Meet my B.F.Fs- Al and Coco

Al Mond and Coco Nut, that is. OK, cheesy, I know (mmm…cheese…).

Well, it’s week five on my metabolic typing/gluten free/candida free diet.  It has been a struggle, although I don’t have nearly as many of the “OMG I CAN’T ANYTHING! WHAT CAN EAT?!” freak out moments as I used to.  I also am noticing how much I don’t miss a lot of fruits, vegetables, and candies that I thought I couldn’t live without.  So, what am I trying to say? It’s getting easier.

Two things that have been my crutches in this diet are almonds and coconuts.  Seriously, I never realized how many things you can make out of both of these things. Flours, oils, milks, not to mention the regular nut or fruit. And the best part? They are extremely healthy for you!

I do stick with my original consensus, though, that the path towards better health is not for those weak in will and determination. There are a lot of moments (often on Fridays after my consulting sessions….) where I feel like I can’t do this or it’s just too hard.  Often times I think to myself, “I gave up all of this stuff and now there’s MORE?!” I’m starting to get the hint that there’s ALWAYS more—more limitations, more things to be careful of, more things to take, etc.  I’m starting to reach the point of wondering how far I want to take this path, and I think that’s key.  My advice to anyone looking to get healthier is to set a goal and then take it from there.

The great thing about this change in diet is that a lot of persistent health problems no matter how minute they are or I thought they were, are starting to surface and become more obvious, especially since other more temporary issues are starting to go away and get healed. I say this is great because now I can start to see what real damage has been done to my health, which ties into my personal goals.  Originally, I just wanted to eat healthier and have a better diet, but with more problems starting to become obvious, my goals are starting to change a little bit. I want to get to know why my body is reacting in certain ways.  The key here is to be flexible and remember the Buddhist teaching- the only thing that is permanent is impermanence. I also like to remember that just because I deny something to be true or deny that something is happening, it doesn’t mean that it’s not happening. I’d rather just admit it and fix it.  Ignorance doesn’t do anyone any good ever.

It’s funny.  Six weeks ago I would have told you that I was healthy and perfectly fine.  I still consider myself healthy, but now I know that there are kinks to work out. There are ALWAYS kinks to work out.

This week is all about increasing my fat intake (again…I just can’t seem to get used to that…) and starting to take some supplements that will hopefully further put my body back into balance.

I can’t stress enough to those looking to invest in a healthy lifestyle to take the plunge. Do your research. Definitely invest in a nutritionist or coach who can walk you through this stuff. It’s easier when you have someone who you can talk to and can help sift through some of the things that you are going through.  It’s not easy, but it’s well worth it.

Metabolic Typing- You Can Do It!!!

Well, as some of you know, I decided to bite the bullet (or lay off the peanut butter cups, whichever you prefer) and hire a nutritionist, which has led me to the metabolic typing diet.  For those of you who don’t know what that is, I encourage you to visit this website- http://www.metabolictyping.com/ and learn more about it. 

For those of you already struggling with the sacrifices of this diet (or are just trying to figure out whether it’s right for you), I hope to offer some insight. I’m currently in week two as a fast oxidizer, which means that I am a heavy-duty protein type who loves her fats.  And cue the top questions:

• What about the pastas??!?!?! I said the same thing. And not just about the pastas. I said that about fruits, vegetables, sweets, and every other delicious carb I could think of because you guessed it- I should not be eating a lot of them. Ugh.  Which I’m sure leads to your next question.
•  OMG YOU CAN’T EAT FRUITS AND VEGETABLES?!?! AREN’T YOU GOING TO DIE?! (Yes, I have gotten that reaction…several times). No, I’m not going to die and I can eat fruits and vegetables, just a very limited number of them (fruit- apples, bananas, pears, and coconut only) and a very small amount. And again, not everyone is a fast oxidizer or protein type. Many people are carb types or other types. My diet is not yours.
• But, aren’t you going to get a heart attack from eating all of that fat?! Well, yes, if I decide to only eat fast food burgers for the rest of my life.  However, based upon a very thorough recent study, saturated fats do NOT cause heart disease. Trans fats do. Also, I’d imagine it depends on where you get your saturated fats from.  After all, saturated fats can be found in coconut, avocado, etc.

