat what I used to nor do I have any desire to return to the days of high-fat, over-processed sludge I was consuming. When I look at a recipe now, I look for balance.  Does it have a balance of proteins and carbs?  Is it healthy and fulfilling? Does the whole grain or healthy green factor lightly balanced by the higher fat flavor factor (cheese and dairy?)  I recently purchased the Hip Chick’s Guide to Macrobiotics by Jessica Porter. I was so looking forward to bragging about my newest lifestyle change, complete with a seaweed and brown rice diet. I wanted that radiant glow that came from eating ultra healthy (not to mention the smirk from knowing that MY diet was healthier than yours.) Alas, my friends.  Seaweed makes me gag. And there is no way around macrobiotics without eating seaweed in various and sundry forms. But one great thing I got from the reading (and I highly recommend the book) is the need for balance in your diet. The yin and yang of food is a rather simple idea and the basis of macrobiotics. Indeed, it is the basis for physical and mental health and clarity for everyone, is it not? Food is our fuel; it is what powers us. Doesn’t it stand to reason that if subpar fuel is used then energy output will be hindered? A while back I wrote about my recent sugar binge and it’s effects, both physical and mental (and spiritual, too, if I can use a little woo-woo talk.) When I put good fuel in my body…greens, whole grains, vegetables, and fruit BALANCED with smaller amounts of great chewy breads, luscious cheeses, and wonderful salty Irish butter…then I run more efficiently. I realize I am offering up nothing new here. We hear about healthy eating, diets, use of organics, buying and eating locally and with the season all the time. It is the newest trend in lifestyle improvement.  I’m just tossing my two-cents worth in, that of a real woman living in the backwoods of Tennessee (well..Fairivew. Hey, we do have one traffic light and a McDonalds!) I love my little town, but eating healthy can present some challenges within her city limits. But it can be done, my friends. We have a fabulous source for locally grown veggies:  Fresh Harvest Cooperative. We are not far from Publix and Kroger…both of which carry my Ezekial Cereal and Almond Milk. And Whole Foods and Whole Body, if not necessarily close, can be gotten to with a little effort.  The point is this…expending the effort is worth it. It’s worth it to me and my family. We are worth a little extra drive on Wednesdays to pick up our fabulous goody bag from Tallahassee’s farm. The drive to Whole Foods to buy my delicious face lotions and potions can be made into a family outing. And sitting at the puter at 4 am and reading about the joys of black bean brownies…indescribable!

Before I go, I want to share the highlight of my day. My husband…OOooooo, what a man…bought me something this afternoon. Something I have been dreaming about, reading about, and shopping for weeks.  Get ready, girls…he bought me… A COMPOST BIN!!! One that rolls! Weeeeeeeeeeee! Now that’s love.