Blog Dis
Liquid lunch and the chocolate rush
2024-05-16
Me oh my oh why am I a woman of weak character? I slept in well past my alarm this morning. Have no idea where my head was, probably lost in a twisted dream that had me running atop mountains covered in snow. Yesterday's dream, just before my alarm sounded off, I was rescuing three kittens, one of which was missing half of one leg. It's easy to be a hero in your dreams. 🤣
To get myself going in the mornings, my routine includes a plant-based protein shake, before I work out, and I add into it three heaping tablespoons of frozen kale, two tablespoons of frozen blueberries, one banana, raspberries, two scoops of organic plant-based protein powder (a probiotic formula), one teaspoon of whole flax seeds, water and a dollop of oat milk, for creaminess. If working out in the morning is beneficial to you, and it means you'll be more consistent with your work-outs, there's validity in ingesting a protein shake, because it supports your muscles, rather than working out on an empty stomach, which apparently increases the potential of muscle breakdown.
Since the pandemic, I started to include as part of my supplement regimen (Vitamin C, D, B-Complex) two caplets of ginseng; a blend of Korean, Siberian and Red ginseng, for that extra kick to boost my spirit, to take the day head on, and work too, for that matter. Ginseng revs me up, not speedy, more like an uplift that feels like getting a second wind. However, and upon getting into the office, I can easily inhale one square inch of chocolate with my coffee, as well as espressos, though never more than two. And I do this because sometimes, despite the protein shake, the work-out, the ginseng, the eyeballs are still not fully ready to focus, any more than the brain is set, ready, go! The spirit would much rather regress, pull back the covers to retreat into child-like behaviour, where I don't have to accept my responsibilities like an adult.
As previously stated, I am a woman of weak character. I remind myself that I must be vigilant and maintain my proper diet to feel healthy. But tell me why then do our bodies and brain betray us, convincing us rather easily that we need chocolate or that plate of French fries? I'll tell you why... because discipline is laziness turned inside out and a person can maintain a disciplined demeanor only for so long. You will fall off the wagon. You will want that extra hit of energy. You will crave that piece of dark chocolate, that slice of pizza, that extra cold beer. Eventually you'll fall and partake in sinful delights, as do we all, regardless of how much you tell yourself that you're better off without them. So, some day soon, as in tomorrow, Friday, I shall suggest to a friend to indulge in a patio lunch, during which some very cold Coronas will join me, including Mr. Hamburger and his support team of sweet potato fries, complete with garlic aioli dipping sauce. I can assure you that Miss Salad and her bitchy vegetable friends won't be welcome at my patio table. It's enough that I eat salad seven days a week, my own salad, prepared with love.
Mr. Newcastle Brown Ale, in the past, would often present himself to me, with a frothy, fluffy head of puffed up foam-suds that I'd lick my lips in anticipation of the pleasure to come, then I'd tip the glass and wallow. Sadly, my body no longer seems capable of digesting the brown ale without stomach pain, but this doesn't apply to Coronas, gin, vodka or red wine. I learned the hard way last year that sparkling water is no longer good for my bladder, and I discovered just recently that carbonated coolers appear to have this same side-effect. I wasn't happy when I discovered these harsh realities. Your world can turn over when least you expect it, and it is therefore incumbent on you to enjoy some sins before their time comes and goes. Every decade you change. Every decade your body changes. Your mind, on the other hand, is another story.
Point in fact: I like weakness in character. Anyone who tries to convince me that they are above foolish behaviour or giving into their sins is full of it. None of us is perfect. The day you begin to view yourself as a perfect being who does no wrong, you are surely setting yourself up for one big fall or a disappointment that you hadn't anticipated. I surround myself with people who are flawed because I, too, am amongst these folks. As I type these words, I am reminded of the number of times when at work, a colleague would graciously offer me a chocolate chip oatmeal muffin. My first instinct is the same, to say, "I shouldn't!" At least nine times out of ten, I'll reject the offering. Maintaining a health diet is important to me, but so is allowing myself to indulge.
