Rootstalk

A few weeks ago, I went to the first annual Rootstalk festival outside of Salem, OR. My friend, John, and I spent the weekend camping, going to classes, listening (and dancing) to bands, meeting awesome people, and generally having an amazing, mind-blowing time.

As soon as I found out about the existence of Rootstalk, I knew that I had to go. It was like someone had decided to make a festival just for me. With classes on herbalism, organic and sustainable living, wildcrafting, and more, I couldn't stay away. It was the right decision; the weekend was one of the best I've ever had. I still haven't fully processed my experiences (which isn't that surprising given that I was bombarded with bad news as soon as I got back). When it was over, I didn't want to come home. Normally when I see the Seattle skyline after being gone for a while, I feel euphoric. This time, I felt my stomach sinking. I was coming back to reality after being in a utopia.

I'm not entirely sure how to put my experience into words. Normally, words don't fail me, but in this case, I've barely been able to talk about it at all. I could talk about what classes we went to and which vendors I bought things from, but that was such a small fragment. It was more about the synergy (I hate that word, but in this case it fits) of the people, their combined knowledge and wisdom, the environment, and the activities we participated in.

What sticks out most in my mind is the overall feeling that some humans have given up a lot of things that we would probably be better off having in our lives. We have given it up in order to have the convenience of modern, city life, but I'm far from convinced that the tradeoff is worth it.

One of the presenters, Daniel Vitalis, said that he thinks that humans need fire - not just to cook our food and keep us warm. I can't help but agree that sitting in front of a real fire, whether I'm roasting marshmallows on a camping trip, having a bonfire on the beach, or sitting in front of a cozy fireplace, makes me feel good, like I'm getting something vital that I've been lacking. He aslo brought up that in modern western culture, we have developed the notion that we are somehow separate from the ecosystem. The fact is that we are part of the whole, and we can't escape that for good or ill. I'm not entirely sure what to do with that concept, but it rings true. Mostly, I want to spend more time in nature (I say as I'm sitting in my living room in my apartment in a major city) so that I can experience and hopefully understand what it is that I think it's so critical that we protect and live with in harmony.

The sense of community that pervaded the festival was amazing. Everyone was friendly and had a smile to share. There was no awkwardness about starting up a conversation with a stranger. We were all kindred spirits, and it was fabulous. The free tea pavilion was a great place to feel the camaraderie of the festival. People could be found there at all times of the day lounging on the cushions and making new friends. I would love to feel that wonderful sense of community in my daily life. It was jarring when I returned home and smiled at the first people who passed me on the street, only to have them avert their gazes and look obviously uncomfortable (though granted, it could have been that I looked like a derelict, dirty hippy... that is if it weren't still happening).

There is definitely something primal missing from my life. I realized this when a marching percussion band performed throughout the campground. People were drawn to them, and an impromptu parade formed as people followed them around, dancing their hearts out. It was reminiscent of the pied piper. That night we went to the woodland masquerade ball. I'll admit, before I went to it, I thought it sounded a little hokey. A masquerade ball? While camping? Outdoors? In reality, it was astounding. There is something profound about people wearing masks. Your identity becomes less important, and your ego melts away. People danced with abandon, unconcerned about whether they looked like idiots. And dancing outdoors... it's magical. The energy from the earth combined with the energy of the music and the other people was unreal. During the ball, it felt like I was part of a tribe, and I want that feeling back.

