Food and Humans

As humans, more specifically as Western humans, our relationship with food is interesting. We no longer treat food as a drug, as our means of surviving and thriving. For example: Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is in no way about the celebration of the friendship between the pilgrims and the Native Americans, because we all know what really happened.. Thanksgiving is about FOOD (and apparently football for most Americans). Yeah we throw the family aspect and the opportunity to spend time with loved ones in there (which I will go into more later), but really, the entire day or weekend revolves around the food. Is there something wrong with this? In Paleolithic times we did not eat for pleasure, we ate to stay alive and we ate what was available to us in it's natural form. Therefore we ate things that were good for us, things that nourished us as we needed. Now, we as humans, eat for pleasure, and it's actually killing us.

About a month ago, Ramman and I took a trip to our respective hometowns to visit our parents and to just spend some time in two great cities: Seattle and Vancouver B.C. During this trip I realized that my love for certain restaurants or bites to eat had dwindled. Before we went I literally wrote out a list of places that I wanted to take Ramman to so that he could share the wonderful experiences of this food with me and thus share my memory of how delicious it was. Now, I didn't want to go too far off of our regular way of eating because I had been doing very well with healing my digestive system, so I was picking and choosing what might be tolerable but still enjoyable. Once we got to Seattle, none of the places I had initially thought of going to sounded good anymore and I realized that the only reason that I had wanted to go back to them was because of fond memories of eating the food and associations with people and certain times when I ate it. I said to Ramman, "It's funny, because all of my favorite places to eat don't sound good to me anymore because I ate differently back then." as in, I ate poorly, compared to now. The thought of an old fashioned, glazed Top Pot doughnut used to make me drool with anticipation until I could get my hands on one (they always left me feeling quite crappy, but the way it melted in my mouth was worth it).. but now the thought of them and how I will feel for possibly days after is enough to make me say no thanks. The one place we did go (besides Whole Foods so that we could make our own Paleo creations of chicken and broccoli) to have a HIGHLY anticipated "cheat" meal was Taste of India, my favorite Indian restaurant of all time, one that caused me to scoff at all other Indian restaurants. I had been talking this place up for 2 years to Ramman, but when we went, I felt like I would be better off without it. For nostalgia's sake we went anyway. We shared a couple of chicken dishes and some chicken naan and I was pretty disappointed that my memory of my favorite restaurant would continue to be just that, a memory. Needless to say I was a little miffed at myself for choosing naan and so-so chicken dishes with too much rich sauce and not enough chicken as my "cheat" meal. I didn't feel that great afterwards either.

My point is this: it seems that our relationhip with food is a very fragile one. It's okay to have fond memories of this treat or that meal, but when we eat it and feel a certain emotion, we then become addicted to that emotion and think that there is no other way to achieve that elated feeling. When it is in fact the emotion and not the food that we are enjoying. Being aware of this connection is very important, because you can then make the decision to have this experience, knowing exactly what is happening. My tastes for food have changed. I no longer crave foods that I know will make me feel like I've been run over by a truck 70 times. My health is way more important to me than the taste of Hot Lips Pizza. That's not to say that I will never have gluten or dairy again, but I know what I react to and how I react so I can make an educated, rational decision when it comes to what I eat, as opposed to an emotional one.

Two weekends ago we celebrated our 2 year anniversary and I had an entire day (well, 2 meals and a dessert) planned, all of it gluten free and refined sugar free. We splurged with the dairy and the higher ratio of carbs, but hey, it was a planned and well thought out experience:) Here are some photos of what we ate for dinner:

Chicken Parmesan made with almond flour, parmesan, mozzerella, and organic tomato basil sauce, greens and broccoli cooked in olive oil and garlic on the side. Oh, and of course some red wine.


The most delicious Chocolate Cream Pie EVER: made with almond flour and unsweetened coconut in the crust, 72% dark chocolate, agave nectar, and coconut milk in the filling, and well.. regular real whipped cream on top- couldn't resist.


These almond flour recipes are from the wonderful Elana Amsterdam. She makes eating this way EASY.

Until one is committed...

The past week or so I have been realizing again (because can never realize this too many times) just how much potential each human being has; how great the power of THOUGHT, DESIRE, and FAITH are. One of my favorite quotes of all time is from Jiminy Cricket: "When your heart is in your dreams, no request is too extreme." I have loved this quote since I was a little girl, and I have believed it too.. but since I've grown up and become an "adult" I have forgotten the powerful truth: ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. If you want something badly enough, you can have it, do it, or be it. You just have to commit to your desire and have the determination to make it happen and the faith that it will. As the famous polymath Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once said:

Until one is committed
There is hesitancy, the chance to draw back
Always ineffectiveness.

Concerning all acts of initiative (and Creation)
There is one elementary truth
The ignorance which kills countless ideas and splendid plans:

That the moment that one definitely commits ones self
Then Providence moves too.

All sorts of things occur to help one
That would never otherwise have occurred.

A whole stream of events issues from the decision
Raising in one’s favor all manner
Of unforeseen incidents and meetings
And material substance
Which no one could have dreamt
Would have come your way.