When, how and why should you allow yourself to ruin your perfectly constructed routine?
Yes, of course, I say often in answer to my inner child. "Thank you, my darling, for always being with me and for knowing the exact time when I need to falter."
To get myself going in the mornings, my routine includes a plant-based protein shake, before I work out, and I add into it three heaping tablespoons of frozen kale, two tablespoons of frozen blueberries, one banana, raspberries, two scoops of organic plant-based protein powder (a probiotic formula), one teaspoon of whole flax seeds, water and a dollop of oat milk, for creaminess. If working out in the morning is beneficial to you, and it means you'll be more consistent with your work-outs, there's validity in ingesting a protein shake, because it supports your muscles, rather than working out on an empty stomach, which apparently increases the potential of muscle breakdown.
Since the pandemic, I started to include as part of my supplement regimen (Vitamin C, D, B-Complex) two caplets of ginseng; a blend of Korean, Siberian and Red ginseng, for that extra kick to boost my spirit, to take the day head on, and work too, for that matter. Ginseng revs me up, not speedy, more like an uplift that feels like getting a second wind. However, and upon getting into the office, I can easily inhale one square inch of chocolate with my coffee, as well as espressos, though never more than two. And I do this because sometimes, despite the protein shake, the work-out, the ginseng, the eyeballs are still not fully ready to focus, any more than the brain is set, ready, go! The spirit would much rather regress, pull back the covers to retreat into child-like behaviour, where I don't have to accept my responsibilities like an adult.
As previously stated, I am a woman of weak character. I remind myself that I must be vigilant and maintain my proper diet to feel healthy. But tell me why then do our bodies and brain betray us, convincing us rather easily that we need chocolate or that plate of French fries? I'll tell you why... because discipline is laziness turned inside out and a person can maintain a disciplined demeanor only for so long. You will fall off the wagon. You will want that extra hit of energy. You will crave that piece of dark chocolate, that slice of pizza, that extra cold beer. Eventually you'll fall and partake in sinful delights, as do we all, regardless of how much you tell yourself that you're better off without them. So, some day soon, as in tomorrow, Friday, I shall suggest to a friend to indulge in a patio lunch, during which some very cold Coronas will join me, including Mr. Hamburger and his support team of sweet potato fries, complete with garlic aioli dipping sauce. I can assure you that Miss Salad and her bitchy vegetable friends won't be welcome at my patio table. It's enough that I eat salad seven days a week, my own salad, prepared with love.
Mr. Newcastle Brown Ale, in the past, would often present himself to me, with a frothy, fluffy head of puffed up foam-suds that I'd lick my lips in anticipation of the pleasure to come, then I'd tip the glass and wallow. Sadly, my body no longer seems capable of digesting the brown ale without stomach pain, but this doesn't apply to Coronas, gin, vodka or red wine. I learned the hard way last year that sparkling water is no longer good for my bladder, and I discovered just recently that carbonated coolers appear to have this same side-effect. I wasn't happy when I discovered these harsh realities. Your world can turn over when least you expect it, and it is therefore incumbent on you to enjoy some sins before their time comes and goes. Every decade you change. Every decade your body changes. Your mind, on the other hand, is another story.
Point in fact: I like weakness in character. Anyone who tries to convince me that they are above foolish behaviour or giving into their sins is full of it. None of us is perfect. The day you begin to view yourself as a perfect being who does no wrong, you are surely setting yourself up for one big fall or a disappointment that you hadn't anticipated. I surround myself with people who are flawed because I, too, am amongst these folks. As I type these words, I am reminded of the number of times when at work, a colleague would graciously offer me a chocolate chip oatmeal muffin. My first instinct is the same, to say, "I shouldn't!" At least nine times out of ten, I'll reject the offering. Maintaining a health diet is important to me, but so is allowing myself to indulge.
When, how and why should you allow yourself to ruin your perfectly constructed routine?
Yes, of course, I say often in answer to my inner child. "Thank you, my darling, for always being with me and for knowing the exact time when I need to falter."