So what have been the biggest struggles so far?? Well, obviously, sticking to the proper foods to eat. I should explain that once you find out what type you are (you answer a lengthy questionnaire), you get a food chart that tells you all of the things that your type can and cannot eat, which in theory makes it easy for you to sort through what to get at the store.  However, it’s not so easy in practice when you are craving everything deliciously salty and carbo-licious.  The good thing about my type is I get to eat fatty meat (bring on the bacon!!!) to my heart’s content. The bad thing is I don’t like the meat sweats.

Getting serious now, here are the biggest struggles of this diet so far:

• Going out and eating. I like to go out with friends every once in a while and I hate being that overly picky person who “just can’t eat anything off the menu because it’s soooo unhealthy”. No matter how true that is, it’s difficult to stick with the diet and eat within my constrictions (which for me also includes being gluten, dairy, and sugar free).
• Explaining the diet to others. I’ve come to realize that as a society we refuse to admit that our diet is killing us.  I can’t tell you how many people I’ve explained this diet to who drink aspartame laden drinks and eat those nasty frozen dinners and claim “oh yea, I’m healthy. By the way, I have thyroid issues and I’m overweight and my joints hurt and I’m taking every medication under the sun for it”.  People- YOUR BODY IS TELLING YOU SOMETHING. GET WITH THE PROGRAM. Stop feeding yourself crap and you won’t feel like crap.
• The cravings!! When they say that sugar is as addictive as a drug, I believe it.  It has been more than difficult to kick the habit completely.  I had cut down on my sugar intake a few months ago and thought I could handle this, but I have been massively proven wrong.  Thus, I tend to breakdown every once in a while (OK, almost every day…) and have some gluten-free chocolate chip cookies by Lucy’s (kids, don’t try this at home…but if you do, just know they are delicious).
• The cost. Of course, healthy food is expensive as all get out, but if you live in the central PA area, I can tell you that if you go to BJ’s you can get organic meats at a very good price. They aren’t grass fed, but they are hormone and anti-biotic free and if you’re looking to lessen the impact on your wallet, it’s the way to go.  I try and get some grass-fed meats in there too (maybe one or two steaks from Wegmans or Giant) just so I can be extra good on some days.
• Finally, the cooking.  I feel this will probably be a benefit after I get used to it, but as a person who doesn’t normally cook, I find this very troublesome.  I did try this weekend, though, to dedicate a day to cooking a bunch of food and freezing it as meals for this week. So far, so good.

OK, so if there are that many cumbersome cons why even try it?!  Well, I will tell you that even after a week and half I have had some great results.

• First and foremost, my hair doesn’t fall out nearly as much.  Remember how that was a problem in my past posts? I thought sulfate-free items would help…and they did, but it didn’t stop it.  The change in my diet has cut the amount that falls out in half. Incredible.
• Secondly, my scalp stopped burning every time I touch it.  Also incredible.
• Thirdly, I don’t bloat and have a “food baby” or if I do, it’s only in its first trimester. I have suffered from this for YEARS. Ever since my tweens I developed a food baby after every meal, which continually got worse over the years to the point that I can’t wear some of the things that I want to wear.  Abdominal exercises didn’t work. Eating less didn’t work. Drinking more water didn’t work. This works.
• Finally, detoxing.  I have been detoxing from who knows what, which can never be a bad thing, right?!

So yes, while the diet is so much of a change from before, I think it’s going to be well worth it in the long run to maintain a healthy body.  Thus, if you are thinking about trying this out, I encourage you to give it a whirl. You don’t need to be perfect at it right away. I know I’m sure not, but the results will be well worth the trouble and as time goes maybe you’ll realize that you don’t really mind life without all of that junk anyway.

(Oh, and bonus-did I mention that I lost three pounds?!)

Oh, Just Shut Up

I’m currently working my way through Pema Chodron’s book The Places that Scare You. This is my first experience with one of her teachings and I must say that my favorite part about it is that she is not afraid to talk about her “human-ness”, which is a theme I am very fond of.  I think that too often we see other people as non-human.  We don’t see what we call their imperfection or their hang-ups and struggles.  We just success, whether it’s in the form of money, power, monastic robes, or anything else we consider a sign of success, which leads us to believe that “they” are something different than  “we”.