One of the things that was stressed over and over again by many different people in many different ways was that we shouldn't beat ourselves up when we fail to live up to our own expectations. The context was always that of living sustainably, but I think it applies to everything. When we try to change things 100% all at once, we are bound to slip some. I try to eat organic food as much as possible, but sometimes, I just need to buy a pizza, and that's OK. It seems to be human nature (well, American nature, anyway) that if we fail a little bit then we should just give up. Instead, we should be forgiving of our slipups and keep right on trucking, doing what we can. That's what I'm working on - doing what I can. For now I'm in Seattle in a small apartment with a cat who will eat anything green that she sees, so starting indoor window gardens isn't possible. I'm not going to be able to grow all of my own food on my shaded balcony. I can, however, keep maintaining my little garden (which I fully intend to truly maintain next spring/summer. I've mostly gotten over my bee PTSD and am pretty sure I'll be able to actually do work in the garden soon), and doing my best to eat organic and sustainably farmed food whenever I can. While it would be great if I were able to live in a perfectly permacultured (I've decided this must be a word) home that was completely self-sustaining. I don't, and I won't be able to do that for a long time. So I take baby steps, which are better than not doing anything at all.

John and I have big plans to start a club where we can spend time in nature, learning how to do awesome things that we learned about at Rootstalk, like making rope from plants, starting fires using the bow and stick method (essentially, rubbing 2 sticks together), wild foraging, and other awesome nature-based activities. We hope that by doing this, we'll manage to keep ourselves sane until next year's Rootstalk. I can't wait.

Lately, my diet has gone down the toilet. I was doing really well for a while there making sure to keep processed foods to a minimum and eating as much local, sustainably raised food as possible. My last quarter of school was the most challenging I've ever experienced, and it became more and more difficult to find the energy to grocery shop and cook. I found a handful of places where I could get decent gluten free, dairy free foods that were pre-made, and I went to town. Even though this quarter has been much less stressful, I haven't gotten back into the habit of cooking regularly. Plus, I've been eating a lot more sugar and fried foods than is healthy for anyone.

It's getting to be summer, which means that it's the time of year for delicious, local fruits and vegetables. My summer quarter is going to be quite light with only one class and 4 clinic shifts (by the way, if you are interested in seeing me at clinic, let me know! I can give you the days and times I'll be there and instructions on how to make the appointment). This means that I will have a lot of time to devote to cooking.

Because I'm heading into finals next week, I'm not going to make any major changes immediately, but I will try to keep sugar to a minimum. Once finals are over, I'm going to be going back to the diet that makes me feel healthy, energetic, and happy.

Thanksgiving and Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and you know what that means... FOOD! Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry! Delicious. This is the first year I'm both gluten-free and dairy free, so a few changes have to be made to the traditional family feast. Fortunately, my mom is gung ho about making sure I can eat. Today, I'm making vegan garlic mashed potatoes because my mom is completely baffled that one can make mashed potatoes without copious amounts of dairy. I went to the farmers market on Sunday to get 3 lbs of my favorite potato variety (German Butterballs - the only butterballs I'll be eating tomorrow, I'm happy to say) and a spicy garlic variety. Have I mentioned that I love living in a city with year-round farmers markets? Because I do.

Of course, with all the feasting going on, it's important not to lose focus and make sure you're getting healthy, sustainable food. Take Part has an article on 10 Tips for a Sustainable Thanksgiving. If you haven't found one already, it's probably too late for a heritage turkey, but it's something to think about for next year.

Although it's so simple, I feel a little silly posting it, here's my recipe for vegan garlic mashed potatoes. Sorry for the lack of hard numbers - I've never measured anything when making it.

Vegan Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
Potatoes, washed and chopped into smallish chunks - as much or as little as you want to make. I like the German butterball variety, but you can use any kind you want (I don't like yukon golds because they get really slimy)
Garlic - 1 - 2 bulbs. For a smaller amount of potatoes, use a smaller amount of garlic. Keep in mind that roasting it gives it a milder, sweeter flavor
Olive oil
rice milk, or your favorite milk substitute.
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
optional: herbs to taste - I love fresh minced rosemary, but use your imagination

Preheat oven to 350.

You can prep your garlic in 1 of 2 ways.

Method 1 - take all the cloves off the bulb and peel them
Method 2 (my preferred method because it's way easier) - chop the top of the bulb off, cutting off the top portions of the cloves

wrap the garlic in foil drizzled with olive oil (I like to use just enough to cover the garlic). Put in an oven safe dish (so the oil doesn't spill all over your oven) and bake for 30 minutes or until the cloves are tender and brown.

