Yes that’s right, I have married myself a magician. I consider myself a semi-creative person, but in one area where I lack complete creativity and/or know-how, she makes up for it and then some (perhaps you should multiply it by a thousand). I can make a decent breakfast, but it’s because I’ve been doing it for so long and I love breakfast. I tend to make the same things, regardless of whether they taste awesome or not. I cannot think outside of the box (literally!) in the kitchen. Give me a recipe, and I will follow it to the tee.
My wonderful kitchen magician, on the other hand, is constantly thinking of new things, is always adding to old things, and almost never follows a recipe to the tee. What comes out is always better than what the recipe called for in the first place!
The perfect example, and the inspiration for today’s short post, is this cookie that I’m eating. I had resigned myself to the fact that for the next month, in order to eat some delicious baked goods I’d have to spend a small fortune, or perhaps start cutting off arms and legs, to finance my sweets addiction. The all-powerful culinary wizard had other ideas. The result is melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookies that are 100% allowed in the diet. Now the only downside is that I eat them too fast!!! Who would have thought that so many restrictions could still taste so good???
Friday, May 20, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Day 4-7: Sweet Freedom!
Though the title might suggest that I am free from this diet, I am actually very far from it. Perhaps we can better, or more accurately, define freedom in just a bit.
This past weekend was an adventurous one for us. One of the quests that made up our adventure called “Last Weekend” was to this little bakery on South Street in Philadelphia. You may, or may not, have heard my anguished cries about my cravings for sweet baked goods. We have tried in the past to make desserts that follow the diet and adhere to the food-combining rules. They were decent, but they still didn’t compare to that delicious Devil’s Food Cake with Vanilla Frosting that I was craving. Well, my better half, my support system and incredible light, heard my cries loud and clear. She then went on a virtual mission to find recipes to quench this ridiculous craving of mine. Well, believe it or not, there are actual bakeries out there that make allergen-free sweets! When you hear gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, corn-free, peanut-free, and refined-sugar-free, you probably think “YUCK!!!!”. I know I do. I can only imagine pasty, brown, and not-sweet-at-all.
There is this bakery in Philadelphia called Sweet Freedom, and they make the most amazing desserts that adhere to those afore-mentioned terms. They even upped the ante when I threw in the fact that I cannot have legumes (garbanzo bean flour, in this particular instance). I decided to try the chocolate cupcake with chocolate icing. I was so surprised to taste something that was that amazing AND that did not have any of the things I cannot have! We were so impressed that we ordered a whole cake! We’ve also decided to slowly start re-introducing the legumes into my diet. The chocolate chip cookies that they make with garbanzo bean flour are fantastic as well! You have to check this place out: http://www.sweetfreedombakery.com/index.html. The food is delicious and they were incredibly helpful and super-friendly. Overall, it was just a great experience, and I felt an overpowering urge to share this info with all of you.
Despite all of our efforts and the fact that we have been really good, with all of the food-combining rules there are, we have still occasionally broken the rules. Of course, it WAS innocent rule-breaking every time because you just can’t remember it all at once. It’s information over-load and at times it feels like food under-load. Here’s a summary: Fruits are good, but only by themselves. Then there are some schools of thought that divide the fruits into acid fruits and sub-acid fruits, and the sub-acid groups can be eaten with fats and veggies and dairy. Proteins should never be consumed with starches, and wouldn’t you believe that avocados are considered light proteins? How foods are labeled makes the combining even more difficult, because certain foods are commonly regarded as one food group but act as a different one as far as food-combining goes.
Everyone knows that I am only doing this because I was told it was the best thing for me to do for me. I needed to get my digestion back on track, and this was the way to do it. But there are many people out there who actually live this diet! They have even lost weight on it. Now I’m not saying that everyone needs to do this diet (or anyone for that matter), because every person reacts differently to diets (just take a look at the South Beach Diet or the Atkins Diet). Some people do swear that this is the healthy way to lose weight. I know I’ve lost a little bit (please, no more comments about the need, or the lack thereof…it is what it is, I’m not super-thrilled about it, but I have to admit I DO feel tons better).
The thing that still fascinates me most is the effect that food has on your digestion. We all know that general rule: Don’t go swimming right after you eat, you should wait an hour. Does this apply to everything? I just figured it did, although I had opinions that big meaty meals took hours, maybe even days, to digest. Digestion is actually much more complicated than just waiting around for an hour and then going swimming. Different foods are digested differently, hence the reasoning behind food-combining. If we eat foods that are digested similarly, or at least complimentarily, rather than have the Digestion Battles in our bellies, the easier and more efficient everything is for our bodies.
Digestion is key, as we all know. It helps keep us regular. I’m going to tie this slightly scientific thought into a very random and slightly crass thought I had, and then I’ll end it there. Since I’ve been here in the new job, I’ve had to grow accustomed to many things. This is an incredibly large office with a ton of people. I came from a small office with about ten people during the busy season. One thing I’ve had to get used to is the bathroom situation. Of course, I have used public bathrooms before…but I only had to use them on occasion. Now I get to use them daily.
So one of the many things I’ve discovered here is that nobody wants to be #2. This applies to a lot of things, especially when it comes to competitions of any kind (whether it be sports, relationships, career goals, etc.). It ALSO applies to the bathroom arena. There are times when maybe you are sick, or maybe you’re just having a bad morning/afternoon. Whatever the case may be, you HAVE TO GO. I’m not sure if this applies to the men out there, but I have seen it time and time again in the women’s room. No one wants to go #2. This is a perfectly natural bodily function we are talking about here, yet society has made it so that we think it’s disgusting and stinky. Why? You have to get rid of the waste somehow! It doesn’t just magically disappear in a sparkly, fragrant poof. Oh no, you must dispose of it properly. Have you ever noticed that sometimes, as you go into a stall, the furthest stall down is occupied, and yet you hear no noise? You continue to do your business, you still hear nothing, but you know you saw those feet when you walked into your stall. She’s quieter than a church mouse, and you KNOW she’s praying you’ll be fast. Here at work, either you have to suck it up and just do it because it’ll never be empty in the bathroom, or you can do as I do, and just go home! :)
This past weekend was an adventurous one for us. One of the quests that made up our adventure called “Last Weekend” was to this little bakery on South Street in Philadelphia. You may, or may not, have heard my anguished cries about my cravings for sweet baked goods. We have tried in the past to make desserts that follow the diet and adhere to the food-combining rules. They were decent, but they still didn’t compare to that delicious Devil’s Food Cake with Vanilla Frosting that I was craving. Well, my better half, my support system and incredible light, heard my cries loud and clear. She then went on a virtual mission to find recipes to quench this ridiculous craving of mine. Well, believe it or not, there are actual bakeries out there that make allergen-free sweets! When you hear gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, corn-free, peanut-free, and refined-sugar-free, you probably think “YUCK!!!!”. I know I do. I can only imagine pasty, brown, and not-sweet-at-all.