So, in light of Pema Chodron’s ability to talk about her human-ness in her practice and her ability to be inspiring through it, I thought I’d share a little of mine in my practice with the hope that it would show someone else that we are all in fact human.

I have a very hyperactive and perhaps untrained mind.  No matter how much meditation or mindfulness practice I do, I find that afterwards my ego goes “full speed ahead”, racing with thoughts, judgments, fantasies, and waves of ridiculous (and often times imaginary) emotions.  Of course, this leads me to doubting my practice, which leads to more ridiculous thoughts, which leads to more judgments, and the cycle goes on. More and more, though, as I get caught up in these ego-based activities, I find myself becoming mentally exhausted by the same old routine. Sometimes as I’m driving, I find myself mentally (OK, verbally) saying to myself, “Oh my gosh, just SHUT UP already”.  It’s like being in a room filled with noise and all you want is a brief moment of silence.  In fact, that’s exactly what it is.

I think sometimes in my practice I feel like because I have this hyper mind that I’m not normal or “I’m not doing it right”. I don’t think that’s the case at all.  The mere fact that I get exhausted by the constant reel of jibber-jabber going on in this noggin of mine I think is a step in the right direction.  We are all human.  Whether you are poor, rich, tall, short, etc., we are all human and we ALL suffer.  I think that’s the most important thing to remember.  We all suffer.

So, the next time you find yourself wrapped up in your “human-ness” thinking that you just aren’t doing something right, just remember- we are all wrapped up in our human-ness.  You want the proof? Are we all thinking and feeling? Then we all have human-ness to contend with.

September in Review

I figured I would highlight some of my discoveries of the last month.

Literature: September’s feature was Thich Nhat Hahn’s Peace is Every Step.  Simple yet practical, this book suggests very basic practices for mindfulness. He recommends practicing smiling and concentrating on your breath in order to bring yourself into the present moment. Although written about 15 years ago, I still find this book to be extremely relevant and helpful. I highly recommend it.

Health: As some of you know already, this month came the revelation and the witch hunt to eliminate everything that contains SLS (sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate).  What is SLS you may ask? It is the foaming agent found in everything from toothpaste, laundry detergents, dish detergents, shampoos, liquid soaps (hand soaps, body wash, bubble baths, etc.), and even some conditioners.  It is a highly toxic chemical that has been proven in over 16,000 studies to cause cancer, skin abrasions, hair loss, and if in too much concentration, death.  Due to the low concentration found in our cosmetic products, it is not the one time usage that is of concern.  It is years of exposure that is the problem since the skin absorbs so much of the chemical over time.

After making this discovery, I took it upon myself to empty out my bathroom of all of the SLS-containing products.  I threw out the majority of them.  After silently weeping over the vast amounts of money that was literally just thrown away, I did some research on what some good products and substitutions might be.  Below are some of the winners:

Earthpaste: This perhaps is the best product that I have come upon yet. While making your own toothpaste is possible with some baking soda, water, and some flavoring oil for taste, I thought Earthpaste was more well thought out, containing essential oils to kill bacteria and using edible clay as a base so that it wouldn’t be harmful if you swallowed some by accident. All of the product reviews from Amazon and several blogs were positive, and I have to say I have not been disappointed.  I will admit that the color is a bit gross (brown), and it takes some getting used to because it doesn’t foam, but it does clean my teeth and mouth so much better.  It feels like I just walked out of the dentist each time.  Also, I have found that my breath is better.  I absolutely recommend this product.

Sulfate-free shampoo: I have a recipe for a sulfate-free shampoo that I will be trying after I’m done with this, but I don’t really have any complaints about this product. I got it at the Heaven and Nature store on Jonestown Road. It doesn’t have a particular name. You can simply ask for the sulfate-free shampoo and you will receive a scentless, paraben and sulfate free, 8 ounce bottle. You can add essential oil (10 drops per oz) if you want a scent or you want something that will clean the scalp of bacteria (tea tree) or help hair growth (rosemary). 