While the garlic is cooking, boil your potatoes until soft. I like to leave the skin on, but that's a matter of taste. If you are not using organic potatoes, you should always peel them because the skins soak up pesticides. The smaller you've cut the potatoes, the less time they will take to cook. I find that it usually takes 20 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and put in a mixing bowl. Add your roasted garlic (if you want some whole cloves of garlic, reserve some until the end). If you kept it in bulb form, you can squeeze the cloves out - but be careful - it can be really hot! I use a low tech potato masher because I like chunks. You can also use a ricer or egg beater, or even an immersion blender. Add some olive oil and mix. I probably use 1 1/2 Tbs per pound of potatoes, but it's really a matter of taste. Start adding your milk substitute and mix. The trick to getting a great texture is to not be afraid of adding more liquid. Add a bit at a time and mix until you get the desired consistency. I always end up using a lot more than I would have thought necessary. I like to add my seasoning while I'm adding the liquid, but you can probably add it at any point during the process.

I find that this recipe makes potatoes that are perfect and delicious on their own, but of course, you can add gravy, cranberry, and turkey.

Variety:
For an interesting variety that's also a complete protein, mix in cooked quinoa. It gives the potatoes a fun texture and a more complex flavor. I love using rosemary when I add quinoa.

Skagit River Ranch

One of my plans for the summer was to go out and visit as many local farms as I could. Unfortunately, my car's breaks went on the fritz while I was waiting on my financial aid check, so I decided that driving out to the country was a bad idea. Fortunately, my breaks are now fixed, and I was able to go out to Skagit River Ranch this afternoon. Skagit River Ranch is just outside of Sedro-Woolley, WA - about 80 miles north of Seattle. I have only ever heard good things about the farm, and they have a store that's open on Saturdays where you can buy their products - they have chicken, lamb, pork, and beef (and probably the occasional goat), eggs, and honey.

It was quite a pleasure to arrive on the farm and to find chickens everywhere. They were truly free range and went all over the place - including the parking lot. The sweet lady at the store told me that last winter, it snowed, and there were chickens jumping from car to car in order to avoid touching the freshly fallen snow (but don't worry, they could have gone to their warm chicken coop if they had so desired). I took pictures of the happy chickens, but they didn't turn out so well (my iPhone just doesn't take good photos), so instead, you get to see pictures of the chicks, and let's face it, chicks are way cuter than chickens.

I asked the lady if we could take a look around the farm, and she answered with an enthusiastic yes and suggested that we take a 1/2 mile walk to the river, which took us through parts of the farm, including the sheep and goat pens. There were lots of kids (baby goats - not human children), which were small enough to climb under the fence, and happily played all over the place.

We also got to see several horses, all of which were friendly and wanted either attention or treats. Since we didn't have treats, we petted their faces, and they followed us to the edge of their enclosure.

We didn't get a chance to check out the entire farm, but it was clear that it would have been fine for us to go anywhere. We saw some farmers who were very friendly, though hot (it was 90 degrees). It was lovely to see that the animals were living in really good conditions and looked pretty happy. I'm really looking forward to eating the eggs and ground beef I bought. Fortunately, they have stands at the University, Ballard, and West Seattle farmers' markets, so I don't have to take the 2 hour drive up to the farm to get their food, which I just know is going to be delicious.

Moderation

Over the past few weeks, I have decided that while eating local is a wonderful thing, and that I will do it as often as possible, I'm not going to be a complete locavore. The simple fact is that I love things like oranges, bananas, mangos, and avacados. Right now, California strawberries are ripe and delicious. When I walk through the produce aisle, I can't resist the smell of ripe strawberries. My new rule of thumb is that if something is available locally, I will always choose it over something from out of state. If it's not available locally, I will buy it if it is from California or Oregon, but not if it is from Florida (or other distant states over on the other side of the country). In the case of bananas, I won't buy them from further south than Mexico. In fact, the only reason I am willing to buy them from Mexico at all is that a portion of the profits from all of the organic bananas that Ballard Market (one of my local grocery stores) carries go to a charity that promotes sustainable agriculture and good working conditions in Mexico. I can get behind that.

