Chances are, if you played sports throughout high school, college, or even post-college, you finished your practice, grabbed a Gatorade and went home to stretch, thinking that you mastered the art of recovery. If you felt particularly sore the next day, perhaps you grabbed an Advil to ease the pain, and then pushed through the following day’s scheduled workout, ignoring your body’s signs.
Sound familiar?
We are ever so often our own worst enemies. It is in the very nature of human beings to contradict ourselves. We get in the way of that which we most deeply desire, and for this reason we live in a state of conflict. We are all a walking paradox in our own right. Perhaps in bringing light to this issue we can move beyond it, and in that come to actualize ourselves as one unified force of consciousness.
Why do we get in our own way?
“Almost one-third of Americans drink at least one sugar-laden soda or other sweetened drink every day,” according to a recent CDC report (source below).
In a family with gluten, dairy, soy, egg, and nut intolerances, indulging in creamy anything is quite rare. My oldest son and I are big soup lovers, though, and he especially loves creamy soups, so I’ve tried my hand at several vegan recipes using coconut milk, but we just aren’t always in the mood for the subtle taste of coconut. I’ve discovered that with enough olive oil in the cooking process, and by roasting the veggies first, we can end up with a creamy soup without any dairy or dairy alternatives whatsoever – and the taste is truly superb.
I have been a Paleo eater for the past eight years, and it has completely changed my life.
For those of you that don’t know, the Paleo diet is short for “paleolithic”—also known as the “caveman” diet -- and includes grass-produced meat, fish/seafood, fresh fruits and veggies, eggs, nuts and seeds, healthful oils (olive, walnut, flaxseed, macadamia, avocado, coconut), and eliminates/minimizes sugars, grains, dairy and beans.
This new way of eating came as a result of discovering my inability to process sugars and starchy foods.
Soups and stews are the quintessential winter dishes. Warming and often slow cooking, they are perfect for any chilly evening. But every now and then, we require a meal both hot and delicious, while also fast-cooking and nourishing. Enter peanut miso soup with greens and tofu.
When emotional tempests strike, we all tend to reach for comfort food to chase away the clouds and give serotonin levels a leg-up. Still, if emotional eating gets out of hand, your body will be in for a few unwarranted inches, and your health will be at higher risk of serious problems, such as diabetes type 2, obesity, and hormonal imbalance But can you stop yourself from reaching for the cookie jar when you feel a mood swing coming on, and how can you efficiently shake food cravings?
“The restraint of the senses occurs when the mind is able to remain in its chosen direction and the senses disregard the different objects around them and faithfully follow the direction of the mind.”
- Yoga Sutra 2.54 Translation by TKV Desikachar
Living in France, I am tempted by cheese all the time. Famous for beautiful ash-rubbed rounds of chévre and silky soft “moelleux” wedges of Camembert, one wonders how the French manage not to overindulge. One secret in French culture is the cheese course of a meal traditionally follows the “plat,” or main plate, and after one has (hopefully) already filled up on protein and vegetables. Another secret here on the French Riviera, near the Italian border, is parmigiano reggiano, a staple in Italian cuisine.
