I really didn't want to write this post as I thought my little 'splurge day' could just slip away in the past with out being noticed, but not so.....and there may even be something that can be learnt from it all.
So, a couple of days ago, it was suggested that we take a quick overnight trip to the beach - (a quick trip being an 800km return drive to Esperance which is Kalgoorlie's closest beach) The plan was to take in a breathe of fresh air, let the kids have a play on the beach and take a 'step back' from the everyday life and all its minor stresses.
So keeping with the 'stress free' theme, and wanting to take a little more of a relaxed approach to the ideals and limitations of an all raw diet, I decided to just 'eat a day of conventional food'. I didn't prepare the fridge with fresh greens and fruit, or make loads of any dehydrated crackers of kale chips. Instead, I took a quick trip the the supermarket, purchased a loaf of bread, a packet of corn chips, a block of cheese, a couple of tomatoes, a dozen eggs, a chocolate nut bar each and some juice. The kids thought it was absolutely fabulous that their strict old mother was letting loose in the supermarket and stocking the trolley with a few of the old favourite things from a year ago. My children were ecstatic to be allowed to eat cheese and tomato sandwiches and packets of corn chips while we spent the day in Esperance.
Still feeling very generous, we indulged in an Indian takeout the night before, complete with curries and naan bread. I went to bed completely stuffed!
In the early hours of the next morning we set off on our adventure to Esperance. Now that I had eaten Indian the night before, the car was loaded with chips and bread, anything now seemed ok. Our first stop in Esperance was the bakery! I hadn't been to a bakery in years and my kids didn't even know what one was! I remembered an old tradition I loved as a kid - cream buns for breakfast every camping trip, so we entered the bright lights of the bakery hoping to locate a cream bun, but the selection was a lot different to what I remembered. The store was filled wall to wall with every thing creamy, sugary, pink, and flossy..but not a single cream bun. Splurging out completely and being 'in the moment' we walked out with a bag of croissants and a tray of donuts! The donuts were devoured within minutes and the croissants didn't take much longer. Its amazing just how cheap junk food is when our large purchase at the bakery that fed more than all of us cost almost nothing!
Later in the morning, we found a lovely little camp site on the beach. We set up camp and played on the beach. We collected shells, fished, threw a Frisbee, flew a kite, splashed in the freezing waters and then ate some more...sandwiches filled with cheese and peanut butter, corn chips, nut bars, more corn chips and more sandwiches. Even though I was completely stuffed, I ate more. The kids walked around with fistfuls of bread and chunks of cheese. We all then rested for the afternoon, like beached whales in the tent, rubbing our full bellies.
By evening the tent and all the bedding was filled with sand, bread and chip scraps and spilt juice. The wind was blowing strong and the tent was collapsing. We decided to pack up and head back into Esperance town.
In Esperance, we did a little more playing on the beach and then thought about eating more. Even though non of us were actually hungry, we still went in search of something for dinner time. We settled on a noodle wok shop and ordered up vegetarian dishes....and stuffed ourselves again. I ate until my stomach literally cramped! I felt exhausted, bloated and totally uncomfortable.
If only a fresh sprout salad or a raw zucchini noodle creation was our only option to eat - we all would have declined on dinner all together. Its not because those raw dishes don't taste nice...its the complete opposite, its because the cooked processed junk food tastes so good! We don't eat that crap because it makes us feel good, we do because it tastes so good and is really addictive! I can never over indulge on a raw meal and have never felt bloated, exhausted or uncomfortable while eating a raw diet. I haven't felt that 'yuk' since discovering raw. And, I am still feeling yuk, even today!
The next day ofter we drove back from our day trip to Esperance, I was hit with a running nose, a terrible head cold, and a shocking migraine complete with nausea and exploding eye sockets! I am still sneezing, coughing, nose dripping like a tap and head thumping. I haven't been sick for a year and the day after my 'processed food splurge' I am sick for days...
So whats my lesson learnt? Its not as easy as just saying I must eat all raw from now on and its not about never eating junk food again either. Something that I have been trying to discover over the past couple of weeks, its about finding a compromise..a happy medium. I dont want my kids to feel completely deprived and never be allowed the chance to enjoy a rare day eating tomato sandwiches on the beach or never getting the chance to eat a cream bun as a kid. We still need to live amongst this current society of conventional products to a degree and I cant disconnect ourselves completely from our modern culture of processed food. Its even harder while we live in this remote town, with a husband that works all day almost every day and everything we eat has to be purchased and everything that entertains us has to be sought from outside our house yard. Allowing just a little piece of 'spurging' on a very rare occasion I think is ok for now - and not a full day of it!...just until we find our 'place of happiness' a place where nature is right on our back door, food grows abundently in our back yard and the community welcomes and respects food in its pure natural raw form. Only then will eating become less about being a 'social entertainment', a way to 'break boredom' or an 'addictive taste sensation'. It will be more about nuturing, respecting and feeding our soul....