I still strongly believe that it's necessary to support the local economy and buy organic, sustainable food. I just can't limit myself as much as I have been when the limits feel like punishment. I didn't get into this to feel bad, but to help my planet and my health. Of course, when local products are available, I'll eat those. I can't wait for local Rainier cherries (quite possibly the most delicious fruit on the planet), and local berries. But until the local produce is ripe and ready for consumption, I'll celebrate the wonderful produce that is available from a little further away.

Food, Inc - Review

I just watched the documentary "Food, Inc." The information in it wasn't news to me. Most of the information covered was in Michael Pollan's book "The Omnivore's Dilemma." It was, however, eye-opening because they showed limited footage of the conditions in which factory farmed animals live, as well as the terrible conditions for the workers.

The best thing about the film is that it is far more accessible to the average American than a book. I know that most people aren't as gung ho about reading as I am, and many people don't like much at all. "Food, Inc." was an hour and a half, and I think that everyone should watch it.

Most of us are completely ignorant about where our food comes from, yet food is the most fundamental building block for life. Unfortunately, the majority of food available comes from just a few giant corporations, and they are not interested in our health. They are interested in making a profit. It turns out that the FDA and the USDA tend to be on the side of the corporations rather than the farmers and the people. This is not OK.

At the end of the film, they said that every time you purchase food, you are voting. If you purchase organic, local, non GMO (genetically modified), sustainably grown and raised food, you encourage your supermarket to continue offering those products, and to offer more in the future. Yes, it costs more out of pocket to buy organic, but the rewards to your body, your community, and the planet are substantial.

I have found that it can be difficult to start dialogue with people about food. They don't want to hear it. There is a sense of security in doing what is familiar. If people learn the truth about the industries they support with their eating habits, it's uncomfortable, and let's face it, no one wants to be uncomfortable. Food, Inc. isn't a feel-good movie. It is painful to watch at moments, and I'm not ashamed to admit that parts of it made me cry. Even so, if I could, I would have everyone watch it. Hopefully, it will make viewers stop and think. Every time someone chooses organic - even if it's not all the time - it is a step in the right direction.

Responsibility

One of my professors mentioned that she had read an article in National Geographic that said there are no more pristine bodies of water left on Earth. I couldn't find the article to confirm, but regardless of whether or not the claim is true, it's a terrifying thought. It may have been an exaggeration, but the fact is that humans are pretty damn good at polluting, and we have the capability to pollute everything, and we are not kind to our planet.

One of the basic principles of Chinese Medicine is the concept that humans are holistic. Nothing in our bodies exists in isolation, so when you treat a patient, you search for the cause of the problem rather than just treating the symptoms. This concept is well known to most people who seek alternative forms of medicine. What is less well known (at least I was quite pleasantly surprised when I learned) is that Chinese Medicine also views the body as not being separate from the environment. The simplest way to think about it is to look at how seasons affect our health. No one can deny that the flu is more prevalent in winter and allergies are more prevalent when plants are pollinating. If you delve deeper, it becomes obvious that poor air quality will lead to a wider prevalence of lung problems, and radiation leads to more instances of cancer. Five Element acupuncture takes things a step further and takes the taoist view that all living things are interconnected and, fundamentally, we are all One. My aforementioned professor pointed out that as the earth gets less and less clean, our bodies seem to reflect that. The example she used was food allergies. More and more people are showing signs of having severe food allergies that didn't make much of a dent in the population before. I remember when they could serve peanuts on airplanes without fear that someone allergic would keel over and die because they looked at a nut. Almost a quarter of my close friends now are "glutards" - people with some degree of sensitivity to gluten, a protein found in many common grains, but I had never even heard of the issue until a few years ago. What if the increase in allergies and sensitivities are reflections of the planet on our bodies? Of course, there are other factors, such as a growing awareness and acceptance in the scientific community of food allergies, but I can't dismiss the notion that the more we damage our environment, the more we damage ourselves. We're not just leaving a legacy of environmental degradation for future generations to take care of, we're actively hurting ourselves and the ones we love with our species-wide ennui. Of course, given that we constantly fill our bodies with food that directly harms us (I'm looking at you, McDonald's), I can't say that I expect this revelation to make any dent in the world.