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.

I have already begun.

World Peace Day

Today is the International Day for Peace.. Did you know about this? I sure didn't. Is it really a "cease-fire" day? Was not one shot fired? Not one person killed by another in the name of war? Doubtful. Here is a documentary that was made by a man named Jeremy Gilly of Peace One Day. In it he tells his story about how he accomplished having September 21st declared as an International Day of Peace. But his journey goes far beyond that- he continued his quest to try and get governments around the world to actually CEASE FIRE.



And here's a video from Matisyahu's latest album "Light"::
It's about PEACE ONE DAY.

Inspired for LIFE.

Training has been going very well. I am still following all of Ido Portal's floreio workouts as consistently as he is posting them. When he doesn't post one I will usually do something else or go back to the beginning of his workouts and repeat them. This new variety of training has challenged me in incredible ways and I am very much enjoying it. I am able to do most of his "intermediate" skills and workouts now (I started at "beginner") but once in a while I am humbled by a new skill or combination and have to go back to beginner (like part of today's workout). I am not yet completely comfortable linking all of the moves together, but I am improving on the individual skills and linking a few together. This is hard stuff!

This is the workout I did on Monday: (it took 2 hours..)

Workout - Intermediate

Warm Up -

Mobility

A1. 5 min Joint Mobility

A2. Wrists Routine X 1 set

A3. Shoulder ROM and Stabilization routine X 1 set

A4. Ido's Squat Clinic Routine X 1 set

A5. Scapula Mobilization Routine X 1 set

B1. Handstand Body Line Wall Drill X 30 sec

B2. Handstand Straighten Into Line X 45 sec total work

Complete 2 cycles of B1-B2, resting 60 sec between exercises

(This is from the advanced workout, beginner and intermediate did not include the straighten into line drill)

Floreio
C1. QDR Rotational Push Ups -Beginner variation (hardest beginner variation) X 10-14 reps / 3 sets / 60 sec of rest
D1. Corta Capim Spin (beginner variation) X 14 reps / 3 sets / 45 sec of rest

Strength
E1. Gymnast's Extended Set / rest 180 sec / 3 sets(This consists of 4 different types of pull/chin-ups starting with hardest and working down to easiest, doing as many of each variation as you can and resting 10 seconds before moving to the next easiest.. VERY HARD)

Prehab
F1. Shoulder ROM and Stabilization routine X 1 set
F2. Scapula Mobilization Routine X 1 set
Complete 2 subsequent supersets of F1-F2 no rest

I went to Kaila's memorial last Saturday and left feeling incredibly inspired. It may seem weird to think that a memorial service can inspire you, but when it is in celebration of an amazing woman who led an incredible life- it makes sense. She started traveling the world when she was 15. She was a chef, a dancer, a photographer, a mother, and many other things. She knew many languages and had friends and communities that welcomed her all around the world. She was passionate about learning alternative medicine and healing; she was born naturally in her parents home, and she gave birth to her daughter naturally in her parents home. Most recently she was doing humanitarian work in West Africa, with her husband and little girl. They were living in a small village where she had built a well for the people who lived there, before this they had no clean water. I don't know how long they were there, but she and her husband had their wedding ceremony in the village honoring the traditional ceremony of those people. That was only in July. Hearing about her adventures and experiences connecting with people all over the world is only motivating me more to really make my own adventure happen; to make my dream a reality. She inspired people all throughout her life, and is still inspiring even though her physical presence is gone.

I made contact with a few farms in Belize where we can work for a free room and food. I spoke with one person on the phone (he lives part time in Canada and part time in Belize, smart guy) from Utz Kab Farm (Utz Kab means "Good Earth" in Mayan), and we actually committed to being there in mid-March to work on the farms for one month! Utz Kab is in San Antonio in the southern Toledo district, close to the Caribbean coast, and the other location is north of there in the central Cayo district close to the Guatemalan border. It is becoming real! Both places are all about sustainable agriculture and living.. they grow organic cacao, bananas, mangoes, oranges, coconuts (all of which we will be harvesting). We will also help build structures (cabins, fences, paths, etc.)- and there are LOTS of Mayan ruins, caves, rivers, and waterfalls close by. It is all coming together and becoming a reality, and I am so excited. The world and it's opportunities to help on a larger scale are beginning to open up. After Belize, the options are endless. I have a list of places where we can work/volunteer from farms to orphanages to guiding treks in the mountains. Next step: buying a one-way ticket to Cancun for March 1st, 2010!

Heartache..

Me and my sister Lindsey, Summer 2008

Death is profound. It’s like a whip across the back to bring you back to the reality of the mortal world. I have never felt the grief of someone very close to me dying. I have come close, but thankfully it hasn’t gotten past the doorstep. When my grandparents died, I was too young to really experience what it meant. I miss them now and I wish I had known them better, but I was minimally affected by their deaths at the time.

