Why. Why. Why.
It is a powerful word. One that has been keeping my mind busy a lot over the past few days. Why am I doing this paleo challenge? Is this type of thing necessary? Does it matter in the long run? Will it have an impact? Why are we surrounded by advertisements promoting lifestyles that deliver the exact opposite of their promise of health and happiness?
And why do we tolerate this crap?
I don't want to say a given way is good or bad, I believe every person is entitled to make a personal choice based on their own best idea. The reality of life is that most people are unable to even begin to assume this responsibility. That's the tragic/frustrating part. People gobble up the popular opinion. And that is absolutely normal!! It's how we are programmed! If you want to eat fast food, fine. But at least know exactly what goes in there: the food, the advertisement, the financial incentives. It took me 28 years before I decided to empower myself with knowledge about nutrition. To look at every output of food stimuli thrown at me and ask myself, is this true? What is the message here? Where is it coming from? 28 years... How did it take so long??
This process has been very empowering.
This process has given me headaches.
It is a lot of work. It takes time. It takes dedication and today I felt spent and close to just flipping off this whole process. My saving grace is this blog, which has been an amazing outlet for me over the past month and has put me in touch with a great network of people offering me support and cool ideas for the paleo challenge. What's interesting is that the most challenging aspect isn't really putting in the time or doing the work, or eating the food (which is delicious) .. it's changing my habits. It is acknowledging the voice in my head that says "watch the hockey game, order the poutine..." and asking myself if this voice represents my real intention in life. Often times, taking the 'easy' route and just eating whatever is available, whatever is presented to me by an industry or a company that can afford awesome branding and marketing power (read: what I want to eat), is just so compelling. Making up your own mind, however, only offers personal gratification. So once again, thank you paleo blog. It has given me the support I needed through social interactions to stick to my initial idea: see this to the end. It also gave me the love necessary to stay with something as counter current to mainstream trends as eating paleo. Support is important, seek it out!
What's amazing is that everyone one I have talked to about this way of eating has been very interested. People love to learn about this type of thing. People are interested in their health, in making good life choices. So what stops us from taking the initiative into our own two hands?
At the end of the day, I ask myself, does it even matter what I do, the choices I make? Does this really affect anything? Why am I doing any of this? It's a painful process that just makes the numbness of watching the TV that much more compelling.
I'm not quite clear about what I wanted to say here, but I needed to say it nonetheless. I think this is my biggest rant yet, haha. Maybe I just miss poutine? Who knows. Fuck it, moving on!
Meal 1 - Eggs n' Baky Baby
Verdict: As delicious as it sounds/looks like!
Meal 2 - Leftover Crock Pot Pork
Verdict: Um... super tasty.
Random: Watch out, it's gonna spillllllll!!!!
Segway
At work today, it was the birthday of the very rad wind-surfing prodigy Amanda S. There was rockaberry cheesecake all over the place. I took one real good, close-encounter whiff of it. I stayed strong though. Razor's edge!
Meal 3 - Pete's Uber Pasta
Prep
Final Product
Verdict: Best ground meat recipe yet, tender, fat and juicy. I'm talking about food people!!!
Bonus: Lots of leftover meat sauce.
SUMMARY OF DAY 26
Ingredients:
- Protein: Eggs, Nuts, Ground Beef, Pork
- Fruits and Veggies: Zucchini, Carrot, Mushrooms, Green Onion, Celery, Grapefruit
- Fats: Coconut Oil, Bacon Fat.
- Spices, Garlic
Budget: 0$ spent
Hours Slept = 6 1/2
I'll end today with a quote from the movie Gladiator. It's from the scene where Proximus, the slave owner who bought and eventually released Maximus (aka Gladiator), is killed by roman soldiers. Right before he is stabbed in the ribs, he and Maximus exchange some final, fleeting words:
Maximus: Marcus Aurelius had a dream that was Rome Proximo. That is not it. That is not it!
Proximo: Marcus Aurelius is dead Maximus. We mortals are but shadows and dust. Shadows and dust, Maximus!
Powerful!
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