Do you feel that you are counter cultural by eating raw and living foods? She also talked about how many do things in moderation so as not to upset the "apple cart". Here's what I had to say:
Being a teacher, I do not see moderation at work. I see children eating what's available to them...crap! The stuff that they eat at school is terrible. The school board here is trying to change things, but it does not happen in reality. There's slurpees, french fries, yam fries, burgers, sometimes sushi and then there's the vending machines. How do we expect children to learn when they are feeding (numbing) their brains on this "filler". I cannot bring myself to call it food.
I do not see moderation in the staff room either. Here are some examples from our school: Every single meeting that happens has donuts, cake muffins, coffee, and other sweet treats...this is how people are enticed to COME to the meeting! We have Popcorn Wednesdays where you'll see people trip over each other to get there first to get the most buttery and salty popcorn. There are children being stampeded upon when it's Treat day Friday! A few years ago they even did a spoof video regarding this particular weekly event! I should get my hands on it, it was SO funny! Then there's those on staff that also take part in "Fat Friday". This group gets together and goes out to one of the local fast food joints. They know what it's doing to them but they do it anyway, "Hell, you only live once, may as well enjoy it!" is often quipped if they get a sideways glance from anyone.
The culture around food in our schools (at least the ones I've seen here in B.C) is S.A.D. indeed.
Enter Melinda...that granola girl who is SO granola now, they don't even know what to call me. Most of my staff has been there and seen me go through the changes I have gone through. Thin and 25 years old starting my job, steadily gaining weight for the next 10 years until I hit 222 lbs. at the end of my second pregnancy...to holding steady at 196 for the longest time even with Bootcamp 4 days a week! They've seen me go through a breast biopsy, endless stomach issues, injuries, depression, anxieties, you name it...and they've also seen me healing one day at a time since I made the decision two and a half years ago about what I put in my mouth to nourish myself.
All of these sweet eating, meat eating, beer swilling, partying people I work with have seen this amazing transformation from 196 to now 140. From depressed, ill and aging to energetic, happy, enthusiastic and healthy! Yet, even though I receive many compliments about how I look I am teased and tormented on a DAILY basis about what I bring to the staff room. I'll admit, there are a few who really admire that I eat like this but say they could never do it. There are those that are interested in what I eat and ask me for more information...but these are the exception, not the rule. Some applaud that I make green smoothies for my class as a "smoothie start to the week". Or that we have Fruitful Fridays and everyone brings in a piece of fruit to cut up and put in our Friendship Fruit Salad. Others balk that I am taking up "curriculum time" to do such trivial things. "They won't eat that stuff!" They tell me. Well, the kids do eat it, they are so open about trying new things in this environment and I am so passionate about getting the word out to the youngsters as they can help change the way their family does things. They all begged for recipes each time I made something for them so that they could make it at home with their parents.
So, no matter how counter cultural we may be, eating raw and living foods, and no matter what the teasing and torment we may experience...when you've found something that works so well, and makes you feel so great, you just want to sing the praises of it to the world.
That being said...it's not always easy, but if it was easy we wouldn't appreciate the journey nearly as much! Cheers to all of you for being a part of something great! You'll never know how many people you will touch with your inspirational spirits!
Here's what I ate today:
Feeling good, weighed myself this morning and I'm two pounds lighter than Sunday! Ya!
What I ate today:
July 15, 2009:
1.5 litres of water
Apple
Raw ice cream:
Banana/walnut/maple syrup (I meant to use agave, poured the maple syrup on it and figured it'd probably taste pretty good, which it DID!) None went to waste, my son even ate some.
Licked the spoon with raw chocolate, coconut butter, agave on it from a recipe that I did. (Now there's some brutal honesty for you!)
Ran about 45 min. (5 min. run, 1 min. walk)
Huge salad, same as last night. I LOVE this herb salad, it's so simple and so tasty...but they had more dill in the last package I had, liked it with more dill.
1 piece of raw chocolate. It is smaller than a reese peanut butter cup. Ooh, I could put some raw almond butter on top and it might taste close to that...will try with my other chocolate tomorrow.
2 cups of camomile tea
Still riding the roller coaster of a dental ride with my daughter's teeth but we have one more consult before we decide which route we're going to take. I want minimally invasive, no amalgam, no anesthesia, but I also want her safe and unhurt by the whole situation. There were not as many issues with her teeth as we'd been told by the previous dentist, and I have major trust issues with them now. We'll see how next Wednesday plays out.
This is the first time I've dealt with anything stressful and not turned to food to help me through it. I'm experiencing the frustration, sadness, pain and such in real time. I cry if I have to but know that it will all work out and we'll be a stronger family unit because of it.
What I ate today:
July 15, 2009:
1.5 litres of water
Apple
Raw ice cream:
Banana/walnut/maple syrup (I meant to use agave, poured the maple syrup on it and figured it'd probably taste pretty good, which it DID!) None went to waste, my son even ate some.
Licked the spoon with raw chocolate, coconut butter, agave on it from a recipe that I did. (Now there's some brutal honesty for you!)
Ran about 45 min. (5 min. run, 1 min. walk)
Huge salad, same as last night. I LOVE this herb salad, it's so simple and so tasty...but they had more dill in the last package I had, liked it with more dill.
1 piece of raw chocolate. It is smaller than a reese peanut butter cup. Ooh, I could put some raw almond butter on top and it might taste close to that...will try with my other chocolate tomorrow.
2 cups of camomile tea
Still riding the roller coaster of a dental ride with my daughter's teeth but we have one more consult before we decide which route we're going to take. I want minimally invasive, no amalgam, no anesthesia, but I also want her safe and unhurt by the whole situation. There were not as many issues with her teeth as we'd been told by the previous dentist, and I have major trust issues with them now. We'll see how next Wednesday plays out.
This is the first time I've dealt with anything stressful and not turned to food to help me through it. I'm experiencing the frustration, sadness, pain and such in real time. I cry if I have to but know that it will all work out and we'll be a stronger family unit because of it.
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