Things About Me

Welcome to the lazy blog post, created by me feeling a little run down and sleepy.

The detox went well, really well, and I do feel great. I did, however, become very busy and run down due to external, non-detox factors, and only managed to record 2 more days, which I will share with you next post.

I've been sent quite a few questions lately about my food, health and generally how I live, what I do and what my favourite food is, etc. So I thought I'd write one of those pieces where I capture little parts of my life and put them into a few paragraphs.

An Asian-inspired noodle soup I've been making a fair bit of lately.

Purely for decoration.

I am a vegetarian because I don't feel natural when meat goes into my body. I am also against eating animals on moral grounds but believe everyone has the right to make the choice themselves. I cook meat because the boyfriend, M, loves it and it does feel right to him to eat it. He is usually home between 2 and 3 hours later than me, so I cook his dinner.

I don't have a signature dish because I don't like cooking the same thing too many times, however I am known to make a good vegetarian curry, lemon butter, mushroom risotto and eggplant parmigiana.

My favourite food to eat is anything carb-loaded; pasta and fresh bread absolutely top that list.

My all-time greatest comfort food is breakfast cereal. I officially have 15 boxes in the house. I never eat them for breakfast, but for dessert.

I prefer to cook savoury meals over desserts. I think it's because I like to eat savoury more than dessert, however that's not to say I don't have a sweet tooth. I find savoury dishes to be more of a challenge too - almost anyone loves something filled with sugar and butter.

My favourite cooking magazine is probably Good Food Australia. The recipes featured are always interesting but never so complicated or out-there unique that you'd never make it. I own a lot of cook books, but the most reliable ones would be a tie between anything by Women's Weekly, and Cookery the Australian Way text. The Cookery the Australian Way was my text book in year 7, and I constantly refer back to it for basic recipes to then alter.

My pet hate is when people use pre-packaged products to make their recipes. For example, one mainstream cook book constantly uses canned soups and tinned foods as recipe bases. It's really not that hard to just go from scratch.

I believe the only way to live is eating and being healthy, but I try very hard not to preach this belief. I really believe that food can be used as preventative medicine, and this is why I am about to start studying to be a nutritionist. I don't believe the increasing incidence of magazines and the increase in packaged and 'fast' food being consumed is any kind of coincidence.

It makes me sad that people think I am nuts for reading the label of everything. I think people are nuts if they don't.

I don't exercise religiously, but rather when my body feels like it. I believe the worst thing you can do is commit to an exercise regime that you don't enjoy, so I just do what I feel like doing, when I feel like doing it. If I don't feel like exercising for a week, so be it. It has taken me a long time to stop being nuts on exercise, but when you wear yourself out, you learn the hard way.

From a mental health perspective, I believe friends are more important than many people realise. The perspective of a good girlfriend over your partner or family is often completely different and refreshing. You'll be amazed how well your friends know you.

I also think people separate physical activity and mental activity too much. Making time for meditation and for a run as two separate things is unnecessary - you can relax the mind as you run, or walk, or do your weights. Exercise can be very hypnotic if you treat it the right way. Think of how great you feel after a serious alone-in-lounge room dance.

Lastly, stop trying and everything generally falls into place. My stomach is flattest when I am not stressed, not obsessed over what I eat and not exercising to a planner.

And how to make that noodle soup?

I invented it, so it's not too authentic or special, but it feels clean so I life it.

In a big pot of water, place crushed garlic, ginger, a dash of soy sauce and a day of kecap manis. Bring to the boil.

Add broccoli, bok choy, diced carrots and cubed tofu. Simmer until broccoli is tender.

Serve on a bed of prepared rice vermicelli noodles.

Stay well,

Nat x

Finding Balance

I was going to title this post, 'keeping balance', but then decided you can only keep something you already have. I am constantly striving for balance but, like everyone else, I struggle to find it and when I do find it for a moment, I struggle to keep it.

Beautiful Photo courtesy of user *hb19 (R.I.P.) on Flickr

I think there can be some debate about what balance is. Balance to me is a minute by minute thing. It's finding the right balance of nutrients in a single meal, it's doing a balanced combination of exercises in a single work out and it's having a calm approach to stressful tasks.

After a conversation with my dear boyfriend last week, I realised he has a different view. Balance, for him, would be eating too much or too 'badly' for a month and making a point of eating healthy the next month. It's doing weights one day and cardio the next, (though I'll admit this is perfectly fine in my eyes too, just not how I like to work). It's also having a stressful day but forgetting about everything on the weekend or after work.

It's a bit yo-yo to me, but apparently, in M's words, 'it's what normal people do'. Kind of an ignore the consequences of a moment and deal with it later/compensate tomorrow approach. It's only very recently not become how I operate and I find it much more pleasant not going through the peaks and lows, and just being steady. That's what I like to be, steady.

I think that, in having CFS and going through the extreme consequences of pushing myself and then recovering over and over again, I can't be comfortable with living that way. Then again, I see a lot of beautiful, healthy looking women when I'm out and about eating and especially drinking copious amounts, and know they must just sweat it out at the gym the next day. Better than that, I know they would never feel guilty for having a great night out.

So I am wondering, what is balance to you?

And have you achieved it?

Stay well,

Nat x