It’s time for another challenge for VK, and this time we’ll backtrack to the successful outcome we previously skipped on her list:
I know a lot about nutrition, and I make choices about what I eat that reflect my knowledge.
I know of no better way to up your nutrition education and your nutrients (while benefiting the environment to boot!) than signing up for a weekly produce box from your local organic farm. In the US, these are called Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), in the UK (where VK lives), they’re known as veg-box schemes.
Many of these farms deliver; in some areas you’ll need to drive to a collection point to pick up your goodies. Either way, the outcome is the same: local, organic food that’s in season. And that means you’re forced to come up with some creative solutions when something like celery root (celeriac) shows up in your box. You’ll find yourself reading that dirt-covered little newsletter that comes with your box for inspiration or finally thumbing through those dust-covered cookbooks you haven’t opened in years.
When I first signed up for a weekly box back in 2006, I was so thrilled with it and what it taught me that I started a small catering business. Every week, I made two vegetarian lunches for two guys at my office. These guys were omnivores, yet they absolutely loved this. I’d make two dishes based on whatever came in the box that week, and I wrote up a little newsletter of my own that explained what was in their lunch and why it was good for them.
I came out of that enterprise learning a whole lot about nutrition…and that catering is a hell of a tough job!
So, VK, your challenge is to sign up for an organic vegetable box and come up with a unique recipe that uses at least half of the contents. Then send me your recipe and photo so I can put it up for all to see. Happy cooking (and learning!)
Search for a CSA in your area in the USA at Local Harvest
If you’re in the UK, try Riverford Organics or Abel & Cole
Thanks to Brian for finding this educational video that’s also fun to watch. The title is a bit misleading since it covers so much more – it’s one of the best explanations I’ve seen on the topic of acid/alkaline balance and the effects of acidic foods on the body. Sometimes we all need a kick in the butt to remember this stuff, and this video does a great job at it. You’ll be running to knock out a smoothie like I just did. Enjoy, share the plant-based love, and have a great weekend!
Mother Mallard with seven of her babies in Holland Park, London.
I’ve let an extra week go to give VK time to settle into her new running routine, and I’m going to skip ahead two of her successful outcomes to present the next bite-sized challenge. But don’t worry, we’ll cover them all.
Here’s the one I want to target next:
My body is almost always in great shape.
Why this now? Because while I was relaxing at a Turkish bath (Hamam) this morning, it occurred to me that this was a perfect challenge for VK. My first brush with one of these was in Paris in 2004, and quite a brush it was – beginning with the tub of gomage (body scrub) they planted in my hand as I walked in, completely befuddled. Not only was I a Hamam virgin, but the little French I spoke completely eluded me as I tried to come to grips with stripping down in front of everyone and finding my way through the labyrinthine layout of the place. I couldn’t believe all the women were going about completely nude without a care in the world, and my newness was evident by the towel I kept wrapped around my waist.
Fast forward to this morning at Porchester Spa, the oldest Victorian Turkish baths in London where being stark naked has become routine for me. Spending a couple of hours at one of these places is enough to develop a newfound love of your body – not just because you’re indulging in nothing but cleansing and relaxation, but because every body in there is different, and none of them is perfect. And because of that, they are.
This being London, it was particularly interesting to see a pair of women completely comfortable in their full, naked bodies before covering themselves head-to-toe in burkas and heading outside.
So VK’s challenge – and yours, if you choose to accept it – is to get completely naked at one of these places. If you don’t have access to Turkish baths, then spend some time in the steam room and sauna at your gym, or look around for a nearby day spa.
And here’s the drill: the normal procedure is to spend about 15 minutes in the steam room or as long as comfort allows, then take a quick cold shower or dip in the “plunge pool”, then return to the steam room for another 5-10 minutes. Finally, bring the body temperature back to normal by relaxing on one of the long beach-type reclining chairs. Aside from the ahhh factor, the real reason I’ve made this VK’s next challenge is that the Hamam experience will almost instantly make you see that your body is almost always in great shape.
So V.K. has mastered the green smoothie kick start, fruit-bowl sugar fix, daily body meditation with aplomb…what now? Here’s the next successful outcome on her wish list:
My stomach is flat and muscular.
Ooh. Wouldn’t we all like that? Well, as someone who has always had a bit of a belly even when I was the skinniest kid in the class, I definitely know the desire for a smooth midriff. When I used to take yoga classes in gym studios, 3/4 of my time was spent looking in the mirror marvelling at how other women managed to have such perfectly toned abs while mine were in need of atonement.
I also know that the only time I’ve ever felt incredibly proud of my abs (aside from when I was fasting in Thailand) was when I was training for the London marathon in 2005. I remember bending over just for the hell of it so I could see (once again) that no squishy rolls would ensue. And this despite that I was chowing down entire pizzas from Strada in one sitting!
So here’s what I learned for free (if you don’t count sweat): when it comes to targeting that mid-section, nothing beats the combination of running and yoga. For the running part, slow distance runs are the key in order to burn fat. That’s exactly what happened after those 2-3 hour long runs I was doing in the build-up to race day. And the yoga? Core strengthening as a nice bonus to the stretching/relaxation/meditation.
