ASPIRATIONS

It took me a while to figure out the most appropriate name for this post. BASICS- too blah, life is already kind of lame these days. THE GROUND RULES- too punitive sounding for what I want. Aspirations felt just right. The best I can muster right now is to aspire- of course, I’m trying to aspire with self-discipline, so hopefully that will translate to achieve. You’ll know when I post that title.

At any rate, I’m setting some eating aspirations for the next month or two. I’m considering putting my child on a gluten-free diet (long story, probably a whole other blog) and so I’m considering nutrition a lot these days. I am also feeling inspired from some of my close friends who have really worked the farm-to-table thing in the past few years and revolutionized their homes, kitchens, lifestyles and waist lines in the process. Their approach was inspired by culture, wellness, and the crazy politics surrounding the food “revolution” in the last half-century. As I mentioned before, my quest is about that elusive balance of wellness and vanity. So why not throw an ode to farmer’s markets in the mix?

Here are the things to which I aspire, at least in my own often weak sort of way. Honesty is one of my gifts, so I promise to let you know how it goes with full disclosure:



GO LABRADA: Excerpts from Max (www.labrada.com)
This dude is a super body builder, and a weight watching friend turned me on to his ideas and products a few years ago. One summer I followed some of his ideas loosely (mainly eating lean proteins/limited carbs/and reducing sugar by eating almost no sweets and limited fruits) and lost weight in a chunk which I’d never really done on purpose before. It was pretty amazing, but hard won, and once my summer gig (I lived a really regimented life- alone!- while teaching at a summer writing program) was over and I was back in the real world, things felt a bit precarious. This guy is clearly into weight lifting and building lean muscle mass, but I think his approach is very worthwhile. He encourages eating five small meals a day, and offers all these products if you’re into the super protein muscle-building thing. I tried some of the protein shakes. They weren’t bad, and are a quick fix, but since I’m still in the process of weaning my daughter, I’m trying to ingest only whole foods with as little chemical engineering as possible.
FOODS TO EAT:
Scrambled Egg Whites, chicken breast, turkey breast, lean ground turkey breast, fish, fat free cottage cheese
Old fashioned oatmeal, cream of wheat, brown rice, wild rice, baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, corn, peas, lentils, lima beans, barley, 100% whole grain breads, grits and corn tortillas
Lettuce, broccoli, green beans, spinach, asparagus, artichoke, peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, zucchini, cucumber, onions, cauliflower, carrots, squasch, radishes, okra, bamboo shoots, brussel sprouts, celery, egg plant, leeks, shallots, sprouts, water chestnuts and mushrooms
Apples, strawberries, pears and melons
FOODS TO AVOID:
Cheese (use low fat version if necessary), butter, margarine, egg yolks, sour cream, salad dressings, fries, potato chips, ice cream, mayonnaise, peanut butter, chocolate, desserts, and junk food
MY CHEATS:
I’m not into his limitations on fruit, though I do see what he means about the higher sugar fruits (he specifically points out bananas and citrus fruits in his materials). I’ll limit those, but not cut it out entirely. And I plan on taking the same approach with cheese and egg yolks. I’m willing to give up peanut butter, but only with clenched fists. We’ll see how that goes. Otherwise, I’ll try hard to stick to things. Oh- and I’m sure a less complex carbohydrate will inevitably make the rare appearance. Sorry, Max.

TINY LIKE TRACY (or not) (www.tracyandersonmethod.com)
I’m hesitant to even list this because I know it’s not going to work for me right now, but I want to at least give you the basis for my variations. Somewhere in her literature- I ganked this from another blog- Tracy published this two week diet which I’m sure would work absolute miracles because it comes across as completely calorie restrictive with intensely controlled portion sizes. In fact, reading it I found myself grinding my teeth with annoyance and something like anger. This is not realistic for my lifestyle right now, but she does have some things in common with the great Labrada. Limit carbs, stick with lean meats, and avoid sugar. Here’s a sample of the first few days of the diet as it appears:
SAMPLE MENUS:
Breakfast
1 cup Kashi cereal, with ½ cup plain — or vanilla — nonfat rice milk
Lunch
3 oz grilled chicken breast — or fresh turkey breast (no deli meat!) — with ½ cup each of chopped cucumber and tomatoes
Snack
1 cup mixed berries (try raspberries, blackberries and blueberries)
Dinner
1 cup organic pasta with ½ cup steamed spinach
Monday
Breakfast
1 cup Kashi cereal, with ½ cup plain—or vanilla—nonfat rice milk
Lunch
2 hardboiled eggs with ½ cup each of baby carrots and cherry tomatoes
Dinner
3 to 5 oz grilled sea bass with ½ cup steamed spinach
Tuesday
Breakfast
1 cup steel-cut oatmeal made with water and ½ cup fresh blueberries
Lunch
3 oz grilled chicken breast — or fresh turkey breast (no deli meat!) — with ½ cup each of chopped cucumber and tomatoes
Snack
1 cup mixed berries (try raspberries, blueberries or red grapes)
Dinner
3 to 5 oz grilled salmon with ½ cup steamed broccoli
MY ADJUSTMENTS:
Sorry, honey, you lost me at sugar free Jell-O. These are the ideas that I will consider taking from the intensely tiny Tracy Anderson in terms of “meal” suggestions:
-1 cup Kashi cereal with almond milk (we don’t do rice milk at our house)
-Eat lots of grilled chicken and turkey
-Chop and eat lots of raw vegetables (plain with no oil or seasoning). Examples:
-½ cup each of chopped cucumber and tomatoes
-½ cup each of baby carrots and cherry tomatoes
-4 to 5 celery sticks and 4 to 5 carrot sticks
-Berries are okay. Yea!
-Eat hardboiled eggs (but no more than two) and poached eggs work as well
-Fish is cool
-Steamed broccoli, spinach, and kale are “in”
-I always eat oatmeal for breakfast so this sounds lame, but still kind of interesting:
-1 cup steel-cut oatmeal made with water and ½ cup fresh blueberries
-There is such a thing as veggie bacon and Tracy says you can eat up to 3 slices of it.
Sorry, I’ve lost my desire to talk about this. I’m already feeling angry and depressed.

FARMERS MARKET CHALLENGE
I’ve saved the best for last. My favorite aspiration right now is to hit the Farmer’s Market every Saturday on a regular basis. You have to pay cash, so it’s easy to budget even if some of the items are pricier than the grocery. I feel they’re healthier (many farmers do not use pesticides even if they aren’t, or can’t afford, to be certified organic). I tried this two weeks ago and it worked like a charm. I gave myself a $20 budget and went to town. The great thing about buying all those wonderful fresh veggies is that the pressure is on. I cooked like a mad woman on Sunday, but not only did I end up ahead of the game in terms of cooking for the week, I also ate way more veggies than I probably would have otherwise. Yippee!! And it’s fun. And freaking healthy. And unlike the intensely restrictive, borderline neurotic eating options listed earlier, it actually contributes to my joy in life and helps me feel alive!! After all, isn't that what I'm working for?