“Did you ever stop to taste a carrot? Not just eat it, but taste it? You can’t taste the beauty and energy of the earth in a Twinkie.” ~ Astrid Alauda
I hate carrots. Really, I do. And I feel guilty and like a huge hypocrite when I lecture my daughter in the importance of eating healthy when she returns from school with that little snack bag of baby carrots not eaten. So I eat them, and hate every bite.
Lately I haven’t been feeling my best. I’ve been tired, drained, bloated and my complexion hasn’t been so great. Although my skin hasn’t broken out in zits, it isn’t smooth and it has lost its glow. I knew that I had to do something but deep down inside I didn’t have the will nor the want to start a new “diet.” I’m so over diets.
Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know that I’m very much a believer in synchronicity and love all things awesome. Last week I was speaking with a couple of friends and they both shared with me how they are now changing their eating habits in order to gain a more healthy life style and feel good again – for once and for all. I thought to myself “good for them” and wished I could do the same (yes, I was off my rocker). Then I had a dream last week, and in that dream I was eating. And I was enjoying what I was eating. I mean REALLY enjoying what I was eating. I was making my own breads from scratch, and I was savoring every bite of my meal. It looked like it was orgasmic! I woke up that morning knowing what I had to do. I was on a mission.
The next day I decided to make my own french bread – gluten-free french bread. I found a recipe online which looked good and simple to make.
Then at lunch time, I turned to my partner and told him that I haven’t been feeling ‘right’ and that I was returning to a gluten-free lifestyle and I wanted him to join me. You would have thought that I must have said something really horrible by the look he gave me. He thought I had gone mad. You see, he’s a HUGE bread lover and it is a big part of his diet. He was dead set against what I was saying and didn’t even want to hear another word about this.
Then the unbelievable happened, while having dinner with him and my daughter, I received the news that I gifted with two tickets to attend a seminar. This seminar was on Wheat Belly (the author of this book was in Toronto to talk about the effects of eating wheat on the body along with Julie Daniluk who spoke about meals that heal inflammation). We were having dinner when I received the news and it was a sealed deal for me, I knew this was pointing me in the right direction. Thankfully he agreed to come with me and have an open mind.
The seminar was mind-blowing and I learned A LOT. I’m not going to go into it, if you’re interested you can read up on the books by clicking on the links above. What I did learn was to really appreciate what I put into my body. This is now a lifestyle change for me, and the few days which I have changed my eating habits I’ve felt like a new person. It’s amazing when you are really aware of what you’re putting into your body.
So this afternoon I decided to do a little experiment with my salad and soup. I moved away from the table and especially made lots of room between me and the computer and phone. I sat in my rocking chair and took my time with my lunch. I really paid attention to every forkful. I tasted each bite. I found it amazing to feel the thick richness of how the olive oil coated each leaf of kale and lettuce, how the balsamic vinegar was sweet and tart, the nutty flavor of the sesame seeds and the coolness of the peppers and found it odd that although the bocconcini are bland, they really do have a subtle taste to them. And surprisingly of all, I found out that I can really learn to enjoy carrots – I just have to make sure that I really chew them enough. That bitterness will turn to sweetness if you really chew them. Who knew?
While sitting there, I realized that this is what “they” mean by being present and savoring the moment. And you can chew your way through the bad stuff in order to reach the good stuff. All this I learned from a carrot.