The death of K is the closest I think I have experienced. She was my friend Z's older sister. Z and I went to high school together and our group of friends spent a lot of time with their family. My older sister Lindsey was friends with K. As Lindsey said, we were mirror images of each other; I am Z and she is K… and when I think about that it just makes my heart ache even more. Today Lindsey and I wept together on the phone.. I just can’t bear the thought of losing my big sister, and I absolutely cannot imagine how Z must feel. I have absolutely no idea how painful losing a sibling, mother, father, or friend is. But I know that I will have to experience it at some point. I feel like that point is getting a little closer. Each death that I hear about is a little closer to me than the one before it, and this completely terrifies me.

Ramman says that to deal with the death of someone you have to have the realization that nobody really ever dies. Their physical body does, and that is what we are affected by.. but their spirit is simply moving on to another physical body. I do believe this to be true, but it doesn’t really make it any easier. You still have to grieve and mourn, and that seems like an incredible amount of pain. Eventually you heal, and you can move forward.. but the pain, the pain just seems like it would be unbearable.

My heart aches for their family.

Be Extraordinary.

ex·traor·di·nary-
a: going beyond what is usual, regular, or customary b: exceptional to a very marked extent

In the midst of a less than pleasant phone conversation with my mom a few weeks ago (oh, come on, we all have those kinds of conversations with our parents... right?), I took something she said a little too personally, as I usually do with her. She said something that to me implied that I was just average. She said that all throughout my life I was brilliant, I shined, I soared, but now, now I am just mediocre. Now, some of you might be saying, "Your own mother said this to you?!" but keep in mind that I am paraphrasing a bit (like I said, I took it a little too personally) AND my mom decided at some point in her adult life that being tactful, when offering feedback to her own children, is not necessary. She meant the best. She simply was trying to tell me to be extraordinary. And she's partially right, which is why I have this feeling of discontent and restlessness deep down in the pit of my stomach. I am not being as extraordinary as I can be. Which is why I am constantly day dreaming about ways to change my life. I don't mean completely change it, because most of it is wonderful, I just mean... create a better BIGGER picture for myself. This was my mom's way of saying DO THE BIG THINGS YOU WANT TO DO.

I moved to Portland just over two years ago. Before I moved here I was working as a personal trainer for two years at the Seattle Athletic Club in Seattle, my hometown. It was a great place to start out as a trainer and I have a few lasting friendships from working there. But I started to feel stagnant and I wanted to move forward. I felt moving somewhere by myself was something I needed to do (even though I had a lot of friends in Portland, which was another big reason why I moved), and I wanted to experience the fitness industry outside of my Seattle Athletic Club bubble. When I moved, I got similar jobs in Portland, but not before being unemployed for a month and a half. Needless to say I was elated to have two jobs and finally began to feel like I was settling in here. I was playing competitive Ultimate Frisbee and had a busy single girl's social life.. but I still didn't feel right. My health wasn't that great, I was eating poorly (compared to semi-high standards at the time), I was partying too much (again, high standards), and I was trying too hard to make romantic relationships happen because I was craving a real companion. Then I met Ramman.. and my whole world changed- for the better. He has contributed in HUGE ways to my evolution as an athlete and movement artist (I would have never called myself that before), my perspective of myself and my own power, and shifting my awareness of myself within this world. In other words: he has helped me open my eyes a little wider and pay attention to the periphery. I'm not implying that I would not have grown this much with out him.. he has simply helped quicken the process. As individuals, we feel empowered; together, we feel unstoppable. And so the evolution together continues.

I love helping people. And that is what I do. But I am getting tired of helping people the same way I have the last four+ years. I am quickly evolving as a personal trainer (I recently changed this title to "Movement Coach") and my theories and philosophies are leaking out where ever I go and whenever I speak.. sometimes to people who just aren't ready to hear it- but hey, who is ever really ready the first time they hear that they need to make some important changes in their life? I work in a gym, even though I don't completely believe in working OUT in a gym.. this is why I am unhappy professionally right now. Where I spend 20-30 hours a week does not directly coincide with the lifestyle I am trying to lead and teach others about. Sometimes I feel like my growth is being stunted while I'm at my job. But instead of hating every minute of being there, I am infiltrating. While I am here, I am determined to share my philosophies with as many people as possible.. I just have to do it rather quietly, as I might convince a few to quit the gym:) However, most people just smile and nod, and walk away thinking that I am way too uptight about gluten and pull ups... but maybe, just MAYBE, they took something away with them. Ultimately I want to either work for myself (hence, my and Ramman's attempt at creating Rip City Fitness) or a company (like Wildfitness or MovNat) that shares the EXACT same values and philosophies that I do. Not just some of the same ways of thinking- ALL. And to be able to spread this lifestyle (the Primal Lifestyle, that is) all over the world would be incredible.

The world is a very confusing and chaotic place and a lot of people are unhappy, unhealthy, and uneducated as to how to create a change in their own lives. This state of human beings is directly reflected in the state of the world. If more people (especially people in powerful positions) were in balance physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally... well, the world would indeed be a much better place. I am figuring out how I can continue with my personal and professional revolutionary momentum, travel the world, help people, and contribute to changing the world starting with the positive development of people of all ages; starting with each individual I come in contact with. This is how I am and will continue to be extraordinary.