Past to Present

Having struggled with my weight since probably somewhere in my teens and then more health problems since my twenties, I've always had somewhat of a fascination with how "what we eat" affects "who we are." I was diagnosed with my first food allergy at about 28 and my second at about 34 (dairy & soy respectively). What realy was frustrating was that I absolutely love several foods that contain one or both of those ingredients (e.g. creme brulee).

Somehow living with my best friends family in southern CA for 2.5 years eating lots of home cooked meals and so much yummy Jewish food that contained those ingredients made it all that much worse. I managed by limiting my intake of those foods that contained dairy & soy and took a lot of benedryl :-).

As my adoptive Jewish mom would say "short story long"...I survived and have never regretted a day having had that time with them. Besides if you haven't had the experience of eating traditional Jewish food-let alone the food for the holidays-then you truely haven't lived!

One thing is for sure, since being diagnosed with those food allergies and RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome), the two do not agree and I have spent many nights in frustration trying to get enough sleep to function. Which brings me to the point of why it is only fitting that this blog should be associated with C's and my other blog since he has seen me through lots of personal life events as my partner. The other reason for starting this blog is that one of my year goals is to be able to be healthy enough and in shape to run a 5 & 10 mile race this year. By next year I would like to be able to run my first half-marathon. In order to do that I need to make some lifestyle changes.

Recently I was shopping at one of my top fave places to buy locally, the Oly Co-Op, and while in the Eastside store I came across a few books that I've put on my Recommended Reading list. While waiting for those books to show up at TRL for pick up, I came across another book that I am currently reading called "Cooking Green: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint In the Kitchen" by Kate Heyhoe.

Heyhoe describes a cookprint- the entire chain of resources used to prepare meals and their waste produced in ther processing of them. She goes on to define what an ecovore is. An ecovore eats foods that are raised and grown in harmony with the environment, currently and for the foreseeable future, locally and globally.

I was trying to process that last night before bed. It makes sense but I am not sure I have really spent too much time contemplating the actual process of my cookprint ;-). Now I am thanks to this new resource. Cooking green fits in with my goals and getting in shape to reach my other goal oa an accommplished runner and being a better cook.