Food for thought

Have you ever felt as though food is your best friend and your worst enemy? How can a person manage to be thin when there is so much good food out there in the world? Pasta, hamburgers, pizza, cookies, cakes, candies, potatoes, the list are endless and restaurants are always coming up with new ways to keep us in their take out lines after work.

From experience, I know how easy it is to fall in a deeply imbedded food trap. I used to go to work where I would snack all day on various foods that were easily obtained from the kitchen. One cook had a crush on me and was always making me treats. After that I would then go home to more fast food or the freezer section of my grocery store. There have been times that I know my body was screaming for more nutrition. I was ignoring the screams. What are the screams, you wonder? I will explain… (Please forgive the gross-out factor): excessive flatulence, dehydration, dark urine, fatigue (low-energy), indigestion, heart burn, the list goes on and on. These are simply the symptoms!

Eating poorly for a good portion of your life can lead to high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, weak immune system, this list also goes on. These food issues are not unique to people with excess weight. Chances are, you know several people who are of moderate weight that eat horribly. I know I do! These people can be very frustrating to be around especially when their body does not seem to show signs of their bad habits! Truth be known, that these habits will probably creep up on them later on in life.

There have been points (currently and recently) in my life that I have had an over saturated palette. In order to taste good to me, my food needed to be drowning in grease, saturated in butter, rolled in sugar and heavily sprinkled with salt. I was suffering from the “but, it tastes good” syndrome which is one I am still trying to overcome. Eating well does not have to be a painful experience. You just have to be willing to put in the time and find recipes that taste good and are also good for you.

One of my 101 goals is to eat at home more often. This is due to many reasons. First and foremost it is healthier. You can control the portions and what goes into your food. Not only do I want to lose weight but I would like to eat cleaner. By this I mean use butter and not margarine, don’t use artificial sweeteners, etc. The more I hear about chemicals that are being put into our foods the more it scares me.

The second reason cooking at home is less expensive. Right now I really have to watch my money being unemployed. But even after I line up a job I am still going to have to watch my dollars (and make them stretch as far as possible.). I don’t know how much I will make (that depends on what firm hires me, or if I am in the public sector like a public defender or a prosecutor). Regardless of how much money I am bringing in, I have large student loans looming over my head. I would like to pay off my student loans as soon as possible and buy a home. (A girl has to save money where she can!)

As I try recipes I will post them and whether they are a success or a failure. I will give a few disclaimers. My food NEVER looks like the picture. Might taste awesome but doesn’t look as pretty. Another thing is I absolutely hate mushrooms so I will not be trying recipes that involve mushrooms. If the recipe does they will be judiciously left out or substituted for something that is not nasty.

If anyone has recipes they think are awesome feel free to share them with me. I am always open to suggestions. It might be awhile before I can really start testing recipes. It is hard to do things like that while living with my family. Fathead does not have an adventurous palate. Lol

OMG a bear!

Yesterday I volunteered at Legal aid. I spent the whole dya helping organize files and writing closing letters to clients. The office is feeling the crunch at the end of the year to get files closed.  I wish I could get some money for it but I am so grateful to have the opportunity to keep practicing law even though I am not working right now. It helps keep my resume fresh and gain more experience. 

Honestly, I thought I would have a job by now but I do not despair. I know that if I keep at it I will find a job. Lord knows I have gone on a lot of interviews. One thing I know for certain is my lack of experience is working against me. Legal Aid will help me rectify this.

I am keeping my eyes on the future. Things are tough for me right now but I know I am tougher and will get through this. Soon I will be able to share with you that I have found a good job and am moving into my own place again.

In other news, my brother met with the neurosurgeon today for his surgery consultation.

Since I have 3 brothers I will call this one Fathead (a childhood nickname for him lol). Fathead has had a back disease since we were kids called Scheurmann’s disease. Here is a link telling more about it. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002220/ He used to have to wear a back brace and do physical therapy, amongst other things. About a month ago Fathead woke up with severe back pain. After a fun adventure at the Emergency Room, CAT scan and other tests the Doctor diagnosed him with three bulging discs in his spine. One of the discs is pressing on his sciatic nerve which is making one of his legs go numb. Needless to say he has not been walking around much. The E.R. doctor recommended surgery, as did the doctor giving a second opinion. So he made an appointment with the neurosurgeon. Regrettably he was not able to get in until after the holidays.

The appointment didn't go as Fathead hope. (Meaning he was not rushed directly to surgery) The surgeon prescribed him an anti-inflammatory, We are going to wait fir ut to build up in his system and see how it affects the problem. Right now Denton is being a little ray of sunshine, reminiscent of a bear in pain.