Wow what a great story.. I was laughing at the start becase I knew where it was leading. You are sooo right when you talk about - just eating because it tastes good.. When ever I hve pig outs.. if salad was the only thing to eat for dinner then I wouldnt eat it..ohh but cramming KFC on top of everything else is okey...alot of foods have msg in it..and msg makes us eat and eat..so a combination of additives and tasting good..we cant help but eat until we are exploding.. not a nice way to be..Im glad you experiencd this.. we sometimes need little lessons in life :)
ReplyDeleteHa ha - it's so nice to know that you're human like the rest of us! I was good and took 2 foam boxes of food with us on the plane to Broome - but had a terrible viral infection and case of gastro on the way to perth. All I could do was sleep, cough and spew, so by the time we got to Broome I couldn't even be bothered assebling some nachos. So I thought a binge day or two would be fine - only it lasted for the whole week. And I have to admit I kind of loved the treats (curries, croissants, margaret river choc and hot chips!) - except the sore tummy and lack of sleep from the sugar kind of ruined it. Needless to say I bought a box of healthy food back with me.
ReplyDeleteBut now I'm back I'm seriously over crap food and am ready to juice juice juice! But my thinking has come to the point where I figure that the odd indulgence is fine and not to be stressed over it. Our bodies are now so much more equipped now to deal with and process the indulgences out of our systems quickly - rather than when it is constantly bombarded by it. And relationships with other people are important too. I could become really dogmatic and make my food into a religion of sorts, but it only serves to push those around us away - so an odd snack over a family game night can be considered a healthy compromise too.
However, in saying that - I do really struggle with the thought of celebrating birthdays and special occasions with highly processed and toxic foods. It's like saying 'I love you to bits - here - have a bit of poison'!
But the process of thought is good - and it's good to discover what you really value underneath. You just need to find a balance that works for you and feel comfortable with it - not one that works for someone else and their expectations. At this point I'm happy to aim for 80-90% raw in a week, it's a heck of a lot better than I was eating last year......
Yes.Thanks Tash and Amy...Its been a lesson, really the last couple of weeks have been a lesson in compromise. I think I have spent a lot of time being too strict on eating habits, creating exclusions socially and then this 'splurge' I went to the extreme...there is to be a happy middle ground that suits the individual..Im still finding mine..not too dogmatic, but very passionate about raw healthy eating as our main lifestyle choice, while allowing that little amount of processed 'junk' in the moment... I find though that once I allow that intended 'little amount' of processed junk in..the flood gates open and then a little bit more wont matter and then any thing goes. I am best when i am strict. Still working on that one.. I guess like an alcoholic, they can never again have just one drink? Life is always about balance and I think once we all work out our prefereced balance in life, then everything else will be easy.
ReplyDeleteAnd by the way 80-90% raw a week is fantastic ! Good on you Amy!
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I've come to the conclusion over the last few weeks that if I'm really craving something, just have it - my body obviously needs it - especially in the meat department (and that's coming from my current medical situation). So, I've realised that I need to be more proactive and cook a few curries and things and leave them in the freezer for when I do have such a craving. My thinking is that at least the food in the freezer is whole food and will be a darn sight better for me than take away - plus with the added benefit of no msg to keep me eating for the next 3 days.
ReplyDeleteMy general principle is that if I'm eating 10-20% regular food for a treat, then it needs to be good quality. So I never feel guilty eating some popcorn with the kids, cause it's organic and cooked in coconut oil. Same with the odd slice of bread - if it's completely organic, home made and spelt with some added homemade nut butter or jam, it's still a pretty darn good choice. And the best thing is that I get right back on track for the rest of the day with no other cravings. The kids won't eat my corn chips, so occasionally I'll get them some of the macro ones from Woolies. I have learnt to watch out for these. They might be organic and the palm oil might be the next best thing to coconut oil, but lets face it, they are deep fried and as such still leave you craving more rubbish. But in saying that, I'm also finding that if I eat something living with the rubbish, the following cravings are much more manageable and are gone the next morning. e.g. we went out to breakfast on our hol and I got a cheese and bacon croissant - but followed it up with some fruit salad and yoghurt, and was still happy to have a salad for lunch with no other cravings. So, I guess what I am saying is that if you make wise choices with your binges, it really doesn't have to become a guilt ridden process.
And don't be so hard on yourself where your kids are concerned. They generally love the raw food that you give them. If you involve them in discussions about how their tummies feel after a treat or binge, they'll start to be able to read their own bodies as they get older. They'll be able to recognise the difference for themselves and will make their own wise choices, based on choice rather than expectation. My kids are often complaining of sore tummies after birthday parties, particularly ones at McDonalds - and it's a great opportunity for them to see the difference for themselves.....