Here’s the other thing I’ve learned: fat around the middle is very often due to high cortisol levels from too much stress. That’s where yoga also comes into play. See where the running/yoga combo kicks butt (and ab flab)?
So what’s V.K.’s challenge for the next two weeks? Well, I know she’s already a runner, so her task is to start increasing her weekly long run by 10 minutes each week while lowering her speed slightly. We’ll focus on yoga in another challenge.
If you’re following along and have not already discovered the cheap yet incredibly effective and satisfying exercise that running is, you have to take it very, very slow and start off with a walk/run program. That’s how I went from not being able to run more than three minutes straight in Central Park back in 1999 to sprinting (okay, crying) past Big Ben at mile 25 five years ago.
And you need a plan. My favorite is The Complete Book of Running For Women. Also check out Brendan Brazier’s new Thrive Fitness. I’ve written about this professional Ironman triathlete before and how he gets his fuel entirely from plant-based food.
Oh, and here’s yet another thing I’ve learned: all the iconic women in Renaissance art – including Venus herself – display quite generous bellies as a sign of fertility and are very in your face about them. Bellies back then were beautiful.
Aside from doing a fine job with her bite-sized challenges, V.K. has also been a great ambassador for the project and has recruited several of her friends to play along. This one is from Julie, who was very cool to send a rendition of her bowl along with her caption:
I make fruit salad for breakfast every day – this is our fruit bowl today. The green grapes had just been washed and weren’t quite dry so they have reflected the flash which makes them look a bit dodgy! Honestly they are nice!
Thanks, Julie, and this is most nice of you! Beautiful work.
If you’ve been following V.K. (formerly known as Noelle) through her bite-sized challenges, you’ll know she is now a green-smoothie convert and that her desk is flanked by a beautiful bowl of fruit.
Here’s V.K.’s third desired successful outcome:
When I look in the mirror, I can say confidently, “My body is just right how it is. I wouldn’t want to lose any weight or gain any weight.”
When we spoke on the phone, V.K. told me she believes part of the reason she can’t seem to shift a couple of extra pounds is because she really can’t find a good reason to. For me, that’s a good enough reason not to worry about those extra pounds. But she’s worrying, so there’s something underlying that’s making her feel both guilty about the weight and resistant to doing anything about it.
I want V.K. to start a simple meditation practice. Every day for a week, she is to sit for five minutes in a quiet spot and simply be in her body – she should feel the weight of her body supported by the Earth. The idea is to become very present and simply feel the sensations in her body.
Then the following week I’d like her to add another five minutes to this daily practice in which she envisions her ideal weight and feels it in her body as if she is already that weight. She should really imagine that she is her ideal weight right now – how her belly feels against her clothes, how she breathes feeling lighter. She should also notice how she feels about herself in this new weight.
For added inspiration, Kathy Freston has a series of guided manifestation meditations including one called Perfect Weight.
On the heels of her coming-out pictures showing her caught in the act of the green smoothie, “Noelle” has also decided to reveal her real initials. So, from now on she’ll be known as V.K.
Her latent exhibitionist tendencies are now moving at a feverish pace as you can see by these new images. Here we spy V.K.’s evolving fruit bowl at work – evidence that she is tackling her recent bite-sized challenge with gusto. Isn’t it pretty? I am equally impressed by the minimalist desk space. Very Zen.
Have you been following the bite-sized challenges? Send me your fruit-bowl pics and I’ll post them.
One of my favorite books is Colleen McCullough’s The Thorn Birds. I read it when I was a teenager; and it still haunts me, especially during difficult times. It is, in short, about the pain that can result from great pleasure. It is a natural law, but as humans we are conscious of it and yet still choose to perpetuate it – causing the greatest pain to ourselves. Here is the last paragraph of the book:
The thorn bird with the thorn in its breast, it follows an immutable law; it is driven but it knows not what to impale itself and die singing. At the very instant the thorn enters there is no awareness in it of the dying to come; it simply sings and sings until there is not the life left to utter another note. But we, when we put the thorns in our breasts, we know. We understand. And still we do it. Still we do it…
Why am I writing about this now? Partly from personal circumstances and partly because of the terrible images of the seabirds on the news. The birds are just going about their business being birds, and we keep going about our business of being anything but human. In the end, we hurt ourselves.
Follow this link for up-to-date information on current oil-spill relief efforts.
I was delighted to see Noelle’s enthusiasm in these pics of her in the midst of bite-sized challenge number one. Here she is slurping a drink your greens smoothie. She also made one for her flatmate who gave it rave reviews. That’s definitely a smart move for Noelle: as with any effort, enlisting the help of a buddy is always worthwhile – for both of you! And since these smoothies taste so good, it’s easy (and smart) to get someone else along for the ride…especially if they live with you.
I’m sure you’ll agree with me that Noelle looks fantastic, which goes to show this isn’t about losing weight but about feeling good.
Jessica Stone
Well hello there! I’m an American with an appetite for great food, optimal health and green living. My passion is helping others discover the joy in whole, plant-based foods. This blog is about putting a smile on your face with simple, delicious ideas that are good for you and our planet. I’m always eager to hear your feedback, so thanks for sharing the journey with me!
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