The Body Knows Best

Sometimes my body knows better than I do. Sometimes I am accidentally smart and listen to my body. Tonight was one of those times…

I have mentioned that my right calf is “feeling it”, right where I tore it quite a number of years ago tripping over my father’s dog and then re-injured two years ago on a bike ride. I have been, as is my wont, pushing past it and, well, ignoring it. I don’t want anything to get in the way of my rides, hikes and walks.

Today I was stuck at a desk much of the day working on the annual budget (our fiscal year runs July to June) and that meant little opportunity to walk around the plant or get outside for a little walk in the sun (did the sun shine today?).

With all good intent to get in a long walk tonight I had a light dinner of acorn squash stuffed with vegetables and a side of tilapia. After a walk of the dog my calf let me know in terms unmistakable that I should sit it out tonight. The calf was as tight as a drum and I was limping as I finished the walk, a walk of no more than half a mile. Not really painful but it was certainly not feeling good. A rub of the muscle and the Missus helping me stretch it out helped a little but the muscle just feels wrong. I am confident it is nothing but this muscle. It has been this muscle for years…. I aggravated it on Saturday with my bike ride when I hammered up a hill and then I really ticked it off when I went on the hike on Sunday. I think running from the snake was a contributor… The sudden change of direction and quick motoring in the opposite direction…

No joke, seriously think that is part of the issue.

So I will rest tonight. It is a chilly and damp evening and I think it probably best to rest. Tomorrow promises to be much nicer and I WILL get in a few miles on the track. I will see how it all feels and decide if bleacher-sets are a good idea.

Relearning Food

I am a cook, my friends might say Chef, but I say cook. I love cooking, I love to cook for large groups and I love to experiment in the kitchen and learn new cuisines. With the change in my daily

diet, I am now taking my culinary experiments in entirely new directions. I am learning all sorts of things to do with fish and poultry. I am putting turkeys in the smoker now instead of ribs. I am discovering all sorts of different types of rice. New vegetables are presenting themselves to me weekly as I explore the Asian markets around work.

I am learning that, for me at least, it  really doesn’t matter what I eat. It only really matters how much. With that said, I am finding that my desire to be fit and healthy is driving me away from foods I loved for years to foods I gave only passing service to in the past.

I have not had red meats since mid-March and I have not had a slice of pizza since December. Instead I find myself wanting to try cooking red snapper or making a roasted spaghetti squash served with a sauce made of roasted red peppers…

Where I could look at the old tried and true ingredients and whip up a meal in minutes, I am learning to do that with the new ingredients in my life. Where I could take tomatoes, olive oil, herbs and spices, some ground beef and Italian sausage and pull together a meal fit for company, I am learning how to do the same with tomatoes, fish, squash and greens…. Instead of a shrimp Creole, I am learning to make delicious pan dishes with shrimp and vegetables.

Relearning food has been one of the best parts of this Journey of mine.

Peace