There is this bakery in Philadelphia called Sweet Freedom, and they make the most amazing desserts that adhere to those afore-mentioned terms. They even upped the ante when I threw in the fact that I cannot have legumes (garbanzo bean flour, in this particular instance). I decided to try the chocolate cupcake with chocolate icing. I was so surprised to taste something that was that amazing AND that did not have any of the things I cannot have! We were so impressed that we ordered a whole cake! We’ve also decided to slowly start re-introducing the legumes into my diet. The chocolate chip cookies that they make with garbanzo bean flour are fantastic as well! You have to check this place out: http://www.sweetfreedombakery.com/index.html. The food is delicious and they were incredibly helpful and super-friendly. Overall, it was just a great experience, and I felt an overpowering urge to share this info with all of you.
Despite all of our efforts and the fact that we have been really good, with all of the food-combining rules there are, we have still occasionally broken the rules. Of course, it WAS innocent rule-breaking every time because you just can’t remember it all at once. It’s information over-load and at times it feels like food under-load. Here’s a summary: Fruits are good, but only by themselves. Then there are some schools of thought that divide the fruits into acid fruits and sub-acid fruits, and the sub-acid groups can be eaten with fats and veggies and dairy. Proteins should never be consumed with starches, and wouldn’t you believe that avocados are considered light proteins? How foods are labeled makes the combining even more difficult, because certain foods are commonly regarded as one food group but act as a different one as far as food-combining goes.
Everyone knows that I am only doing this because I was told it was the best thing for me to do for me. I needed to get my digestion back on track, and this was the way to do it. But there are many people out there who actually live this diet! They have even lost weight on it. Now I’m not saying that everyone needs to do this diet (or anyone for that matter), because every person reacts differently to diets (just take a look at the South Beach Diet or the Atkins Diet). Some people do swear that this is the healthy way to lose weight. I know I’ve lost a little bit (please, no more comments about the need, or the lack thereof…it is what it is, I’m not super-thrilled about it, but I have to admit I DO feel tons better).
The thing that still fascinates me most is the effect that food has on your digestion. We all know that general rule: Don’t go swimming right after you eat, you should wait an hour. Does this apply to everything? I just figured it did, although I had opinions that big meaty meals took hours, maybe even days, to digest. Digestion is actually much more complicated than just waiting around for an hour and then going swimming. Different foods are digested differently, hence the reasoning behind food-combining. If we eat foods that are digested similarly, or at least complimentarily, rather than have the Digestion Battles in our bellies, the easier and more efficient everything is for our bodies.
Digestion is key, as we all know. It helps keep us regular. I’m going to tie this slightly scientific thought into a very random and slightly crass thought I had, and then I’ll end it there. Since I’ve been here in the new job, I’ve had to grow accustomed to many things. This is an incredibly large office with a ton of people. I came from a small office with about ten people during the busy season. One thing I’ve had to get used to is the bathroom situation. Of course, I have used public bathrooms before…but I only had to use them on occasion. Now I get to use them daily.
So one of the many things I’ve discovered here is that nobody wants to be #2. This applies to a lot of things, especially when it comes to competitions of any kind (whether it be sports, relationships, career goals, etc.). It ALSO applies to the bathroom arena. There are times when maybe you are sick, or maybe you’re just having a bad morning/afternoon. Whatever the case may be, you HAVE TO GO. I’m not sure if this applies to the men out there, but I have seen it time and time again in the women’s room. No one wants to go #2. This is a perfectly natural bodily function we are talking about here, yet society has made it so that we think it’s disgusting and stinky. Why? You have to get rid of the waste somehow! It doesn’t just magically disappear in a sparkly, fragrant poof. Oh no, you must dispose of it properly. Have you ever noticed that sometimes, as you go into a stall, the furthest stall down is occupied, and yet you hear no noise? You continue to do your business, you still hear nothing, but you know you saw those feet when you walked into your stall. She’s quieter than a church mouse, and you KNOW she’s praying you’ll be fast. Here at work, either you have to suck it up and just do it because it’ll never be empty in the bathroom, or you can do as I do, and just go home! :)
Friday, May 13, 2011
Day 3 - What's That Smell?
Remember when I was asking how to get past the Potassium/Electrolyte barrier without drinking the heavily-advertised Gatorades that are strictly prohibited by this diet? I remember it like it was yesterday…
Well, I will have you know that Game Day (Night) was a huge success. We prepped for the game with a healthy true-to-the-diet dinner, which consisted of spinach (yay, potassium!), sun-dried tomatoes (yay, flavor!), and brown rice (yay, substance!). A banana before the game and a natural-sugar, electrolyte-enhanced drink next to plain ol’ water made the perfect recipe for a good workout. The end result? Still hydrated and cramp-free!
There WAS one strange thing that did happen. I had only heard about it, but never noticed it though I was told it happened very early on in my quest called “This Diet”. When I was first told the end of the world had come, and my diet was to be restricted to…who knew what, I didn’t eat much because I didn’t know what to eat. Apparently, at that time, I entered a state of Ketosis. Ke-to-what? That’s right, I said Ketosis. Some of you may know what it is, but I like to think that most of you don't. (Only because it makes me feel better to think that I’m not the only one who didn’t know.) ;-)
So what is this Ketosis thing-a-ma-bob? In very layman’s language, and this is purely only how I understand it, there are ways the body stores and uses energy. First, there is energy derived from carbohydrates. This is easy energy for the body to metabolize, so if there are any carbs (glucose stores) for the body to burn, it will go to those first. Then, there is energy derived from fats. If the body has no carbs to burn, it will turn to the fat stores and use them for energy. I’m not clear on the chemistry behind it (ask the chemist!), but the fact that fat is being metabolized becomes apparent because of the acetone that is lost in the breath and in the urine. Oh yes, your breath will smell vaguely like nail polish. Last night, I couldn’t understand why I was breathing in this air that reminded me a little bit of paint thinner. Well, OF COURSE, replies the knowledgeable chemist. She continued to explain to me that though I most likely had consumed more than 50g of carbs (the imaginary line drawn by those who actually seek this state of Ketosis), I probably burned through what I HAD eaten, and once there was nothing left, my body turned to whatever else I had. Apparently I had fat.
For those of you getting ideas, just know that this is not something you should strive for on a consistent basis. It could be poisonous to your body after prolonged periods of time. There are different schools of thought (as there always is), and some people think it’s healthy to pursue Ketosis. It is heavily debated though, because the danger is that it can cause irreversible cell damage. Don't worry, occasional (and short) bouts with this is not unhealthy...just don’t try to maintain it.