As expressed in past entries, I have been experiencing severe itching, burning, and hair loss for some time and no clue as to where it was coming from. After trying this shampoo, I will say that I have experienced an improvement-less burning/itching and less hair on the comb (although I had a setback last week after using a protein pack that felt like it was going to burn my scalp off...the rest of my protein packs went in the trash). I’m not 100% sold on this particular shampoo (as I said I will be trying a new recipe after I’m done with this), but I think it is definitely an improvement.

Bar soaps: I don’t have a particular recommendation here, but I have been impressed with the more homemade soaps as opposed to Dial/Dove/etc. I used a goat milk soap that I bought from Heaven and Nature and found that it was gentler on my skin and didn’t have any skin irritation as I have experienced from liquid soaps in the past. I definitely recommend switching to bar soaps.

Soap nuts: [Insert sexual joke here] The jury is still out on these. Soap nuts are pretty self explanatory.  They are nuts that have cleaning qualities and you put them in the laundry to wash your clothes. Supposedly they have been used for hundreds of years (cue cheesy sound effects) in other countries.  When you use them, they leave your clothes scentless and you don’t have to use fabric softener in the dryer.  I purchased a sample and tried them last night. I think I liked them. I will say that they have a vinegary smell to them once they get wet, however, once the clothes go through the dryer they don’t have a smell. You can get soap nuts in liquid concentrate and then add a few drops to water, which I think I’m going to try.  I didn’t like throwing the nuts (which were in a drawstring bag) right in with my clothes because I wasn’t certain that they were washing the whole load.  So, jury is still out and I’m open to other options.

I think that’s about all. Til next month!!

My Trip to Red Bank

Last weekend I would have recently returned from my brief getaway in Red Bank/Sea Bright/Holmdel, NJ.  There were quite a few places that I had the opportunity to visit, so I thought I’d document them here in the event that any of you are looking for a relatively short distance trip to the beach.

I stayed at the Oyster Point Hotel in Red Bank for $149 per night. I checked in on Thursday evening and left early Saturday morning so I could return for a concert in Hershey that afternoon. It was a nice hotel.  It was clean and modern.  They had a restaurant that overlooked the bay area (the hotel was right next to the bay), although I did not eat there. Based upon the rest of the clientele and the look of the place, it was apparent that it was more of a business destination.

I give the place an A on hospitality. All of the staff at the front desk was very nice and engaging. I will say, though, I didn’t like that the staff would come in during the evenings to drop off cookies on my night stand.  It was unexpected and I just don’t like people walking in and out of my room when I’m not there, especially with my stuff all over the place. It simply doesn’t allow me to relax into the room.

My room was clean and was really nice. The bathroom was a little small, but the bed was comfortable and it was clear that things were well-kept. The caveat? It was extremely noisy at night. This was a complaint on Tripadvisor too, but I tend not to take many criticisms on public forums too seriously.  The first night that I was there I kept on waking up from the noise of the traffic on the highway near the hotel. I might as well have been sleeping on the shoulder of the road. Furthermore, I could hear consistent bumping and banging out in the hall and in other rooms. The second night this didn’t bother me much since I had tired myself out from the day’s activities.

Finally, location.  The hotel is a little too far from the antique/restaurant stretch of Red Bank to walk.  However, there is quite a bit of street parking there, and it is free after 6pm.  The set-up reminded me of downtown Carlisle.

Over all, I’d probably stay here again if I had to. I think the price was a little steep based upon the noise alone, but I’d pay it again if it meant that I’d have a clean room and didn’t have to pay $300 just to stay right next to the beach. Call me crazy but I’m OK with staying a few miles from the beach if it means saving me a few hundred dollars.

The first night I was there, I ventured to Raritan Bay Waterfront Park in South Amboy (thanks, Rich!!!).  It was a really well-kept park that was right along the water.  It had a really nice walking/running stretch right on the beach if you like some scenery.  I don’t recommend swimming/tanning here. 

I ate at Blue Moon in South Amboy. The menu and food was nothing to shout about.  I ordered a roast beef classic sandwich.  However, I really enjoyed the laid back ambience.  It was a cozy bar.