...which brings me to another point. The problems facing us today are overwhelming - pollution, climate change, natural disasters, war, famine, drugs, gang violence, heart disease, equal rights, oil spills, national debt, reality television, and the list goes on. When I start to think too much about it, I get downright depressed. I'm not exactly in a position of power and influence, and I can't affect change in a meaningful way, and yes, I'll admit that sometimes I think I just shouldn't bother trying. It's so much easier to shut my eyes and pretend that they're not my problems. Don't I have enough to worry about paying bills and studying for my 8 classes? Unfortunately, I can't bury my head in the sand and expect that someone else will solve everything.

I recently attended a Unitarian Universalist service in which the minister talked about responsibility. He said that most people think of responsibility in relation to power. If you have the power to do something about a problem, it is your responsibility to do so. Unfortunately, that definition lets a lot of people off the hook. I don't have the power to fix climate change, so I don't need to do anything about it. The minister offered a new definition that boiled down to - if there is a problem, even if you don't have the power to fix it, you need to do what you can, knowing that your actions alone won't necessarily change things. If enough people follow that definition of responsibility, over time, things will improve. If no one follows it, then we're all royally fucked.

So I pick my battles and do little things here and there that won't change the world overnight. Most notably, I'm eating local and sustainable food, and I hope to bring positive change to people one at a time when I start practicing acupuncture. Every time I do something that I know is the right thing to do, it gives me motivation to do another thing. I know that I will never be perfect, and my actions are a drop in the bucket. It may take time, but with enough drops, we can eventually fill the bucket.

Mmm, Mozzarella

Yesterday, my friend E and I made mozzarella together. Making cheese sounded like it would be a challenging but fun activity. It was certainly fun, but it was soooooo easy. There were 4 ingredients: whole, pasteurized, organic milk, salt, citric acid, and rennet (the citric acid and rennet came in a cheese-making kit that E bought). The process took about half an hour for 3/4 lb. of cheese (about 2 balls approximately the size you would get at the grocery store). Aside from the fact that it's delicious, it's wonderful because I know exactly what went into it. There are no additives, and the milk came from a cow that was pastured and grass fed. I really want to try making other cheeses now. Apparently ricotta is even easier than mozzarella, which is hard to believe.

The recipe book had all sorts of yummy sounding recipes to use the whey in (cheese is made of curds, and a byproduct is a watery substance called whey) including pizza crust. I'm imagining eating pizza in the summer with homemade crust and cheese, and garden tomatoes, basil, and other vegetables. Mmmmmm. I'll admit that most of the vegetables would probably come from E's garden - she has a yard with plenty of space for a big garden and a passion that far exceeds mine for food (I will have planter boxes on my balcony), but I know she will share.

Dave's Killer Bread

My roommate made a discovery that I absolutely have to share with everyone. It's called Dave's Killer Bread. It's the most delicious commercially available bread I've ever eaten - and bonus points - it already comes sliced for sandwiches! It's packed with seeds and whole grains, and has seeds in the bread and on the crust (they do have a variety without all the seed pieces for those who don't like the texture). The company is committed to sustainable practices, organic ingredients, and delicious bread. The best part is that it comes from Milwaukie, Oregon, which is less than 200 miles from Seattle. It's a little pricier than the average loaf of bread, but it's well worth the price. Heck, I even want to eat the heels of this bread, so not a single slice is going to waste.