Well! On a lighter note, and as it is almost the weekend, today’s Ideal Island has to be someplace fantastic. It must be fun and completely stress-free. During the early years of my life, my family and I would go to amusement parks. At least once a year, we’d get to go to someplace that was full of laughing and happy screams, roller-coasters, and even some water rides. I became an amusement-parker for life. These last few years I have not been able to find the time to make a trip. I think my all-time favorite is still Six Flags America in Maryland. My favorite ride is still the Superman (go figure!). Do you like amusement parks? If not, think back to that place in your childhood where you had so much fun. Maybe it was in the pool with all of your friends, or maybe it was playing a sport of some kind at the neighborhood park. If you do like amusement parks, think back to your favorite ride. Wherever it is that we all go today, go with me, enjoy the sun shining brightly on your upturned face (or are you hanging upside down at the moment?) and revel in that completely relaxed and oh-so-happy moment.
Well, I will have you know that Game Day (Night) was a huge success. We prepped for the game with a healthy true-to-the-diet dinner, which consisted of spinach (yay, potassium!), sun-dried tomatoes (yay, flavor!), and brown rice (yay, substance!). A banana before the game and a natural-sugar, electrolyte-enhanced drink next to plain ol’ water made the perfect recipe for a good workout. The end result? Still hydrated and cramp-free!
There WAS one strange thing that did happen. I had only heard about it, but never noticed it though I was told it happened very early on in my quest called “This Diet”. When I was first told the end of the world had come, and my diet was to be restricted to…who knew what, I didn’t eat much because I didn’t know what to eat. Apparently, at that time, I entered a state of Ketosis. Ke-to-what? That’s right, I said Ketosis. Some of you may know what it is, but I like to think that most of you don't. (Only because it makes me feel better to think that I’m not the only one who didn’t know.) ;-)
So what is this Ketosis thing-a-ma-bob? In very layman’s language, and this is purely only how I understand it, there are ways the body stores and uses energy. First, there is energy derived from carbohydrates. This is easy energy for the body to metabolize, so if there are any carbs (glucose stores) for the body to burn, it will go to those first. Then, there is energy derived from fats. If the body has no carbs to burn, it will turn to the fat stores and use them for energy. I’m not clear on the chemistry behind it (ask the chemist!), but the fact that fat is being metabolized becomes apparent because of the acetone that is lost in the breath and in the urine. Oh yes, your breath will smell vaguely like nail polish. Last night, I couldn’t understand why I was breathing in this air that reminded me a little bit of paint thinner. Well, OF COURSE, replies the knowledgeable chemist. She continued to explain to me that though I most likely had consumed more than 50g of carbs (the imaginary line drawn by those who actually seek this state of Ketosis), I probably burned through what I HAD eaten, and once there was nothing left, my body turned to whatever else I had. Apparently I had fat.
For those of you getting ideas, just know that this is not something you should strive for on a consistent basis. It could be poisonous to your body after prolonged periods of time. There are different schools of thought (as there always is), and some people think it’s healthy to pursue Ketosis. It is heavily debated though, because the danger is that it can cause irreversible cell damage. Don't worry, occasional (and short) bouts with this is not unhealthy...just don’t try to maintain it.
Well! On a lighter note, and as it is almost the weekend, today’s Ideal Island has to be someplace fantastic. It must be fun and completely stress-free. During the early years of my life, my family and I would go to amusement parks. At least once a year, we’d get to go to someplace that was full of laughing and happy screams, roller-coasters, and even some water rides. I became an amusement-parker for life. These last few years I have not been able to find the time to make a trip. I think my all-time favorite is still Six Flags America in Maryland. My favorite ride is still the Superman (go figure!). Do you like amusement parks? If not, think back to that place in your childhood where you had so much fun. Maybe it was in the pool with all of your friends, or maybe it was playing a sport of some kind at the neighborhood park. If you do like amusement parks, think back to your favorite ride. Wherever it is that we all go today, go with me, enjoy the sun shining brightly on your upturned face (or are you hanging upside down at the moment?) and revel in that completely relaxed and oh-so-happy moment.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Day 2 -- It's Got Electrolytes
I was good with the diet on Day 1. Breakfast consisted of eggs, only to be made complete by the table-full of vitamins, supplements, and allergy meds. Work was semi-busy in the morning, so I didn’t even notice that I was thirsty or munchy until about lunchtime. Lunch consisted of a millet-bread sandwich with zucchini hummus (made by the best chef in the world!), spinach, and a roasted red pepper. And yes, more supplements mixed in some applesauce. The afternoon was slow, so in between writing Day 1’s posting, I also snacked on all of the fruit I had (grapes are the best snack for work because they are finger-sized and simple to grab, and they still maintain that sweet factor that I crave). For dinner, we made grass-fed beef burgers. No buns…are you crazy! I can’t have grains! We’ve discovered that a burger patty on top of sweet potato hash is absolutely delicious, but last night we combined the burger with bacon, guacamole and I had cooked spinach on the side. Of course, my meal cannot be complete without supplements…breakfast and dinner’s supplements involve a maneuver I have come to call “Dump and Chug”. Essentially applesauce can get old…so for the meals where I only need one pill and a liquid supplement mixed in juice, I just empty the contents of the pill in my mouth, and chug the nasty supplement-juice to wash it all down. Voila. All gone…in ten seconds flat. ;-)
Here we are now, Day 2. I have still been good. Eggs were for breakfast again, and millet bread sandwich for lunch, both complete with sides of supplements. It seems like a pretty boring and consistent diet, doesn’t it? We do mix up the dinner menu…that’s the most exciting meal of the day! Sometimes I even get to take leftovers for lunch. :)
But today is slightly different. Today is a Game Day. This means many things to many people. Normally, for me it would mean to stock up on fuel-food, and definitely don’t forget the Gatorade!!! Well, you all know the restrictions…no pasta and definitely no sugar. Two weekends ago, I had two games in one day. I stayed true to the diet and ate only what I could have. I only took water to the games. The first game went by without a hitch.
The second game started off the same…but about 20 minutes in, I started to feel some cramps sneaking into my calves. OK, I thought, I’ll just stretch them a bit…keep them loose. Not a problem. By halftime I was cramping and stretching pretty constantly. About halfway through the second half, I went up for what turned out to be the last ball I’d go up for in that game. I went up and then came crashing down with Charlie Horses in both legs. I felt like my calves were never going to release. Finally, after what seemed like eternity to me, but was probably only about two minutes, I was able to hobble off the field, thanks to the ref stretching them for me. Not only did I not go back in the game, I also limped around work for two days before finally putting heat on it. Oh, the magic of heat…Two days of heat, and I was almost 100%.
