July 12, 2009 Ayurveda follow-up

Sunday, July 12, 2009

As of today I am two months past going to India, one month past coming back to the States, and two weeks back in my own abode.
I'm doing well. I feel good, and my former piano teacher says I look very healthy. I have lost 34 pounds since May 12. (I took pity on you and didn't make you convert from kilos.) My sciatica is also doing well. I still know it's there, but it hasn't kicked up even with all the walking I do. An hour a day. Most of the time I don't even know it's there. Halleluia!!!
David and Raechel sent me a juicer and an ipod; Kevin and Michelle sent me a steamer and MANY books on my new lifestyle; and Bob and Jenny want to know why David and Kevin don't have to try the juices I make!
Thus far I have made cucumber juice--takes a lot of cucumbers but it tastes better than the cucumber juice we got in India--and beet juice--also takes a lot of beets, but it tastes good--sweet but it has a taste of what I surmise is the land it's grown on or else the outside layer of the beets.
I am going to try celery juice next--or carrot juice. Amelia says she is drinking celery juice and two other kinds so... Fortunately I discovered a brand new organic farmer's market over by Macri's which is in operation every Thursday. All three providers are Amish so even the two who admit they aren't totally organic subscribe to limited use of unhealthy stuff. The third one said the person who certifies a farm as organic has only to send them the plaque or certificate or whatever so they can put it on the table in front of their produce. This guy also said that they would eventually have 3 tents because they have 20 acres growing. They have sign up for a CSA this coming Thursday. I think those initials are correct. It's where for $255 they will provide you with a basket of fresh produce every week between next week and the end of November. $18 per week I'm told although I haven't done the math. In the signup sheet they will allow some limited choices on the purchaser's part so if I really can't stand something they will double up on it. When he told me that, I asked him if he had been talking to one of my sons. Actually, he said he was kidding. However, this will give me an opportunity to try new fruits and vegetables I've never tried before. And maybe some that my mother used to make us eat like squash and lima beans. Maybe they'll taste better if I steam them.
As to the steamer, I have steamed cauliflower--not bad either steamed or unsteamed if you dip it in Campbell's Tomato Soup. Will never become my favorite because it is bland, but it is edible. I also tried corn-on-the-cob, which was super even without margarine or butter. The skies the limit here.
At the organic market, there is also a store where I can get coconut oil. It's expensive. $55 plus 7% Indiana sales tax for a gallon. On the internet I found a sale price of 2 gallons for $99, but that no doubt didn't include shipping.
Should you need convincing that this is a good way to eat, I suggest you read "In Defense of Food". I'm not home right now so I can't give you the author's name, but I'm sure it's on Amazon.com. There is also a movie--maybe a documentary--called Food, Inc. which sounds like it will fill you in on how our food is no longer FOOD thanks to our government and the quantity and dollars versus quality cadre. I heard the filmmaker on Jon Stewart's show this week, and it seemed like he and the author of "In Defense of Food" are on the same page. For all I know, they are one in the same. The film is supposed to be in theatres now. The book has rules to live by such as 'Never buy anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food' and 'Never buy anything with more than 5 ingredients' because they are additives which help us Westerners have a much higher incidence of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes than 3rd world countries.

BTW: The book does not say that you can't have meat, etc. It just says--like Dr. Baji said--that we should limit how much we eat and focus on fruits and vegetables (preferably fresh). And the Surgeon-General will love you for it. So will your body.
And so the saga continues. As I mentioned on June 17, I will try to update this around the 12th of every month so see you in August.
Take care!
Mom/Granny/Peggy