Archive for 'Food & Health'
I Dream About Buffalo Wings
August 28, 2008 by Binary Blonde, under Food & Health, Pregnancy.
Since day one of my pregnancy, I’ve craved protein. First it was hard-boiled eggs for weeks and weeks, then salmon for a few weeks, then avocados… which somehow eventually lead to turkey and chicken.
Now? Well now I crave chicken, specifically buffalo wings, to the point where I dream about eating them and even getting them delivered to the house. That latter part is only weird because the last time Kevin and I had food delivered to our place of residence had to have been in early 2004, shortly after we first moved in together after we got married.
Also, craving buffalo wings might not seem like a big deal, either, but maybe it will if I tell you that I’ve been vegetarian most of my life and vegan for almost 7 years before I became pregnant. Heck, to some of my long-term readers, it might come as a complete shock (and possibly disappointment) that I am not vegan or even vegetarian anymore. I’m hoping that you, my long-term readers especially, won’t think any less of me for “falling off the wagon.”
Truly, it wasn’t an easy a choice. I wrestled with the reassessment of my own ideals, values, and ethics for weeks before really coming to terms with the change in diet. Also, in the early weeks of trying small nibbles of ground turkey and bites of Kevin’s chicken legs, I still felt personal disappointment for “giving up” on being vegan.
After a while, though, all the guilt sorta went away and food became a part of my life, not a part of controlling my life.
See, food and I, we’ve always had a.. well… shall we say… unique relationship. It’s controlled me (I had milk & cheese allergies as a child and now am allergic to milk & wheat) and I’ve controlled it (I was a raw vegan for some time).
Recently, however, our normal dysfunctional and controlling relationship has transformed into one of peace and cooperation. I can now enjoy cheese & yogurt in moderation, certain meats (chicken, turkey and fish) and eggs without the normal guilt center in my brain firing off and belittling me for eating those particular foods.
On one level I feel like that rat, Remy, in Ratatouille, as I am also enjoying the taste, smell and texture of food like I never have before. Whereas I used to view food as pure nurishment to just keep me alive, now, I actually like food and enjoy savoring all that it has to offer.
After many years of proudly wearing my vegan/vegetarianism like a badge of honor, I finally feel as if I am more than just a “label” and have accepted my new found love of poultry as normal growth and change.
If you think about it, though, I haven’t changed all that much. I still eat lots of organic fruits and veggies, which is easy considering the world’s largest Whole Foods is in town. I still enjoy my wheat-free bread and other non-wheat carbs. Actually, I’m still relatively anal-retentive about what I eat, it’s just that what I eat now happens to include a variety of dairy foods (cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, frozen yogurt), eggs, and poultry meat.
And, before any of you from the “you need meat to live” brigade start in with “Yay! We “cured” a vegan.”, you can just leave me out of your agenda. I want nothing to do with it, because, who knows? Someday, I might dismiss meat and eggs again and return to being labeled a vegan or vegetarian. Then again, I might not. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
As for now, however, I am enjoying the new (to me) foods that have awakened my palate. Now, let’s see, where did I put that take-out menu?
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Time for Bedtime (Tea)
February 3, 2008 by Binary Blonde, under Food & Health.
Tomorrow is Monday and that means I have to make myself get to bed early tonight. I don’t want to, I have to. If I don’t get enough sleep, I feel like the walking dead all day and that is just no fun.
I’ve come to conclusion that I’m not really a morning person, but I’m not really a night owl either. I’m a late morning person and I get sleepy around 11:00pm/midnight. If I could get to work at 10:00 am that would be perfect. Alas, that is not meant to be. Although, I am still looking for a way to work from home and I think I might have found a few good ideas (which I will post at a later date).
Anyway, since I have such trouble getting to sleep at the hour I should, I’ve found a good way to fake sleepiness: hot tea. Not just any hot tea, though! Bedtime from Yogi Tea. I knew I had to try it when I saw the quote on the box: “Calm for Your Mind.” Just saying it out loud relaxes me, so you can imagine how good the tea works. 
I am enjoying my second cup of Bedtime right now and will soon be off in dreamland. It’s still past my bedtime, but hey, it’s a start! What do you do to wind down before bed during the work week?
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Master Cleanse Goes Mainstream
January 21, 2008 by Binary Blonde, under Food & Health.
So, remember yesterday I briefly mentioned an interesting store display I saw in Whole Foods? Well, I found it so interesting that I took a photo of it:
Yup, it’s a Master Cleanse display! I was pleasantly surprised to see it so commercialized, as most people pass this stuff off as “hippy nonsense.” The display was front-and-center as you walk into the store, so it’s the first thing you see after you pick up a cart/basket.
It reminded me of when I did the Master Cleanse program last year and blogged the whole thing. All the products (even down to the specific teas) on the display was the stuff I used when I did it. Speaking of, I plan on doing in again later this year, too. I’ll probably blog the experience then, as well (especially since I’m participating in Blog 365)!
On a different note, I totally enjoyed my day off today. For some reason, today felt like an extra-super-duper freebie day, so I’m a little bummed about having to go back to work tomorrow. Ah well, at least I’ll have my new podcasts to listen to - thanks again to everyone who left a comment with their favorite podcast! 
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I’ve Got Skillz
January 4, 2008 by Binary Blonde, under Food & Health.
Lately, I’ve been eating a lot of oranges. Partially because they are in season and, therefore, the organic variety have been on sale. Though, really, it’s because they’re just super delicious and I love them.
Here are the remains of my latest tasty treat:
No, your eyes are not deceiving you; that is one, long orange peel. That’s right, you may now bow down to my mad orange-peeling skillz. 
So, since I’m on an orange kick, here are a few fun facts about oranges:
- The orange is technically a hesperidum, a type of berry.
- The orange was the first fresh fruit to bear a trademark. In 1919 the California Fruit Growers Exchange burned ‘Sunkist’ on their oranges.
- Almost 40% of the orange crop in the U.S. goes to make frozen concentrate.
- Florida produces about 70% of the total U.S. crop, and 90% of its production goes to make juice.
- Brazil produces more oranges than any other country.
Next time you’re at a cocktail party, feel free to make use of them.
Facts from Food Reference.
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The Best Cure for a Cold
December 14, 2007 by Binary Blonde, under Food & Health, Geekiness.
I’ve been under the weather these past few days. I’ve not been in the mood to even peek at my email until this evening, which is odd for me, especially considering reading my email in the mornings is like drinking a cup of coffee for most people - I simply cannot fully wake up and face the day until my email is read. That is, until I come down with a cold. Then, I shun reading from a screen and go for reading the old fashioned way.
So, for several hours a day, I’ve enjoyed being bundled up with a hot cup of tea and a good book. Well, actually two good books. Seems I’ve come under the spell of a certain high fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. The series was introduced to me by an old friend over a year ago.
Though, until a few weeks ago, however, I hadn’t even cracked open a page of the first book in the series, called A Game of Thrones
Anyway, the combo of hot herbal tea and really good book is the best cure for the common cold that I’ve ever found. It almost makes me forget the sore throat and constant sneezing… almost.