At first, I said “Screw the diet on game days!”. I purchased a compression sleeve for the worst of the two calves. This past weekend I had three games in two days. Saturday I just wore the sleeve, drank Gatorade during and after the game, and had a banana after. Would you believe that I actually felt sick after drinking the Gatorade? Here I am thinking I was doing my body a favor by giving it the electrolytes it obviously craved, and in return I get stomach-cramping and nausea. Who would have thought my body would reject the oh-so-delicious sugar I’ve ingested for as long as I can remember, and after such a short span of time? I figured I definitely needed the Gatorade on Sunday because I had two games. The electrolytes seemed to help in combination with the sleeve, so I figured I’d go easy on the Gatorade, but still drink it throughout the day. I didn’t have any cramping in the calves, but my stomach was still not happy with the Gatorade.
So what do we do? Today is Game Day. I shouldn’t drink Gatorade, but how do I get the electrolytes I need? Brawndo won’t exist for another 500 years! (That’s an “Idiocracy” reference, for those who have not seen it…)
Everyone thinks that eating a banana will give you the potassium you need to reduce, eliminate, or prevent cramping. Everyone is told that Gatorade helps hydrate, which will also help reduce, eliminate, or prevent cramping. There are natural sugar substitutes to Gatorade, such as the Emergen-C brand. But I was still mostly impressed by the less-advertised foods that have incredible amounts of potassium.
Let’s take a look at how things compare:
• Gatorade: Potassium 30mg/8 oz
• Emergen-C: Potassium 200mg/1 packet
• Banana: Potassium 467mg/1 med banana
• Avocado: Potassium 540mg/3 oz
• Orange Juice: Potassium 496mg/1 cup
• Artichoke: Potassium 595mg/1 cup
• Beet Greens: Potassium 1,309mg/1 cup
• Broccoli: Potassium 456mg/1 cup
• Spinach: Potassium 839mg/1 cup
• Sweet Potatoes: Potassium 508mg/1 cup
This list is super-abbreviated, but just look at all of the possibilities! Beet greens are surprisingly awesome, and my favorite way to eat them is to simply mix them in with brown rice.
The foods by themselves provide so much more of the potassium we need than the sports drinks can give, and they offer none of the refined sugars that our bodies don’t need that the Gatorade has. Natural sugars from fruits are good enough…I’m slowly accepting this fact. All of those sweet, yummy things I love, but I just don’t need. I DO want them though!!!
Be warned…since I’m on a super-restrictive diet, a lot of my Ideal Islands will most likely involve food that I just cannot have in these few months of my life. Today I’m reaching way back into my past. For the last couple of weeks, I have been craving ice cream and devils food cake with vanilla frosting. Yum. Probably one of the earliest memories I have of delicious baked goods is a memory of Giant Cookies with M&M’s and chocolate chips that were almost as big as my head. Oh my my, how good those cookies were. In Provo, Utah, there is this restaurant called Brick Oven, and they make these so-called Giant Cookies. Come away with me on this beautiful Spring day, and let’s bask in the sun with glorious giant chocolate chip cookies as big as our heads.
Here we are now, Day 2. I have still been good. Eggs were for breakfast again, and millet bread sandwich for lunch, both complete with sides of supplements. It seems like a pretty boring and consistent diet, doesn’t it? We do mix up the dinner menu…that’s the most exciting meal of the day! Sometimes I even get to take leftovers for lunch. :)
But today is slightly different. Today is a Game Day. This means many things to many people. Normally, for me it would mean to stock up on fuel-food, and definitely don’t forget the Gatorade!!! Well, you all know the restrictions…no pasta and definitely no sugar. Two weekends ago, I had two games in one day. I stayed true to the diet and ate only what I could have. I only took water to the games. The first game went by without a hitch.
The second game started off the same…but about 20 minutes in, I started to feel some cramps sneaking into my calves. OK, I thought, I’ll just stretch them a bit…keep them loose. Not a problem. By halftime I was cramping and stretching pretty constantly. About halfway through the second half, I went up for what turned out to be the last ball I’d go up for in that game. I went up and then came crashing down with Charlie Horses in both legs. I felt like my calves were never going to release. Finally, after what seemed like eternity to me, but was probably only about two minutes, I was able to hobble off the field, thanks to the ref stretching them for me. Not only did I not go back in the game, I also limped around work for two days before finally putting heat on it. Oh, the magic of heat…Two days of heat, and I was almost 100%.
At first, I said “Screw the diet on game days!”. I purchased a compression sleeve for the worst of the two calves. This past weekend I had three games in two days. Saturday I just wore the sleeve, drank Gatorade during and after the game, and had a banana after. Would you believe that I actually felt sick after drinking the Gatorade? Here I am thinking I was doing my body a favor by giving it the electrolytes it obviously craved, and in return I get stomach-cramping and nausea. Who would have thought my body would reject the oh-so-delicious sugar I’ve ingested for as long as I can remember, and after such a short span of time? I figured I definitely needed the Gatorade on Sunday because I had two games. The electrolytes seemed to help in combination with the sleeve, so I figured I’d go easy on the Gatorade, but still drink it throughout the day. I didn’t have any cramping in the calves, but my stomach was still not happy with the Gatorade.
So what do we do? Today is Game Day. I shouldn’t drink Gatorade, but how do I get the electrolytes I need? Brawndo won’t exist for another 500 years! (That’s an “Idiocracy” reference, for those who have not seen it…)
Everyone thinks that eating a banana will give you the potassium you need to reduce, eliminate, or prevent cramping. Everyone is told that Gatorade helps hydrate, which will also help reduce, eliminate, or prevent cramping. There are natural sugar substitutes to Gatorade, such as the Emergen-C brand. But I was still mostly impressed by the less-advertised foods that have incredible amounts of potassium.
Let’s take a look at how things compare:
• Gatorade: Potassium 30mg/8 oz
• Emergen-C: Potassium 200mg/1 packet
• Banana: Potassium 467mg/1 med banana
• Avocado: Potassium 540mg/3 oz
• Orange Juice: Potassium 496mg/1 cup
• Artichoke: Potassium 595mg/1 cup
• Beet Greens: Potassium 1,309mg/1 cup
• Broccoli: Potassium 456mg/1 cup
• Spinach: Potassium 839mg/1 cup
• Sweet Potatoes: Potassium 508mg/1 cup
This list is super-abbreviated, but just look at all of the possibilities! Beet greens are surprisingly awesome, and my favorite way to eat them is to simply mix them in with brown rice.
