Ahhh

Ahh - whatever do I want to write today?  I feel like writing -there's a need here, but.....what?  I could tell you all about the mental health center blues where we are forced to use the dreaded "Profiler" software.  But, why would anyone want to hear of that horror???  It might help ME to complain a bit, though.  I certainly hear complaints most every day of my frigging working life and sometimes it might do me well to have someone listen to MY complaints, you know?  Nah.  Won't help.  Better to distract and focus on healing things. 

I've been working my way through three books about food that I find fascinating.  The first is "Nourishing Traditions:  The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats" by Sally Fallon who writes about getting back to the foods that our great grandmothers knew were good for us.  Soups, vegetables from heirloom crops, meats, eggs, and broths from farm raised animals, pure animal fats instead of imitation low fat dairy products.  It's the way I like to cook anyway - it's instinctive - so it's fine to see some theory behind this.  I've learned over the years that grains really are not good for me as they pack on too much belly fat and Sally Fallon confirms this.  She also discusses the modern diet's fascination with sugar as the killer it really is and suggests that we modify our intake drastically with naturally sweet foods.   

The second book in my trilogy is the companion book to "Nourishing Traditions" and is called the "Fourfold Path to Healing: Working with the Laws of Nutrition, Therapeutics, Movement and Meditation, in the Art of Medicine" by Thomas Cowan, MD.  He works in the realms of nutrition and ancient healing wisdom and discusses how to obtain optimum health.   Some of the therapeutic movement stuff is rather foreign and I'm not a big proponent of supplements.  I think I need to delve into it a bit more before I can comment intelligently.

"Full Moon Feast:  Food and the Hunger for Connection" by Jessica Prentice follows the thirteen indigenous ancient moons of the seasons suggesting that we return to foods that are available locally, in the appropriate season, and are raised with compassion.  Very much a spirtual connection is lacking in the industrialized food machine, she states, and without that connection we suffer physically and emotionally.  She includes several recipes at the conclusion of each Full Moon chapter.  The Moon When Salmon Return to the Earth has recipes for Salmon Poached in Lemongrass and Coconut Milk and Salmon Cured with Maple and Juniper.  This is maybe my favorite book of the three.  Even though I would be hard pressed to find locally produced coconut milk in the Rockies of Colorado.

So, that's a fine set of distractions for what ails ya.  And tomorrow is Friday!   

 

Comments

[Renna]

I'm very intrigued by the books, especially that last one. I KNOW our diet is unhealthy. Maybe for the times and everything we hear spouted on tv and in magazines it's okay, but I've been feeling in my gut (not in the physical sense....or maybe it is?) that our diet is not right. There are far too many convenience foods in my pantry, boxes with ingredients on the label that I cannot even pronounce.

Living in the south, where healthy eating is at the bottom of the totem pole doesn't help, either. Add to that, having summers too hot to be very physically active, and it all spells for a lot of unhealthy people. I don't want to be one of them, and yet I already see myself there in some areas. I KNOW I need to do something about it.

[Scribhneoir]

I am sorry that you are having such a frustrating time at work, beaurocracy sure is a pain in the ass!
The books sound really good, I think that I would particularly enjoy the first.
I am currently reading a book on substituting food for prescription medicines, I bet the pharmaceutical industry are not happy with the authors. I do not take prescription medicines often, my interest was in what foods would positively affect or delay the onset of arthritis.
Enjoy your weekend...

[Jane]

Have dropped in several times and enjoy reading your blog. We, too, live in CO, and I'm finally getting used to it after having spent most of my life in Wyoming (far more people here!).

The three books you mentioned all look interesting and right up my alley. I really do believe that simply cutting out white sugar, white flour, and most other highly refined foods, as well as eating what is in season (and as local as possible) contributes to much better health, physical and emotional.

It's been fun looking at your other book list, also -- now you have me intrigued enough to check out Barbara Pym.

You mention in some of your previous posts some thought around not continuing to blog. That hits me from time to time, and then I remind myself that I blog for myself -- really. I love it when people drop in and leave me a note, but for the most part, it is simply a way for me to journal without having to add to the stacks of analog ones that are now gathering dust, or are packed away in my garage.

Yours is a blog that I enjoy reading, (no pressure! *grin*) -- and therefore I thought I'd better sign in and say, "Hi," rather than breeze through again like a little digital ghost.

Cheers,
Jane

[Tilly]

Hi Suzan, I'm finally getting back into blogland after having been rather poorly (suspected blood clot on the lung requiring hospitalisation!) I've missed so much! I saw your first book over at Rhonda Jean's and thought it looked interesting. It's on my 'to read' list. I like the sound of 'Full Moon Feast' too.

[Generic Propecia]

A nice collection of books really...meditation is a great tool to keep the mind fit and therefore taking care of the body.