I woke and started getting ready for Church and drank my two cups of water.
Church was nice. My mother joined us for worship today, as she was visiting the family for the birthday celebration yesterday. Right after the service, we had some cinnamon rolls (the Little Debbie kind) and a pound cake in the parish hall for anyone who wanted to gnosh something before taking off. I really wanted one of those little rolls, but I somehow persevered and ignored them.
After Church, my mom took us all out to a nice Chinese buffet. I’ve not had cause to mention this before, but my favorite ethnic food would be classified as Chinese (really Far Eastern, I suppose). I thoroughly enjoy a good kung pao chicken, lo mein, sushi, and the like. In addition, the buffet we went to had all kinds of “American” foods, like fried chicken, donut holes, tasty dinner rolls, etc.
If I could eat anywhere often, I would probably choose this particular restaurant because of the variety, and my penchant for Asian-style foods. The kids loved it and got lots of various foods – nearly all of them got watermelon along with whatever else they put on their plate (which I hope is a good sign).
Smelling the food at the restaurant was a treat in itself.
I suppose now is the time to share my current “thoughts” about food.
I’m gaining some greater perspective and awareness regarding my relationship with food. I think I’ve always used food as an expression of my emotions and desires. This process was never a conscious thing, just simply a way of living. I didn’t eat “because I was depressed”. I may have just eaten because I was “hungry”, but I think that my body might have said, “You’re hungry”, when in fact I was depressed.
Likewise, food also presented a kind of satisfaction similar to sexual gratification. I think I coined a phrase, or at least when I said it I had never heard it before, back in college. I ate a fantastic cheesecake brownie from The Great American Cookies store in the big shopping center in Chattanooga (this is back in like 1993). I still remember how good it was. Anyway, I commented that it was like having an orgasm of the mouth. My point is that I believe food has been a vehicle towards pleasure.
As I’ve been thinking about food over the last few days – especially as I’m juicing – I’ve realized that one really can “lust” after food. Those Doritos, that Kraft Green Onion Dip, the pizza, the donut holes or the kung pao chicken all represent in my mind not just sustenance, but a flavor, a sensation, a particularly pleasurable experience associated with all of my senses. I can hear the crunch of the chips, feel the creaminess of the dip, smell the unmistakable mélange of mozzarella, tomato sauce and bread of the pizza, taste the sweetness of the donut hole, and see the various colors and shapes of each food. Food has meant so much to me throughout my life. Multitudes of memories are associated with so many different foods. I have become what I ate in body and soul.
So, as we sat at the restaurant, I watched my wife and kids eat their foods with a new sense of detachment. While deep inside parts of me really yearned to snarf the same foods they were eating, I calmly watched them eat with no need to partake of it. I did not have to eat it. I sat and enjoyed their eating the food, even remembering my own enjoyment of it, but at the same time, I was able to say honestly that I had no need of it right now. Truthfully, I plan to eat some tasty food similar to what I’ve missed out after I finish my reboot, but I may not. I can feel my body changing. I actually do not have a great compelling to eat those foods. Yes, smelling them attracts me, but that’s sort of an autonomic response. I’m not immediately drawn to them.
I drank a tall glass of ice water while they ate, and I thought about all this stuff.
After grandmama paid the bill, I left the buffet and went to one of the local health food stores where I bought a 100% coconut juice which I quickly consumed. Then I went and bought a pint of raspberries, three apricots, four “on-the-vine” tomatoes and a red pepper.
When I got home, I juiced the raspberries and apricots with some other fruit. It made a pretty nice drink.
Sunday Afternoon Juice
Raspberries (1 pint)
Apricots (3)
Pineapple (chopped one-half cup)
Pear (1)
Cucumber (1)
For my dinner drink, I used some of the tomatoes which had me a little nervous.
Nervous Dinner Drink
Tomatoes (2)
Red Pepper (one half)
Cucumber (1)
Celery (3 stalks)
Carrots (2)
Cabbage (4 leaves)
Granny Smith Apple (1)
Yellow Onion (one-eighth)
Ginger (a small amount, about the end of a pinky’s worth)
The onion was a little strong, and the texture was a bit thick due to the tomatoes I think, but all in all I liked it. It was surprisingly sweet.
Finally, I just juiced some watermelon – because my wife was eating Lay’s with Kraft Green Onion Dip and a croissant sandwich from Costco. I just love those sandwiches, and Nancy introduced me to the dip several years ago. Yum Yum.
But I digress. I juiced watermelon and enjoyed it too. Someday I’ll have green onion dip again, but I’m not in any real hurry. May the juicing continue.
Oh, by the way, I had three liters of water today.
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