The foods by themselves provide so much more of the potassium we need than the sports drinks can give, and they offer none of the refined sugars that our bodies don’t need that the Gatorade has. Natural sugars from fruits are good enough…I’m slowly accepting this fact. All of those sweet, yummy things I love, but I just don’t need. I DO want them though!!!
Be warned…since I’m on a super-restrictive diet, a lot of my Ideal Islands will most likely involve food that I just cannot have in these few months of my life. Today I’m reaching way back into my past. For the last couple of weeks, I have been craving ice cream and devils food cake with vanilla frosting. Yum. Probably one of the earliest memories I have of delicious baked goods is a memory of Giant Cookies with M&M’s and chocolate chips that were almost as big as my head. Oh my my, how good those cookies were. In Provo, Utah, there is this restaurant called Brick Oven, and they make these so-called Giant Cookies. Come away with me on this beautiful Spring day, and let’s bask in the sun with glorious giant chocolate chip cookies as big as our heads.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Day 1 of Revised Diet
So here we are, 29 days after I was first instructed to restrict my diet and to take supplements. This was to “cleanse” my body and get my digestion back on track. This is what I spent four weeks telling myself, along with the idea that once the month was over, I’d get all those things I enjoyed back. For those of you that haven’t been graced by my complaints, I’ll give you all of the gory details.
I’ve spent the last few months between my primary care physician, the allergist, and a nutritionist. I’ve had allergy tests, I’ve had ultrasounds, and I’ve even had a CATscan. “What the heck happened to you?” you may ask. Well, nothing really…other than I’ve had minor sinus congestion for a couple of years and a new pain in the abdomen that I couldn’t self-diagnose. OK, so I decided to finally get that checked out and hopefully made better.
First stop: the primary physician. I come out of that appointment with many names in hand of people to see, and no real diagnosis for the pain. OK, fine.
Second stop: the allergist. Before I went to see him, I knew that I was allergic to tree nuts, melons, some fish, and ripe bananas. After a blood test (they took a LOT of blood!) which revealed nothing but possibilities of a peanut allergy, I became the itchy pincushion. They tested for about 40 things…I can’t remember the exact number now, it was so long ago, but believe me, it was A LOT! It turns out I am allergic to all seven trees they tested for, all three grasses, and both weeds (yes, apparently I AM allergic to Southeastern Pennsylvania). I’m also allergic to one of three molds/mildews, all tree nuts and apparently peanuts too. I’m also allergic to dust mites (go figure), feathers, and the saddest of all, animals. I am allergic to my cats!!! Who would have thought that it was possible that my never-ending congestion was due to the cats??? I mean…when you look at the timeline, it makes total sense, but who’s keeping track of that anyway??? Once we made the bedroom “allergen-free” and the cats are 100% prohibited from entering, I have slept so much better. *sigh* I do miss when they’d come and snuggle…it was so cute in my mind.
The strange thing about the allergy test is this: apparently I’m not allergic to fish. So explain the reactions I have to some fish!!! Response? Stay away from fish. OK, thanks.
Is my abdominal pain associated with food allergies? We don’t know. I had an ultrasound done, with no real conclusion, so the next stop was the CATscan. Yay. I hope I NEVER have to do one of those again. The barium itself is reason for me to never get scanned again. And though I almost hoped there was something wrong, since I had to go through torture just to be scanned, there was not. OK, so I am actually glad there is nothing wrong.
So what IS this pain? I decided I’d call it my tumor (because it was clearly not, since the ultrasound and CATscan were clean), but that was rejected as a terrible joke, so now I call it my evil twin.
Last stop on the Pain Investigation Express? Nutritionist. He did some testing and do you want to know what his diagnosis was? I had completely messed up my digestion, and all of my organs were out of whack. Solution? No wheat, soy, milk, sugar, or corn for a month. Oh, and take a shopping-bag full of these supplements while you are at it. The diet in itself is not so bad, believe it or not. Aside from the fact that I cannot eat much of what I thoroughly enjoy, I found many acceptable substitutes. Add in the crazy formula of food combining, and that’s where things get interesting. Proteins and starches should NEVER be eaten together in a meal, and fruit should ALWAYS be eaten alone. That’s more difficult to remember…there’s so many rules! But, even with the incredibly restrictive diet and the crazy rules, the worst thing for me is the supplements. Most people who know me know that I cannot swallow a pill whole, unless it’s a very tiny pill. I have a tiny throat! It’s a family thing...I sometimes even choke on air. Not really...but I do have a totally true and funny story of choking on these supplements, which I’ll save telling for another day. So I do as you do with children…pour the contents of the pill into some applesauce and down the hatch it goes! Choo choo!!! (It reminds me of the days with baby food and airplanes zooming, trains choo-chooing, and food sometimes actually being swallowed.)
I was SO good. I tried to stick by the diet and the rules, and I took all of my supplements (except the night or two when I truly did forget). I was so sure, since I was so good, I was going to be FREE! I saw the nutritionist again last night for my follow-up. Not only am I still stuck on this diet, I still have to take most of the supplements! Luckily though, I don’t have to take any more for the Spleen. They were one of the nastiest pills he gave me. Liver’s next on the nasty list…but I wasn’t so lucky to lose both of the offensive pills. So after a night of being bad, because we had in our minds when we went in to see him that we were going to have more dietary freedom when we came out, we are back on the good-girl train.
*Note to everyone out there: KFC after a month of cleansing is a VERY bad idea indeed!!! I just hope this doesn’t mean I’ve tacked on another month at the end of this one.
I’ve decided to try to document this month’s progress with the diet. Perhaps it’s just my very sneaky way of sharing my misery. ;-) I like to think of it as enlightening others to yet another way of life, one of which I’m just beginning to learn the ways of.
And since I can only stare longingly at the foods I used to enjoy, my Ideal Island Getaway for today is to Naples, Italy. It is the place where I have never had an empty plate, and though the food was different at times from anything I’ve ever known, it was always super-scrumptious. As the possibility of losing more weight from this diet lingers, the visions of Grandma’s cooking in Naples puts those virtual pounds back on. Reach back into your past. Do you remember Grandma’s cooking? Was it like none other? If you don’t have any savory memories, I will share my Italian grandmother-in-law with you, and we can all escape to Naples together.
I’ve spent the last few months between my primary care physician, the allergist, and a nutritionist. I’ve had allergy tests, I’ve had ultrasounds, and I’ve even had a CATscan. “What the heck happened to you?” you may ask. Well, nothing really…other than I’ve had minor sinus congestion for a couple of years and a new pain in the abdomen that I couldn’t self-diagnose. OK, so I decided to finally get that checked out and hopefully made better.
First stop: the primary physician. I come out of that appointment with many names in hand of people to see, and no real diagnosis for the pain. OK, fine.