If you get a chance, try this bread. I was sold after one slice.

Mmm, Cookies

Today, for the first time in a lonnnnnng time, I baked cookies. I decided that I needed to get rid of some of my peanut butter. It's perfectly good Trader Joe's organic peanut butter, but compared to the amazing deliciousness of the freshly ground organic peanut butter available at Whole Foods or Ballard Market, it's bland and boring. I can't justify buying the amazing peanut butter while the other stuff sits in my pantry. So I looked online and found a recipe for whole wheat peanut butter oatmeal cookies. They turned out amazing. Plus, all of the ingredients I used were organic, and the brown sugar was fair trade. The only thing that could have made them better was if I'd added Theo chocolate. I know for next time.

Although my cookies aren't made from local ingredients, they were made almost entirely from products that were in my pantry from before my decision to go local. I did buy vanilla extract, which of course, isn't available locally, and baking soda. While I am making every effort to eat locally, I am not a purist. I mean, sometimes, you just need something that comes from a different locale, like vanilla. When I buy peanut butter again, it will be made from freshly ground Oregon peanuts, instead of a jar that has peanuts from who knows where, a processing plant most likely somewhere in the middle of the country, and a distribution center that could be entirely different from the factory location.

Why Local?

I went to Whole Foods today. As I walked through the produce section, I saw piles of juicy mangos, golden pineapples, lush broccoli, bags of grapes, and heaps of not-quite-ripe bananas. All of it was food that I would have happily gobbled up just a few months ago without thinking twice. So why did I walk by all that yummy looking produce? Why am I sticking to root vegetables, leafy greens, apples, and pears that I bought at the farmers' market? Because I'm doing my best to eat local (for me, this means I'm getting as much of my food as possible from farms in Washington State, and if I'm presented with a choice, I will always choose from the farm that's closer to Seattle).

So, why local?

It is better for the environment. Americans have all gotten used to having an abundant variety of produce to eat year-round. Unless you live in one of the warm states where everything grows year-round, in order to get the variety, it has to be imported. It may not seem like a big deal, but every time you choose local, you make a significant impact. Every time a banana is shipped from the tropics, or an apple comes to the US from New Zealand, and even when an avocado from California makes its way to the produce aisle in Seattle, it takes gas. The further your produce has to travel, the more natural resources are used, and the more pollution is pumped into the atmosphere. Our demand for strawberries in February helps to ensure our dependence on foreign oil. Not only that, but unless the food we import is fair trade, the conditions for the farmers are abysmal, and they're not making any money.

That is the argument that first got me interested, but like a lot of other people, I thought to myself, "*Gasp!* That's horrible! I should really do something about that!" while proceeding to go about my business without making many changes. After all, mangos are delicious, bananas are cheap, and broccoli goes with everything. It wasn't until I realized the impact that eating local would have directly on my happiness that I started to make a concerted effort.

Since the advent of agriculture, people have been modifying crops. If you plant seeds from the fruit that is the biggest and most delicious, then the resulting offspring will be larger and tastier. The corn that we eat today is unrecognizable from the grass that Native Americans started off with. Once farming became a massive industry, new modifications were made. Produce was selected for its durability and ability to travel long distances, as well as its size (Americans understand, after all, that bigger is always better), rather than for taste and nutritional content. Genetic modifications were made to render the mature plants of some crops reproductively useless so that farmers would have to constantly buy seeds instead of planting seeds from the crop they had already grown. What all of this boils down to is that the food that gets shipped from far away has a tendency to be flavorless and nutritionally deficient. I'll take one small, locally grown strawberry with red flesh and flavor that explodes in your mouth over 100 of the giant, anemic, flavorless strawberries that are available year round, and which most Americans have come to associate with the word "Strawberry." Not only that, but it turns out that there are more varieties of fruits and vegetables than I had ever imagined. One stand at my farmers' market has 7 types of garlic! Whole Foods has 2 (elephant, and whatever you call the garlic that you always get at the grocery store). QFC has 1. I recently made mashed German Butterball potatoes that I got at a stand that had so many types of potatoes, I didn't know where to start. (For the record, the mashed potatoes were amazing. Did you know that potatoes actually have flavor???? I know I didn't). This Sunday, I plan on buying a root vegetable called a sunchoke. I don't know what it is or what it tastes like, but I'll be damned if I don't find out.

