Saturday, May 16, 2009

Let it Be


Lovely day .....the gentle breezes are blowing... the peonies are in bloom and there is a feeling inside of me that all is well with my world.  That is progress for me considering that just a few days ago I was so down that that didn't feel like a viable choice but today it does.  This journey through my dismal parts has been an important process of learning as it allows me to see how much I want to feel good in body mind and spirit.....and in my striving I'm given the opportunity to  examine the stories I tell myself daily....I find myself living in a box of who I think I am based on my past....and there are stories that I keep telling that simply aren't serving me.   So....I'm trying to look at this and tell myself new stories.


  
I've been extra tired lately.....I tell myself something is wrong that I'm so tired....I'm eating well, 
I'm exercising....I'm sleeping well....so why am I so tired?  Could it be my hormones yes for sure but not this tired..... so I fight with myself a little until I realize that I just need to rest....forget all the things I still haven't done and go rest.  This is important....just to give into the way I feel and go rest.   It's so easy to push past being tired until I'm an emotional basket case and unable to function at all.  The biggest lesson for me here is to just stop resisting not feeling well, resisting the sad parts, the scary parts, and use them as a springboard for growth.  Be sad, embrace it then move on after I've processed it.  The next part I struggle with is having patience to wait it out...and trust in the fact that the tide always turns...the more I fight this ultimately the longer it takes.




I think my inner ponderings speak to anyone who has set a goal and that goal may be taking more time to achieve than planned on....Why all the obstacles and twists and turns?  There is much to be learned along the way while changing habits......some of these negative habits we've been living with for many years...we've trained ourselves to think a certain way and act a certain way and more often than not things take time.  If you are truly committed to making change happen then rest assured that you're halfway there... become aware of why this change is important....what you'll gain from this change and then become aware of messages along the way that seem to trip you up or carry you forward....try something new....change things up....just don't give up....sometimes things just feel stagnant....and we lose patience...and give in but time is doing wonderful things all that we want is on its way to us...sometimes we just need to let go and not try so hard....awareness is a key to success.  Being aware of an old habit, a trigger, a conditioned response is necessary to make change.  For example, you may always turn to sweets and food when you're tired or upset....so becoming aware of this response may help you replace that habit with another healthier response.  It's not easy....it takes practice but any habit can be changed.


In summing all of this up....the three things I've been trying to remember when I hit a wall in my process of change are awareness, acceptance and patience.  This is age old wisdom that has been said many times before but somehow I seem to forget this and need to be reminded often.

The garden has been a great source of relaxation for me....The other day while weeding I came across my overgrown garlic chive bed....well there are just too many of these plants so I started to cut some back and since I had an overabundance I decided to use them up and made myself a chive omelette.  It came out so incredibly good I thought I'd share the recipe as well as some tips and facts about chives.



Chives are: 
  • Low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, and Sodium
  • High in Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, C, K, B6, Riboflavin, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium,Copper, Manganese, Thiamine, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, Phosphorus, and Zinc
The  nutritional value and health benefits of chives makes them ideal for
  • Maintaining optimum health
  • Weight loss




Chive Omelette   (serves 1)
2 eggs, whisked
salt & pepper
olive oil
1 small bunch chives, I used garlic chives, but any chives will do

Whisk the eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl.   Chop chives.  Prepare seasoned pan by turning on to medium low heat.  Drizzle olive oil in bottom of pan to coat.  Add chives to the pan and give a quick stir. Pour the egg mixture in pan count to ten then swirl pan around and push back the edges of cooked egg in typical omelette making fashion.   When egg has set, fold over, remove to plate and serve warm!



So from the cards on my desk and  in the words of Paul McCartney............
.Let it Be!

All my best,

Lisa
 

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Feeling sad and uninspired......Help!

May 6, 2009

It's May at last!  The seasonal warmth and rains are upon us and life is good. The statement,"Go Green" is really what's happening all around us with the leaves newly on the trees and green shoots bubbling up all around us....it does lift one's spirit as we drink in the new green...to work in the garden once more...planting flowers, herbs, and veggies...and trips to the farmers market...the popping flavors of fresh local produce...these experiences ought to help bring new inspiration to the palate and to the psyche....so why am I feeling so  sad and uninspired ?


Personally what trips me up is when I'm feeling this way....I almost hate to admit it....even though the newness of Spring abounds outside..... inside I feel like it's still winter and my bud is resistent to opening up...I guess I must be in a rut because everything feels like the same old same old...the same old breakfast...the same old snack...the same old exercise...the same old music...the same old me...my mind starts to wander to the same old negative thought patterns and  into deeper darker places and then I feel depressed...I revert to old habits and give into old cravings...I rebel inside and worry and doubt start to take root and I feel totally out of sync with my dreams and visions...then after feeling sorry for myself for awhile ...I wake up and realize what happened and I allow the good to flow back in  then my mood changes once again...I make plans to pamper myself.....get some new music.....a new book to read....get on the phone and make plans with girlfriends....I try to get in touch with ways that I can feed my soul and follow my bliss...when I attend to myself this way it doesn't matter if the sun is shining outside because it's sunny inside and that's what makes my vision clear again.


Does any of this sound familiar?  Sometimes when you are in a clear and focused mood take a moment to write down some of the things that nourish you.  Make a list of hobbies, favorite songs, poetry, activities that you love. Then make a list of girlfriends.  Make a list of favorite meals and foods.  When you are in a funk you may be in so deep that you can't even remember the things that feed your soul.


Last week I made myself a cup of tea in my treasured teacup from my grandmother's set and that tea never tasted so good! Make sure also that you take time for beauty  so even if all around you is a mess you have at least one place of beauty.  How about keeping flowers on the kitchen table and a pretty candle so every time you eat it becomes a really special affair? 






If I'm feeling bored with food that means it's time to change things up...eating hummus alot? How about trying a new recipe? or adding some new ingredients to your usual recipe like tons of parsley or some roasted red pepper? My favorite way to eat it is to drizzle it with olive oil and sprinkle it with paprika. Below is our standard hummus recipe that we've been making for years, it comes out of Nikki & David Goldbeck's American Wholefoods Cuisine.







                                                                     
Hummus
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1/4 cup bean liquid
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 tsp seasalt
3 T tahini
2 T parsley
2 T olive oil
1 tsp paprika
Puree everything in a food processor or blender. Place in a shallow bowl, drizzle olive oil and sprinkle paprika over the top.   Enjoy!





Another really quickie recipe and a very easy way to cook potatoes....first of all I know I usually say to eat yukon golds but the tiny baby new potatoes were hard to resist so I washed them, dried them, then put them in a baking pan, drizzled olive oil and sprinkled coarse sea salt and fresh rosemary and baked them at 375 for 40 minutes.....yuuuummmmm!!!!!

 

So in thumbing through the cards on my desk this one seemed to say it all about my 
troubled and depressed state of mind and already  I am starting to feel better.......
I take it 
one day at a time,
but sometimes 
several of them 
attack me at once.


    Until my next post,     
I wish you my best,

Lisa