Second stop: the allergist. Before I went to see him, I knew that I was allergic to tree nuts, melons, some fish, and ripe bananas. After a blood test (they took a LOT of blood!) which revealed nothing but possibilities of a peanut allergy, I became the itchy pincushion. They tested for about 40 things…I can’t remember the exact number now, it was so long ago, but believe me, it was A LOT! It turns out I am allergic to all seven trees they tested for, all three grasses, and both weeds (yes, apparently I AM allergic to Southeastern Pennsylvania). I’m also allergic to one of three molds/mildews, all tree nuts and apparently peanuts too. I’m also allergic to dust mites (go figure), feathers, and the saddest of all, animals. I am allergic to my cats!!! Who would have thought that it was possible that my never-ending congestion was due to the cats??? I mean…when you look at the timeline, it makes total sense, but who’s keeping track of that anyway??? Once we made the bedroom “allergen-free” and the cats are 100% prohibited from entering, I have slept so much better. *sigh* I do miss when they’d come and snuggle…it was so cute in my mind.
The strange thing about the allergy test is this: apparently I’m not allergic to fish. So explain the reactions I have to some fish!!! Response? Stay away from fish. OK, thanks.
Is my abdominal pain associated with food allergies? We don’t know. I had an ultrasound done, with no real conclusion, so the next stop was the CATscan. Yay. I hope I NEVER have to do one of those again. The barium itself is reason for me to never get scanned again. And though I almost hoped there was something wrong, since I had to go through torture just to be scanned, there was not. OK, so I am actually glad there is nothing wrong.
So what IS this pain? I decided I’d call it my tumor (because it was clearly not, since the ultrasound and CATscan were clean), but that was rejected as a terrible joke, so now I call it my evil twin.
Last stop on the Pain Investigation Express? Nutritionist. He did some testing and do you want to know what his diagnosis was? I had completely messed up my digestion, and all of my organs were out of whack. Solution? No wheat, soy, milk, sugar, or corn for a month. Oh, and take a shopping-bag full of these supplements while you are at it. The diet in itself is not so bad, believe it or not. Aside from the fact that I cannot eat much of what I thoroughly enjoy, I found many acceptable substitutes. Add in the crazy formula of food combining, and that’s where things get interesting. Proteins and starches should NEVER be eaten together in a meal, and fruit should ALWAYS be eaten alone. That’s more difficult to remember…there’s so many rules! But, even with the incredibly restrictive diet and the crazy rules, the worst thing for me is the supplements. Most people who know me know that I cannot swallow a pill whole, unless it’s a very tiny pill. I have a tiny throat! It’s a family thing...I sometimes even choke on air. Not really...but I do have a totally true and funny story of choking on these supplements, which I’ll save telling for another day. So I do as you do with children…pour the contents of the pill into some applesauce and down the hatch it goes! Choo choo!!! (It reminds me of the days with baby food and airplanes zooming, trains choo-chooing, and food sometimes actually being swallowed.)
I was SO good. I tried to stick by the diet and the rules, and I took all of my supplements (except the night or two when I truly did forget). I was so sure, since I was so good, I was going to be FREE! I saw the nutritionist again last night for my follow-up. Not only am I still stuck on this diet, I still have to take most of the supplements! Luckily though, I don’t have to take any more for the Spleen. They were one of the nastiest pills he gave me. Liver’s next on the nasty list…but I wasn’t so lucky to lose both of the offensive pills. So after a night of being bad, because we had in our minds when we went in to see him that we were going to have more dietary freedom when we came out, we are back on the good-girl train.
*Note to everyone out there: KFC after a month of cleansing is a VERY bad idea indeed!!! I just hope this doesn’t mean I’ve tacked on another month at the end of this one.
I’ve decided to try to document this month’s progress with the diet. Perhaps it’s just my very sneaky way of sharing my misery. ;-) I like to think of it as enlightening others to yet another way of life, one of which I’m just beginning to learn the ways of.
And since I can only stare longingly at the foods I used to enjoy, my Ideal Island Getaway for today is to Naples, Italy. It is the place where I have never had an empty plate, and though the food was different at times from anything I’ve ever known, it was always super-scrumptious. As the possibility of losing more weight from this diet lingers, the visions of Grandma’s cooking in Naples puts those virtual pounds back on. Reach back into your past. Do you remember Grandma’s cooking? Was it like none other? If you don’t have any savory memories, I will share my Italian grandmother-in-law with you, and we can all escape to Naples together.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
PONDERING POSE -- WHAT IS TIME?
After a brief sabbatical, we are back and getting into some sort of grind. Between wedding plans, house renovations, a new job, and all the various holidays, time just slipped away.
Time is an interesting thing. It's actually a pretty controversial subject, because no one can adequately define it. I think of it as being more of a theory than anything else. It's everything, yet it's nothing. It is absolute and it is abstract.
Remember when we were kids? Time moved so incredibly slowly, it was almost as if it were moving backwards. I don't think I was a terrible child, but I do know I was a mischievous one (I know, difficult to believe). I remember on more than one occasion being told that I needed to sit still in a chair for five minutes. This was my parents' rendition of time-out, I suppose. I still can remember the angst I felt when I had to sit still and not do anything for five whole minutes! I would watch this enormous clock tick so slowly, I was sure the batteries were dying mid-stroke.
Today, five minutes come and go and I feel as if I didn't even have time to blink an eye. My little siblings are all growing up. I will always think of my brother as that 7-year-old kid that I left when I went off to college. And my baby sister? She's going to high school next school year. We can start this whole new game called "You know you're old when...". I may still have that youthful face, but my hair is turning a lighter shade that is definitely not intentional (nor is it invited!), and my body sometimes doesn't want to work the way I want it to.
What is it about time that changes as we age? You would think that the two have to have a linear relationship, since we age as time goes on. It's inevitable, it's nature. So why aren't they linear? If anything, time seems parabolic, doesn't it? As children, there's a lot of time and little to do. As adults, there's a lot to do and little time to do it in. And from what I understand, as elders, there is yet again more time and less to do.
Perhaps it's that time is also a concept. As a child, school years took forever, and birthdays and holidays seemed to slowly creep in. As adults, we try to squeeze so much into our lives, possibly to "fulfill" our lives, that we fill them too much. Either everything gets neglected, or nothing gets done. Most people just don't have the time to keep up with everything they pile on their plate. So we do a lot of compromising. We'll make poor attempts at chores this weekend, but at least we'll have a couple of hours to visit the family and then we can probably squeeze in dinner with some friends before we need to get back home so we can get to bed at a decent hour so we can be up to do some yard work before it gets dark and cold. Oh, and we have to get laundry done somewhere in there, and we need to go grocery shopping because we have no food in the fridge and only a few slices of bread in the pantry. See? We don't even have time to be grammatically correct in our thinking. It's just one big run-on sentence. Maybe we get a chance to stop and pause for a breath. Then again...maybe not.
