What I Know This Week: 7/30/2011

Meet my new friends!

Monkey Brain: My concentrating difficulty has eased up tremendously. I wasn’t getting enough protein and, sometimes, not eating enough food. Still learning how to do that part.

Goat milk: Am finishing up a quart of very tasty goat milk kefir. I’ve finally stopped living on Da Nile and admitted GM (in any form) doesn’t work well for me. I get intolerance reactions and a feeling of a film coating my body’s insides.

Nuts: Doing well with walnuts. Almonds, especially almond butter, less so. AB has been a food mainstay for years (I love the creaminess). I’m concerned I’m starting to tolerate it less well (and selfishly want to eat it

for as long as possible), so I desire to eat less of it. Will be making nut butters out of raw cashews and Brazil nuts.

Sesame seeds: Not tolerating them. Drag as I made a great salad dressing with tahini, apple cider vinegar, fresh ginger, and olive oil.

Meat:  I needed more protein (see Monkey Brain, above), and added more meat to my diet. I had some ground sausage from free-range chickens, and ocean scallops. I also added more (fresh) salmon. My body does excellently with salmon (and there’s a fish store right up the street!). No opinion yet on the scallops. I’m dropping chicken for now, and adding grass-fed ground beef.

Water: Was focused on getting 64 ounces of water. Switched to drinking about 16 ounces in the morning, none with meals, and sipping throughout the day. Haven’t been drinking my morning water, and feel thirstier during the day.

Rituals: I now give thanks for each element of each meal before I eat. That helps me be more present as I eat. Noticed, too, that I feel more present if I empty my bladder before sitting down to eat.

Rainier Cherries: Bought some tasty Rainiers this week (maybe half a pound), and really enjoyed them, as did my cat, DeeDee. Woke up to cherries across the floor; they must have been a great toy for her.

Food changes: I wrote earlier that “I want to remain flexible and avoid absolutism and compulsiveness.” Why, then, does eating more meat (red meat!) make me feel ashamed? Ditto eating more vegetables, but more cooked vegetables? That old seeking ground, seeking certainty when nothing—including what and how I eat—is certain.