The next day I drove to My Kitchen Witch in Monmouth Beach for breakfast, which was about 7 miles from my hotel. It was delightful!!! It is half café, half smoothie bar. Both have a healthy-eating focus.  They advertise which foods are gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, etc. I ordered green tea, the multi-grain pancakes, and their thick, classic bacon. Everything was delicious. The pancakes (2) had the texture of cornbread. They were thick and they came with grapes on top.  There was syrup on the table and they gave you a pat of butter. The bacon was also phenomenal.  I saw everyone raving about it on Tripadvisor, so I thought I’d add it as a side to see what the big deal was. They put brown sugar on top and so you have the sweet and salty thing going on, and the slices are definitely thick.  I highly recommend this place for breakfast.  The smoothies looked delicious as well, but I didn’t have enough room to try one.

After breakfast, I headed back down the street to Sea Bright beach, which had advertised free public parking.  I was lucky enough to get a spot around 11AM since they were filling up fast. The beach tags cost $8. It was clean and I found that for how many kids and families were on the beach, it wasn’t that loud.  Also, people were friendly. A lot of people brought coolers with them, but if you were like me and didn’t think that far ahead, there was small place right off the beach called Woody’s that you could get hot dogs, fries, ice cream, sodas, water, etc. There were also bathrooms right off the beach.  I really enjoyed my experience at this beach and will definitely keep this place as a consideration in the future.

For dinner I went to Phole, which was a Vietnamese restaurant in Red Bank.  It was OK.  I’ve had better pho.  I ordered the vegetarian kind.  Also, don’t get the bubble tea.  What is bubble tea you might ask? Good question. It is a tea-slushie with flavors (I chose mango) and large balls of tapioca (hence the “bubble”).  Call me old-fashioned, but I tend to like my drinks to be completely liquid.

On Friday night, I went to the Jason Mraz concert at the PNC Arts Center in Holmdel.  I really liked the venue. It had inside seating for the folks who paid for the assigned seats (like me) and they had a really nice lawn for folks who paid for outside seating.  The only complaint that I have is that I wasn’t allowed to bring my camera in.  Now, I wouldn’t complain if there wasn’t a significant amount of people who had cameras my size (large) and smaller in the venue once I got in. I’m not sure how some of them got them in because it was clear that they couldn’t hide it anywhere on their person.  I was actually pretty upset about this and still am. I don’t mind having to leave my camera in the car, but don’t tell only a select portion of the people to not bring their cameras and let everyone else in.

That about wraps up my trip.  I definitely recommend Monmouth/Red Bank/etc. as a destination point.  It was quaint and enjoyable. I know I want to go back.

August: Month in Review

Well, I didn't get around to sewing as much as I wanted, but I did want to share that I finally ended the project that I started in March. Let me just say that it was not a "simple sew" project as the pattern had stated.  Simple sew perhaps for folks who know what they are doing, but not for beginners.  Nonetheless I am still proud for having finished it.

It has its fair share of mistakes, but over all I'm very proud.  I still intend to start and finish another sewing project; although, I doubt that it will be finished by the end of this week.

In other news, my month of reflection after my Buddhist-intensive month has also been less successful than I wanted it to be. I simply have not had the time to meditate as often as I would like and I have found that my sense of self has gotten a bit out of hand lately.

Next month's theme will most likely go back to one of a spiritual nature while October will focus on cooking.  More to come...

Month of Zen Concluded

This month has by far helped me to re-acquaint myself with the foundations of Buddhism.  Rodney Smith provided deep lessons and several takeaways that I think will aid me on my path toward a more connected and enlightened life (I highly recommend the book- Stepping out of Self-Deception).

This next month I will be focusing my attention on sewing and absorbing my lessons I just learned.  I simply think it's pertinent to give myself an opportunity find my own way without having to be constantly guided.  Of course, I'm sure that by the time the month is over my sense-of-self will have taken over and all of the lessons I just learned will be skewed. At least I tried.

So! First up will be to finish the tank top that I posted a picture of a couple of months ago (it was only half completed).  All it needs now is a zipper and few touch ups and it is set to go.  Pictures to come!!

Namaste!