What happened to those days where I was so bored, I'd go outside and play for hours, just to keep my mind occupied? Now I don't even have the energy to occupy the nephews for more than a couple minutes at a time. I wish for those little tidbits of time where I don't have to do ANYTHING. Do we use up every ounce of our energy as children, as if it were a reservoir that eventually will be empty once we reach adulthood? Or is it because we just don't have as many responsibilities, so our energy is never fully tapped? Does this mean that responsibility and time are related? I mean, they do say that "with time comes responsibility". Or is it that with AGE comes responsibility? Then again, in my mind, they should be interchangeable, so it's both.
For those of us who never seem to have the time to do much, let's play hooky for the day. Take a trip to the beach, take a trip to the mountains, or take a trip to the park. Personally, I would take a drive with my better half. The perfect day-trip would be down to Rehoboth Beach, whether it be during the winter or during the summer. There's always something open, no matter what time of the year it is. A good place for karaoke is the Purple Parrot. I have never been disappointed by the entertainment there. Dos Locos, in my opinion, is the best place to get some food and a beverage or two. If you're looking to shake your booty (as I usually am), even during the winter you can find at least one place where the music is pumping and the bodies are jumping. If you are not in the area to make a day-trip to Rehoboth, look around you. What's within a two-hour radius? How far are you willing to travel? Grab your loved ones, grab your keys, and get away!
Time is an interesting thing. It's actually a pretty controversial subject, because no one can adequately define it. I think of it as being more of a theory than anything else. It's everything, yet it's nothing. It is absolute and it is abstract.
Remember when we were kids? Time moved so incredibly slowly, it was almost as if it were moving backwards. I don't think I was a terrible child, but I do know I was a mischievous one (I know, difficult to believe). I remember on more than one occasion being told that I needed to sit still in a chair for five minutes. This was my parents' rendition of time-out, I suppose. I still can remember the angst I felt when I had to sit still and not do anything for five whole minutes! I would watch this enormous clock tick so slowly, I was sure the batteries were dying mid-stroke.
Today, five minutes come and go and I feel as if I didn't even have time to blink an eye. My little siblings are all growing up. I will always think of my brother as that 7-year-old kid that I left when I went off to college. And my baby sister? She's going to high school next school year. We can start this whole new game called "You know you're old when...". I may still have that youthful face, but my hair is turning a lighter shade that is definitely not intentional (nor is it invited!), and my body sometimes doesn't want to work the way I want it to.
What is it about time that changes as we age? You would think that the two have to have a linear relationship, since we age as time goes on. It's inevitable, it's nature. So why aren't they linear? If anything, time seems parabolic, doesn't it? As children, there's a lot of time and little to do. As adults, there's a lot to do and little time to do it in. And from what I understand, as elders, there is yet again more time and less to do.
Perhaps it's that time is also a concept. As a child, school years took forever, and birthdays and holidays seemed to slowly creep in. As adults, we try to squeeze so much into our lives, possibly to "fulfill" our lives, that we fill them too much. Either everything gets neglected, or nothing gets done. Most people just don't have the time to keep up with everything they pile on their plate. So we do a lot of compromising. We'll make poor attempts at chores this weekend, but at least we'll have a couple of hours to visit the family and then we can probably squeeze in dinner with some friends before we need to get back home so we can get to bed at a decent hour so we can be up to do some yard work before it gets dark and cold. Oh, and we have to get laundry done somewhere in there, and we need to go grocery shopping because we have no food in the fridge and only a few slices of bread in the pantry. See? We don't even have time to be grammatically correct in our thinking. It's just one big run-on sentence. Maybe we get a chance to stop and pause for a breath. Then again...maybe not.
What happened to those days where I was so bored, I'd go outside and play for hours, just to keep my mind occupied? Now I don't even have the energy to occupy the nephews for more than a couple minutes at a time. I wish for those little tidbits of time where I don't have to do ANYTHING. Do we use up every ounce of our energy as children, as if it were a reservoir that eventually will be empty once we reach adulthood? Or is it because we just don't have as many responsibilities, so our energy is never fully tapped? Does this mean that responsibility and time are related? I mean, they do say that "with time comes responsibility". Or is it that with AGE comes responsibility? Then again, in my mind, they should be interchangeable, so it's both.
For those of us who never seem to have the time to do much, let's play hooky for the day. Take a trip to the beach, take a trip to the mountains, or take a trip to the park. Personally, I would take a drive with my better half. The perfect day-trip would be down to Rehoboth Beach, whether it be during the winter or during the summer. There's always something open, no matter what time of the year it is. A good place for karaoke is the Purple Parrot. I have never been disappointed by the entertainment there. Dos Locos, in my opinion, is the best place to get some food and a beverage or two. If you're looking to shake your booty (as I usually am), even during the winter you can find at least one place where the music is pumping and the bodies are jumping. If you are not in the area to make a day-trip to Rehoboth, look around you. What's within a two-hour radius? How far are you willing to travel? Grab your loved ones, grab your keys, and get away!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Ignorance isn't bliss, it's tiring.
Isn't that how the old adage goes? It's bliss? People who don't know any better are happier? Who knows? Perhaps it's true for some people. But those same blissfully ignorant people tire me sometimes. They say completely idiotic things, perhaps to be witty, but they come across as jerks or just plain stupid.
Take, for example, the guy at the next table last night. For awhile after they were seated, I paid them no mind, because I was incredibly happy with who I was with. But conversation lulled at some point, which usually results in comfortable silence for us or maybe a pondering-pose moment. And that is when I heard this guy.
He was young, so I'll chalk his ignorance and cockiness up to that. But I'd like to complain a little bit about it while I can, because sometimes even the Dalai Lama can't put up with everything!!! Well...maybe he can, but I'm far from being that good! :)
So anyway, our pondering poses were disrupted by this guy at first just talking. And talking. And talking. To me, it was about nothing, other than to show off that he can use big words. Good for you! Do you want a cookie??? Fine. He doesn't want a cookie... Eventually, his big words start to get boring, so he changes tactics. Out of nowhere that I could follow, he starts up about this trip to Virginia. I mean, he didn't even take a breath between talking about some crazy structure that was against the point of the "art" to...oh wait, I just realized the connection. In his mind, ridiculousness was the connection.
