Take My Cheese and I'll Bite Your Hand Off!

 Ok, not really (anymore.) But why can food be that powerful?

First of all, as I'm genuinely looking for balance, I'm also looking for simplicity. What better time than now, while beginning a brand new year, a new cleanse? Simplicity, like moderation and practicality, often eludes me, especially in the kitchen. I just made a minestrone soup and when I went to write down the ingredients, I realized it had so many ingredients that no one would make it! I love to cook and I tend to get carried away. But now that I'm managing my own business, I don't have the time I would like to play in the kitchen. Also, I would love to share recipes that you will actually be able to squeeze into your own busy schedules.

I'm not even exactly sure what I will eat for breakfast without eggs or bread.

Using up those eggs and bread. Kale and tomato recipe coming soon.

Will you help me? Please share with me your recipes- the simpler and tastier, the better. Remember, they must have no gluten, no animal products, no sugar, no caffeine, and no alcohol. If your recipe is chosen, I'll be happy to give you credit here on the blog.

For a moment, I considered letting myself keep eggs for this cleanse, as I always choose organic ones. But -wow- how much that craving must own me! Last time I did the cleanse, I probably would have chosen to skip the gluten free part and I was surprised to discover by omitting gluten that I actually had a sensitivity. Without bread, I had less headaches and way more energy. So this is an important way to take inventory of what the body truly needs to hum along optimally.

While watching the movie Fed Up, I was in tears of anger over how the food industry has exploited my psychology since childhood to make me a willing (and unhealthy) consumer. Basically, in the 80's when skim milk gained popularity, they had all this extra milk fat sitting on shelves. So what did they do? They started marketing cheese much more heavily, especially to children. That's when the commercials of that ooey, gooey, gotta have it cheese started gracing our televisions. They didn't need much help since cheese is actually an opiate. Oh, I bought it- Grilled Cheese with Macaroni and Cheese was my favorite meal. My mom couldn't keep Kraft Singles in the house for more than a couple of days (yes- a 24 pack!)  My nickname as a child was "the cheese monster." I ate so much cheese that it didn't take long for me to develop a pretty severe allergy. When I gave up dairy in the 5th grade, I lost 30 pounds in 6 months. But then, cheese snuck back into my life as a "necessary" indulgence and I have not been able to breathe pretty much since I was eight years old. Enough is ENOUGH. I will no longer allow myself to be controlled by corporations that compromise my health to make their money.

I heard you gasp in excitement. I did, too. Congratulations, food marketing!

As more evidence of how ridiculous this is, I couldn't even find a picture of "milk fat" like in the movie to insert here. They were all glossed up, made to look like delicious cheese, and of course there was a celebrity with a milk mustache. Even when I changed the search to "gross milk fat," the images were pretty much the same, but added were obese people, breasts, and more, albeit strange, marketing. Are you kidding me?

So I'm all in. But if this is an alien concept to you and you'd like to start more simply, maybe you want to try to give up one or a couple of the things, but not commit to all five, and see how you feel?  That’s great; please come along and flirt a little – I promise I won’t tie you down, steal your coffee, hide your bread, and tell you what’s in a McDonald’s cheeseburger.  Just see what you like, no pressure. Small changes generally stick better, so you must start where you are comfortable.

Shopping lists and recommended products coming next. Thanks for joining me!