A Delicious Life

I stayed up too late last night - I got caught up in e-mail and surfing on my computer. It wasn’t a total waste of time; I did get to draft a newsletter and wrote some other things. But I did pay for it today. I have a headache and I’m tired, and I feel like I have a little hangover even though I didn’t drink any alcohol. Maybe slightly depressed, too.

I’m not the only one staying up too late. According to a recent sleep study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, more people are shorting themselves on sleep for more leisure time. The study shows that the number hours spent at work is a major reason why people are sleep deprived.

According to this article on Mercola’s website, a sleep deficit increases the risk of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression, heart attack and stroke. Of course, this is more likely if you are chronically deprived of sleep. You can overcome sleep deprivation pretty quickly if you start getting to bed earlier, making sure you wake up at the same time every morning, and avoiding sugar or quick carbs before bed.

I had a couple of these cookies at a sugar talk that Donna Sonkin, one of my health coaching colleagues, gave last night. They’re a totally delicious, healthier version of a perennial favorite. Just remember that even though they are healthier, they are still a treat and should be consumed as such - i.e., don’t eat the whole batch in one sitting.
1 cup raisins (golden raisins produce a lighter-color cookie)
1 cup unsweetened apple juice
1/4 cup oil
1 cup oat flour or finely ground oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 malt-sweetened chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Soak the raisins in the juice overnight. The next day, puree them together in a blender, then add the oil and blend again briefly. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a mixing bowl, making sure to mix well. Add the raisin-juice mixture and stir just until mixed. Drop heaping teaspoonfuls of the batter onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

(From Ann-Louise Gittelman’s Get the Sugar Out)

No Impact Man recently wrote an interesting post about eating locally. As an occasional cook at the Brooklyn Farmer’s market and a shopper there as well, I do advocate for this kind of eating.

I try to eat in a more sustainable manner, but of course, I don’t always achieve this. I try to eat more vegetables and less meat. I like buying from local farmers and talking to them about what vegetables are low spray or how close to organic they are with their farming practices. I keep a water bottle on my desk at work, and I carry one instead of buying bottled water. I bring my lunch to work instead of getting takeout. I’ve been bringing my own bags when I go shopping, too. And I’m pretty good about seasonal eating - except in the winter, which can be really hard.

What do you think about sustainable eating? What changes would you be willing to make?

This past weekend, I traveled to the South. Driving in the car from the airport to my destination, I scanned the radio stations looking for something to entertain me.

I came upon a Christian broadcast that was talking about food of all things. The preacher (minister?) was connecting diet to spirituality. He quoted a health study done, I think, on Seventh Day Adventists that was conducted in California that noted that the more vegetarian the Adventist was, the healthier and longer he lived. Lacto-ovo vegs did better than meat eaters, but vegans did far better than either group. He was also quoting the bible and talking about the diet that God wanted us to be on - which was largely a vegetarian diet.

A couple of days later, I drove back to the airport at a very early hour. Again, I scanned the stations looking for something to listen to during my drive. I stopped at a broadcast of a morning show promo. A guy was making fun of PETA (people for the ethical treatment of animals) protestors who were planning a rally against something meat related (I can’t remember what). He had the morning show crew cracking up about how the PETA people were protesting the consumption of milk, saying that it’s unhealthy for humans and bad for cows. “What the heck are we supposed to drink? Soy milk?”

I recently reloaded my iPod with some new music and audiobooks. I usually listen to it on shuffle as I work out or on my commute to and from work. This morning, it started playing Stuart Wilde’s book “Silent Power” - a book that I had started listening to about a year ago and then forgot about.

It’s a quirky little book that talks about consciousness, going within, and learning how to cultivate this silent power that we all possess. Through meditation, fasting, taking time for yourself away from your usual daily activities, you can learn how to become more grounded and centered. Eventually, if you work at it long enough, you can learn how to read people, have silent conversations with others, and increase your psychic ability. I’m mostly interested in becoming more centered, but I have to admit that cultivating psychic ability is somewhat appealing. Not that I have a need for it, or would know what to do with it if I was able to develop it, but it’s interesting.

Tomatoes are rich lycopene, a carotenoid pigment that gives it the rich red color and which is also a powerful antioxidant. While you can get the maximum benefit from these nutrients with cooked tomatoes, this raw soup provides refreshment in the hottest months.

Ingredients:
1 English cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 medium red bell pepper
1 medium green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 pounds of chopped ripe tomatoes
1 cup loosely packed diced whole grain bread
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons finely minced parsley

Cut half of the cucumber into coarse chunks and place them in the work bowl of a blender or food processor; reserve the other cucumber half for garnish. Add to the work bowl half of the red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped, and half of the green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped, reserving the other halves of the vegetables for garnish. Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes (with any liquid), bread, vinegar and olive oil. Process until very smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.

When ready to serve, remove gazpacho from refrigerator. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Divide among six wide soup bowls and sprinkle with parsley. Serve chilled

“A journey of 1000 miles begins with one step.”

-Tao Te Ching

I started reading The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play yesterday. I am a life-long procrastinator. I have turned around the negativity of being one by saying, “I work very well under pressure.” It’s true, I do work well under pressure. But why work under pressure if you don’t have to? It just causes more stress and takes away from time you could spend relaxing.

So, today I’m making lists of when I procrastinate and what I’m thinking when I do it. It’s very interesting to see what makes me want to slack off and to hear what I say to try to motivate myself (I have to do this or I must finish) to confront the task at hand. I haven’t stopped procrastinating yet, but at least I’m becoming aware of my habits. One step at a time.

What about you? What’s the one step you’re going to take today?

I spent the weekend in nature and came back refreshed.

It was a camping trip to Harriman State Park. Far enough away from the city that you can see stars at night, close enough that you can get there by bus or train. The park land has plenty of hiking trails, and we took a few hours each day to trek through the woods. Though it was a hot weekend in New York, retreating to the woods was refreshing and cooler than staying in the concrete jungle.

Nature has been shown to heal. The Landscape and Human Health Lab has conducted many studies on humans and their environment, and have found that green spaces can positively impact children with ADHD and reduce crime in urban areas.

From my own experience, being in nature is very therapeutic. Even though I didn’t get much deep sleep over the weekend (sleeping on the ground is never very comfortable), I felt awake and alive when I returned. Work was much easier than usual, and I felt more focused than ever.

As a city dweller, I get used to the noise, the heat and the harsh light. I can tune it out to a certain degree, and I don’t realize after a while what an impact it has on me. That is, until I leave for a while and then come back refreshed.