So he's going on and on about some structure somewhere that's about a boat, but it's this huge building that's massive and would never float and blah blah blah. Again, I didn't really care too much. I'm not an eavesdropper, by the way...but it's difficult to ignore loud, obnoxious voices. (So true, in so many ways...) Anyway, so he switches gears, or so I thought, to this "ludicrous mega-church that he equated to Disneyland. Perhaps not everyone knows what I am referring to, but enough of you do.
If you take a gander down to Washington, DC on I-495, there's a curve and a hill, and then this magnificent white building appears before you. If you don't know what it is, fine. I can understand that it could look to an ignorant person a little like Disneyland. But stop that there. I have known more people besides this guy that took pictures because of it. But rather than make fun of it, or talk about its ridiculousness, why don't you actually figure out WHAT it is??? He called it a mega-church that was ridiculous in its whiteness with a gold statue on top. That's why my ears really perked up and my temper started to flare. Granted, I'm not faithful in the religion I grew up in. I'm not even very religious, though I am spiritual. But I think that every religion deserves respect for what it believes, even if it's not understood or even agreed with, because at least they HAVE beliefs. I do think I'm a pretty patient person (I know I've said this before), but I also have a temper. Mess with me or someone that I love, and I WILL put my dukes up (along with the bristles on my back). So next time you want to talk about a Mormon Temple, you do your homework about it. I don't go, but I certainly don't talk down about it, and I really don't tolerate other people disrespecting it. Of all the people who are getting in line to disrespect the religion, the people who do NOT get tickets are the ones that say whatever little thing comes to their mind, like a human gumball machine. It's not a fantastic freak-show, nor a magnificently-themed-attraction. It is an incredibly religious building that just so happens to be one of the most beautiful Mormon temples (in my mind). So many people disrespect things that they know nothing about, and that really must stop.
He was lucky we were in a semi-fancy restaurant or I would have called him out on his ignorance right there. (Yes, me...Ms. Usually-Mellow-Rarely-Confrontational Me.) But, Mr. Smarty-Pants-Fancy-Talker just showed how smart he actually was, so he didn't need a whole lot of public confrontation. No, instead I loudly commented that he had absolutely no idea what he was talking about and that he should stop talking about it... And thankfully he DID shut up for a little while. I'm pretty sure the silence was because the entire table went to whispers about me, because of the glares I got when we left, but I don't care. I've got killer-stares I can dish out too.
Maybe that seed I planted will stick. I hope so. But if not, people...please stick up for your beliefs and more importantly, for the people you love. Encourage respect and search for knowledge. If you don't, who will? Opinions are great to have, but senseless chatter just to get a laugh is just plain rude.
And so, because I detracted from the fun part of the blog for a few posts, I'm warning you I'm going to get back into it, full-force. To get away from all of the idiots, you really do need to just get away completely. Perhaps if we take a ride on our own personal spaceflights we can accomplish the getaway from idiocy. See you all there! (After we win the Powerball, of course!)
Take, for example, the guy at the next table last night. For awhile after they were seated, I paid them no mind, because I was incredibly happy with who I was with. But conversation lulled at some point, which usually results in comfortable silence for us or maybe a pondering-pose moment. And that is when I heard this guy.
He was young, so I'll chalk his ignorance and cockiness up to that. But I'd like to complain a little bit about it while I can, because sometimes even the Dalai Lama can't put up with everything!!! Well...maybe he can, but I'm far from being that good! :)
So anyway, our pondering poses were disrupted by this guy at first just talking. And talking. And talking. To me, it was about nothing, other than to show off that he can use big words. Good for you! Do you want a cookie??? Fine. He doesn't want a cookie... Eventually, his big words start to get boring, so he changes tactics. Out of nowhere that I could follow, he starts up about this trip to Virginia. I mean, he didn't even take a breath between talking about some crazy structure that was against the point of the "art" to...oh wait, I just realized the connection. In his mind, ridiculousness was the connection.
So he's going on and on about some structure somewhere that's about a boat, but it's this huge building that's massive and would never float and blah blah blah. Again, I didn't really care too much. I'm not an eavesdropper, by the way...but it's difficult to ignore loud, obnoxious voices. (So true, in so many ways...) Anyway, so he switches gears, or so I thought, to this "ludicrous mega-church that he equated to Disneyland. Perhaps not everyone knows what I am referring to, but enough of you do.
If you take a gander down to Washington, DC on I-495, there's a curve and a hill, and then this magnificent white building appears before you. If you don't know what it is, fine. I can understand that it could look to an ignorant person a little like Disneyland. But stop that there. I have known more people besides this guy that took pictures because of it. But rather than make fun of it, or talk about its ridiculousness, why don't you actually figure out WHAT it is??? He called it a mega-church that was ridiculous in its whiteness with a gold statue on top. That's why my ears really perked up and my temper started to flare. Granted, I'm not faithful in the religion I grew up in. I'm not even very religious, though I am spiritual. But I think that every religion deserves respect for what it believes, even if it's not understood or even agreed with, because at least they HAVE beliefs. I do think I'm a pretty patient person (I know I've said this before), but I also have a temper. Mess with me or someone that I love, and I WILL put my dukes up (along with the bristles on my back). So next time you want to talk about a Mormon Temple, you do your homework about it. I don't go, but I certainly don't talk down about it, and I really don't tolerate other people disrespecting it. Of all the people who are getting in line to disrespect the religion, the people who do NOT get tickets are the ones that say whatever little thing comes to their mind, like a human gumball machine. It's not a fantastic freak-show, nor a magnificently-themed-attraction. It is an incredibly religious building that just so happens to be one of the most beautiful Mormon temples (in my mind). So many people disrespect things that they know nothing about, and that really must stop.
He was lucky we were in a semi-fancy restaurant or I would have called him out on his ignorance right there. (Yes, me...Ms. Usually-Mellow-Rarely-Confrontational Me.) But, Mr. Smarty-Pants-Fancy-Talker just showed how smart he actually was, so he didn't need a whole lot of public confrontation. No, instead I loudly commented that he had absolutely no idea what he was talking about and that he should stop talking about it... And thankfully he DID shut up for a little while. I'm pretty sure the silence was because the entire table went to whispers about me, because of the glares I got when we left, but I don't care. I've got killer-stares I can dish out too.
Maybe that seed I planted will stick. I hope so. But if not, people...please stick up for your beliefs and more importantly, for the people you love. Encourage respect and search for knowledge. If you don't, who will? Opinions are great to have, but senseless chatter just to get a laugh is just plain rude.
And so, because I detracted from the fun part of the blog for a few posts, I'm warning you I'm going to get back into it, full-force. To get away from all of the idiots, you really do need to just get away completely. Perhaps if we take a ride on our own personal spaceflights we can accomplish the getaway from idiocy. See you all there! (After we win the Powerball, of course!)
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