On health and other matters

I had a cold in April, but haven't been sick since then. This is literally the longest stretch of uninterrupted health I've had in my adult life. It feels like a miracle. There are many things I attribute my health to. Of course eating right, exercising, and sleep are important, but I've always done those things. In 2010 my health got so bad that I was forced to make some major changes. Here are a few of the things I've done.
1. I began to exercise less intensely. I hate plyometrics, sprinting, and intense cardio. It does not work for me. Instead I've taken to long walks, weight work, and yoga. I haven't gained any weight by cutting back on intensity. In fact, I am able to work out more consistently because I'm working less hard.
2. I spend more time relaxing, resting, and connecting with nature. I love to sit out in my garden or take long walks outside. I read. I am alone. These activities are remarkably healing and allow me to process the constant stress and information I am receiving on a daily basis.
3. I eat a diet that is more nearly vegan than before. I don't digest animal proteins well. I am not eating a ton of processed food and I still eat animal foods several times a week. In general, however, I am eating plants. I am also eating cooked food. Raw food can be great in the heat of summer, but warm cooked soups, beans, and vegetables have remarkable healing power.
4. I've added more garlic, onion, and radish to my diet.
5. I stopped taking medications including oral contraceptives. This has made a huge impact on my energy levels.
6. I get plenty of sunshine.
7. I do yoga. Yoga has remarkable healing powers. It stretches my body, improves alignment, and reorganizes the body's energy.
8. I have changed some of my paradigms. I am much more likely to see life as a perfect and complete whole rather than as something that is lacking and needs improvement. I am much kinder to myself. I am much more content with the life that I have. I am able to see the changing of the seasons and the fleeting nature of all things. This helps me live more fully in the moment with a greater appreciation for the preciousness of life.
9. I am more willing to feel things fully and to be completely honest with myself and those around me.
10. I use a neti pot every single day.
11. I am practical. I don't go to extremes. I don't follow a particular diet. I follow my inner guide and allow each day to be what it is. I don't expect one day to be identical to the preceeding one. Sometimes I need to burn off energy. Other times I need to hibernate and build up. I can see things as a cycle. I can approach myself and others with compassion.

Overall, I am very happy with where I am now. I see all struggles as invitations. It is through our suffering that doors open and we learn. I am not afraid of life. I am having a relationship with it. The result is that I am becoming a person who is healthy in body and spirit. I am not defined by my body. I have no rules or restrictions to impose on others. Total health requires a total transformation. Its not just about eating vegetables or avoiding junk food. Its about living fully in your body and being absolutely present to life. It is also about allowing yourself to heal. It is about compassion. Ultimately, it is about compassion for all living things, but it must begin with yourself. You cannot give what you have not lived.

Favorites

It is silly to have a favorite number, but my favorite number is 13. I suppose some things speak to us louder than other things. All colors are beautiful, but my favorite color is red. I am an absolute people person and love (most) people, but my cousin Tom has got to be near the top of the list (maybe just below myself).

First Love Life

First, love life. The rest will follow. Love life, love yourself. Your pulse, your breath. Love your courage and faith, your beauty, your hopeless and unending faults. Love these things. Because at least you are alive.
When you love, love fully. Don’t hold back. And when you lose, let loose. It was never yours to keep. This is the nature of everything. Spring turns to summer and summer turns to fall. And we all fall down. But all around you at any given time are a million saving graces waiting to pick you up. We are saved. Saved from ourselves by life. A clouded sky, a gentle smile, a song on the radio. You can’t stop life. Birth comes, death comes, it was never ours to keep. You can’t stop the winter from coming. And why would you want to? A life with no darkness is blinding. Winter turns to spring, spring turns to summer. You can’t stop the ocean from flowing.
We exhale to make room for more breath. We build things up just to have them washed away. We are alive. And we feel that life in the forest, in the breath of wind on our face. The city, too, has a pulse. We see life all around us. We see life in the pigeons with their dazzling, purple-grey feathers, and life in the pigeon shit. To love life is to love the sun on your face, but also the freezing darkness at your back. Life is the long, lonely night, and the gently beckoning dawn.
Do not be afraid of life. Love it. Love it with your whole heart because it only happens once. The only thing more terrible than the long, dark night is being so dead that you can’t tell the sun from the shadows.
First love life and everything will take care of itself. Life proceeds according to its own perfection. In this moment, everything is perfect. Don’t worry. Don’t cut yourself with useless fears. First, love life.

