Be food obsessive!

Me: No mom, you don't need to come over, I'm just feeling blah. Crappy but not totally sick. This is like the 3rd time since I started school.
Mom: Maybe you should change your diet. Maybe you should try eating more junk food.
Me: (head cocked in confusion/disbelief) Are you being serious?
Mom: Well, yes Jenny. We think sometimes you eat too healthy...

So I get it. As in, I get what my mom was trying to say. It's typical mom stuff: Eat a well rounded meal with protein, carbs, a veggie or two. Don't worry about dessert every once in a while.

I started listing off what I ate today: tea, broccoli with organic mayo (an age old pairing), forkfuls of almond butter out of the jar, a whole small avocado with salt, more tea, a pear, a few corn chips, a few bites of spinach from thinning my garden, a sip of Kombucha, and finally dinner.
Instead of ordering pizza or stopping by KFC, I ate some of my leftovers from last night: A veggie melange of kale, onions, broccoli stalks, zucchini, spinach sauteed with some soyrizo (soy chorizo). I scooped this into a corn tortilla and topped it with my new favorite sauce: Purslane, spicy peppers, garlic, and blended cashews. I topped this all with a farm fresh egg over easy. I guess you could say the soyrizo brings in a slight junk food aspect but overall it was pretty healthy. And pretty balanced. Considering I felt sick today and didn't have much of an appetite overall, I'd say I did pretty well.

I know why she worries. I'm always talking about veggies. I refrain from eating bread (for gluten reasons). I'm not a huge meat person (but I do eat it on occasion). I urge her to eat fresh veggies instead of canned. To eat sauteed zucchini instead of zucchini bread (which I admit to eating oh about a half loaf of this weekend). To cut out nightshades like tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and potatoes to reduce inflammation. To try calendula salve to relieve pain.
I talk about food, the farms, herbs, remedies. A lot.

So yes, I can be a bit food obsessed.
And picky.
And bossy.

But I think being picky about food is a good thing. I don't want the chemicals and GMOs and antibiotics found in most conventional foods in my body. I've already had parasites and major bouts of dysentery and have worked un-gloved with boat chemicals far more than I should have and I simply don't need to do anymore damage to this relatively young body of mine.

And I like food that tastes good. And to see (be) the face that grows it.

Be picky and bossy and obsessive about how this food system works in our country! Be picky about where you buy your food and from whom you buy it. Talk to your family (I try not to sound bossy but well, sometimes it comes out, um, bossy) about information usually concealed from the general public (like upwards of 70% of antibiotics sold in this country are used in our conventionally raised livestock) or about beneficial "weeds" you can eat (purslane has more Omega-3 fatty acids than any other leafy veggie) or about detrimental food for certain conditions (nightshades can exacerbate inflammation in those with auto-immune issues).

I can't say I don't crave and eat what I consider junk food: a burrito bursting with carne asada or beans and cheese and guac, Etna pizza, a big juicy hamburger with crispy fries (from a real restaurant- if I have a burger, I want it to be good!), a chocolate peanut butter milkshake from Corvette Diner. There's nothing wrong with a little extra fat and salt and sugar sometimes. Sometimes and as long as it is intentional. Unfortunately, or fortunately for my thighs, I can't eat like that all the time. I get sluggish, I break out in rashes, my body and brain shut down and scream for fresh veggies. So as much as I love french fries, I will skip my mom's suggestion and go for the greens. I have a feeling this sickness of mine is more from lack of sleep than lack of proper nutrients. Oh, and perhaps a bit of stress thrown in there (see "Three Feet" blog entry)?
I think lavender chamomile tea is good for that....

Here's the recipe for the spicy purslane cashew sauce if you want to pig out on deliciousness.

1 cup purslane, leaves and stems
1 cup cashews, soaked in water 30 minutes (reserve water)
1 hot pepper
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste

Blend it all together adding water as needed to desired consistency. Use it right away or let mellow for a day or two. Pour over salmon, veggies, or kale and soyrizo tacos.