I realize that I am extremely lucky to live in Seattle where we have farmers' markets year round and local produce that's available in January. People who live in climates with real winter can go local too, it just takes more planning. The Eat Well Guide is a great online resource to help you find local food near you. If the subject interests you, I strongly recommend reading Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

A Brief Introduction

Qi: (also spelled "Chi") Pronounced like Chee. Simply put, in Chinese Medicine, qi is the energy present in all living things that enables them to function. It is sometimes called the "essence."
Gu Qi: Pronounced like Goo Chee (also like the overpriced, Italian designer brand Gucci). Gu qi is the energy we get from food and drink. It is also referred to as "acquired qi."

Why name my blog after a concept that few Americans have heard of? Simple - because of the absolute importance gu qi has in our health and happiness and because of my new-found passion for food.

A year ago, I ate for convenience rather than nutrition. I filled my body with caffeine, high fructose corn syrup, trans-fats, and all sorts of other additives. I could frequently be found at fast food establishments (though I eschewed McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's in favor of Subway, Quiznos, Burgermaster, and Taco Bell. I had standards), or eating pizza, frozen meals, or boxed macaroni and cheese. I drank soda like it was water and ate massive amounts of candy. I drank several beers a week. Occasionally, I would cook an actual meal - usually one involving lots of cheese and simple sugars, with the occasional broccoli, carrots, and salad to make me feel like I was eating well. I exercised a little, and I couldn't understand why I was overweight.

I had been experiencing stomach problems for a while and taking massive amounts of antacids, but in March of '09, I began having stabbing pain in my stomach and lower esophagus that were debilitating. I went to see an acupuncturist who treated me and told me to go to a medical doctor because I could have an ulcer. My doctor told me that I had gastritis, inflammation of the stomach, and that I would have to make drastic changes to my diet in order for it to heal. First and foremost, I had to entirely cut out caffeine and alcohol. He strongly recommended that I change my diet to consist solely of protein, complex carbohydrates, and vegetables, along with some low-acidic fruit. No sugar, no dairy, no spicy foods, nothing carbonated, and no acidic or sour foods. Oy! I had to change almost 100% of my diet, a prospect that was daunting, but my alternative was pain so severe that I could barely function.

The first few weeks were the most difficult, mostly because of caffeine and sugar withdrawal. Once I got through that (the hardest thing I've ever done!), I noticed that I had more energy and felt better. Shockingly, I found that the food I was eating, though it required time and preparation, was more delicious than any of the junk I had been eating before. I learned that vegetables are delicious, and fruit is divine. Who knew? Then the pounds started melting off. People kept asking me what my secret was. When I told them about my change in diet, most of them shook their heads and said they could never make those same changes. They had been looking for an easy fix - not a lifestyle change. Over the course of 9 months, I lost about 50 pounds and dropped three sizes, and I'm still losing weight, though it has slowed down now that I'm in a healthy range. My stomach, while not perfect, feels much better, and I have been able to re-introduce certain previously-verboten foods into my diet (most notably chocolate).

That was just the first step in a drastic change in my relationship with food. I became interested in nutrition and in eating well. My foray into nutrition lead me to a couple of books which have changed my outlook even more. The Omnivore's Dillema by Michael Pollan, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. In addition to what I'm learning as an acupuncture student, these books have made it abundantly clear that I need to make more changes: to eat locally and sustainably grown food.

This blog is a place to share my experiences as I foray into the exciting world of local food, and the connections between food, Chinese Medicine, and spirituality.