Fiesta!

Tio Fredy and Reid-o

Celeste and JOE!

Dad and Uncle Tom

Nana and Reid-o.

I cannot wait to turn 60. Life just keeps getting better.

Simple Food

Dinner tonight was simple, yet delicious. The details can really make a meal. Salad with mixed baby greens, black beans and black eyed peas, shaved carrots, slivered almonds (roasted for 7 minutes at 350 degrees) and a homemade vinaigrette:

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. agave nectar

1 1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. sea salt

Shake and pour. Wraps made with hummus, red onion, carrot, avocado, and salsa.

What's for Dinner

This first recipe is absolutely the best. I have had it 3 times in the past 2 days and it get more and more delicious each time. The lime juice at the end is essential to the delicious-ity. I improvised this based on a recipe I found at:
http://www.mynewroots.blogspot.com/
I love this blog. Tons of great health information and also some yummy recipes. This soup requires that you soak and cook your own beans. This means that before making the soup you need to boil your beans and let them simmer about one hour. I used 1 cup black beans and 1 cup black eyed peas.

Bean and Sweet Potato Soup
4 cups cooked beans (from 2 cups dried) + 4 cups cooking liquid
1 large red onion
8 cloves garlic
1 large sweet potato
4 carrots
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. ground corriander
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. crushed red peppers
14 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 Tbsp. olive oil
sea salt
cilantro
2 limes

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add spices. Stir until fragrant.
2. Add chopped onion and cook for a few minutes until vegetables begin to wilt a bit. Add garlic, the rest of the chopped vegetables and tomatoes. Stir occasionally.
5.. Add cooked beans to the pot
6. Simmer on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
7. Season to taste. Add the juice of 1 lemon, olive oil, maple syrup, and cilantro.
8. Serve immediately with a good squeeze of lime juice, sliced avocado, queso fresca, some chopped cilantro, and a chunk of toast. Store leftovers in the fridge; freezes well.

We got a bag of cole slaw from the food co-op. I wasn't sure what to do with it as I am not a big mayo person. Then I came across this recipe.
WARM CABBAGE SALAD
½ cup sunflower seeds
1 tsp. sucanat
Sea salt
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, diced
3 medium garlic, minced
1 package cole slaw mix (chopped cabbage, carrots, and radicchio)
¼ cup raisins
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
A bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to garnish

Roast the sunflower seeds in a dry skillet until they start to brown. Sprinkle on the sugar and salt and stir until the sugar melts and coats the seeds. Transfer immediately to a plate and set asie.

Now, sauté the onion in olive oil for a few minutes. Add garlic, cabbage, raisins, and vinegar. Stir just a few more minutes until cabbage begins to soften. Do not overcook. Remove mixture to a bowl. Add sunflower seeds and feta. Serve topped with parmesan

Indian lentil and sweet potato stew

Easy stir-fry- recipe to follow.

These baked apples are delicious. The secret ingredient here is vanilla bean. Everyone should bake everything with a vanilla bean just for the scent alone. Simply quarter some apples, then top with vanilla bean, almonds, raisins, pumpkin pie spices, lemon juice, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Serve warm with coconut milk ice cream.

Just a few of the many, many recipes I've made lately. All of them are delicious. The quality of these photos is poor and does not do the food justice. Trust me- they taste awesome. As for the other recipes, well, sometimes you're so hungry that you don't want to wait for a photo before eating.

Long Weekend in Mexico

Boo thought he could come along, so he jumped in my suitcase. Sorry, Boo, no dogs allowed.
Here is the wall that separates the United States from Mexico. Don't you just love that someone painted Mickey Mouse on it??
The rebel in me decides to climb the wall and cross the border!!!
Fredy and I had the most romantic dinner at this restaurant. We were the only ones there. When we walked in there was a 4 piece band serenading us, candlelight, amazing food. So beautiful!
Some of the architecture in Balboa Park, San Diego.

Fredy and I spent last weekend in Mexico where we thoroughly enjoyed each other's company and several naps. We went because Fredy's boss was speaking at the graduation of a local university. We stayed at a nice hotel where we got the top floor suite.