Sugar free adventures, Day 4

Here’s how the day broke out:

  • Breakfast of eggs, squash, spinach, hummus.
  • Lunch: steamed greens, omega 3 dressing, and a chunk of sweet potato.
  • Dinner: turkey, walnuts, squash.
  • And my yummy stevia, unsweetened almond milk, cocoa delight.

So…no rice, no flours, just whole plain recognizable foods full of goodness. Wasn’t hungry for hours after my solid breakfast. For a gal who routinely lives on coffee for the first four hours of the day, eating something substantial in the AM seems decadent! I’m growing curious about taking a more deliberate paleo approach to my “no sugar month”, but have a few questions.

For example, are my beloved hummus and the cream in my coffee “legal?” Do I need to replace cream with grass-fed butter and bullet proof it up (um, by the way, bulletproof coffee is one of the most delicious things ever…but you do need a blender).  And is hummus okay? Legumes? Squash okay? For me, the “you can eat duck, quail, rabbit, bison, or lamb!” is not tempting diversification. I’m currently seeking advice on some paleo twitter feeds to see what I can turn up (and I’m also curious about what kind of response I get through twitter pleas, never having gone the route of relying on the kindness of social media strangers).

So everyone, any suggestions? Or- more importantly – any sugar and flour free favourite treats in your recipe books to keep me strong when the days get a-weary?

Right now the novelty of eating as many nuts as I want is pretty intoxicating….but that may wane after I empty a few more bags of walnuts.

Love your Anti-Sugar-Plum Fairy.

 

Photo credit.

The Joys of Feedly

I had no idea.

Rather than endlessly trowel the net in search of information, or – god forbid! – visit websites, here is news coming to me. Like a little child with a basket of presents, all these goodies in one little place!

And I had no idea.

While I understood the idea of subscribing to feeds, I didn’t realize that I could have a one-stop shop where all those feeds were listed. Mama mia, it’s like a world of wonder! How much easier does this make navigating the informational deluge that is the web!

“The Internet and Mobile Revolutions enhance the ability to coordinate and control at a distance, so that goods and services can come from multiple locations.”

– Networked

Web control and information navigation is now all about filtration rather than acquisition. No longer do we live in a deprived world of content; the task now is to meaningfully navigate the enormous amount of information out there to avoid overload and engage in communities that have the most relevance for us.

“The effects of this shift are multiple: they include an explosion in the amount, breadth, and depth of available content on a wide variety of topics, from a growing number of sources; an increase in the number of perspectives available on any one topic, and subsequently also growing discussion, debate, and (in a number of cases) deliberation of and between these divergent views; an acceleration of (continuing) updates to the available information and knowledge on virtually any field of human endeavour; and the emergence of a wide variety of opportunities for users to become active produsers of such informational resources, by making their own contribution to these ongoing endeavours.”

-Beyond Difference: Reconfiguring Education for the User-Led Age, Axel Bruns

May I step into the riptide! At least now I feel like I have a paddle.

I’m using feedly. What do you like?

The Tinder Generational Gap

“So when you get a text,” my friend says slowly, “you first respond to what they say, and then you have to answer with a question to keep the conversation going.” She is a fabulous and attractive woman in her mid-forties, now venturing into the waters of online dating. I nod, commiserating. I’ve been down this road myself, having spent the better part of a year navigating Tinder, Ok Cupid, and Plenty of Fish.

“Right?” I say, “I found that too, when I was dating online.” I sigh. “It’s amazing how many people don’t get it and just drop the ball. They don’t ask the question. Obviously, you have to put that question in there at the end, otherwise it just stops.”

“Wow,” a new voice.

We both turn to see Jared. Jared is a young, handsome, 20-something with a godlike social media presence. Savvy, smart, sharp.

My eyes narrow slightly, “Wow, what, Jared.”

“It’s amazing that you have to learn that.”

We look at each other. “What do mean.”

Jared explains, he is earnest, “My generation, we just know that kind of stuff intrinsically. You ask the question, because that’s how to keep a conversation going. It’s how my generation was brought up. We don’t even think about it. But you two, well, you’re….”

“Old?” I offer.

“…A different generation.” Jared smiles, “You have to learn it. It’s not innate.” He looks at us, “Wow, it’s so interesting.” He bounds away.

My girlfriend and I look back at each other again. “Well,” I sigh, “at least we’re not writing letters.”

 

“International public relations watchdog Trendwatching.com recently identified a new ‘Generation C’ (for ‘content’, in the first place) as successor to X and Y (2005). While previous generational groupings had also been decried as the ‘Generation We’ – interested mainly in their own advance and pleasure in work and life, with scant regard for the common good or an equitable distribution of resources and knowledge –, Generation C is said to be distinctly different: most notably, it is the generation responsible for the development of open source software, legal and illegal music filesharing, creative content sites such as YouTube or Flickr, citizen journalism, and the massively multi-user knowledge management exercise, Wikipedia. Indeed, one consequence of such efforts (as well as a necessary prerequisite for their sustainability) is that this Generation C exhibits a strong preference for the establishment of a knowledge commons over a proprietary hoarding of information, and (though not inherently anti-commercial) tends to support those corporations who work with users and are seen to be strong contributors to the common good rather than profiteering from it.”

Beyond Difference: Reconfiguring Education for the User-Led Age, Dr Axel Bruns

 

Tweet Tweet Tweet…and Owls

This morning I’ve been inspired to revisit my Twitter feed and actively peruse profiles of people that I admire. I can see how immediate this medium is, trying to create lists (including one for FSU) to try to organize how I receive information from my different communities. It is better to specialize, or shine the whole human forward? I’ve received advice to tweet and instagram my life – not must shiny, brand images. I think this debate will continue on as I negotiate how to share myself via these threads and chirps.

Thank goodness for hootsuite to help regulate some of the information flow and partition out for later sharing! A most excellent tool for scheduling shares and posts and tweets and links, oh my!

Contemplating uses of social media – I’ve heard so many opinions: “It’s all about people’s egos,” “Everyone is self-promoting,”  “People are just looking for validation.” While there may be truth to this – just as we seek validation and acceptance in any conversation – I am happy to begin dismantling these rather presumptive assumptions. Inspired this morning by this quote from “Networked.”

“People are not hooked on gadgets – they are hooked on each other.”

I see how the medium facilitates the message.  So, how much do we think the medium is the message?

Out on a rock…

Well, my first evening of exploring Web 2.0, and I went a bit crazy. First of all, checking out other people’s Twitter feeds caused me to feel self-conscious about the shabby graphics on my Twitter feed, so I had to update those. Then I started reading articles from sites I was lurking on and decided to blog about what I was discovering (ie: trying a paleo diet). This in turn led to some tweeting and tagging (tagging is never something I’ve put effort into, to I’m curious to see what happens!).

I’ve decided to include my educational blog within the context of my current website. I’m not sure if this is inspired, or a really bad idea 🙂 It seems kind of cool to include educational musings within the fabric of my digital presence, rather than partitioning them out – particularly since I like the “identity-in-process” thing …and my website is about education. Shall we only show our shiny and perfect endings? Or is it satisfying to revel in the process, like a puppy wriggling in the dirt for fun? More life, less brand…

Also, I was struck by Axel Bruns “non-scarcity” refrain. Whereas I have previously had an idea of content as being rigid, fixed, and quantifiable, I am beginning to think that content and brand identity can be an organic, messy, and collaborative process that moves forward. In other words, no one will read this in three months unless they’re really looking. And if they’re really looking, then I’m pleased that they will have found it.

This photo is from one of a stock free photo site recommended by Joshua.

Paleo-veganism: the love child has arrived           

My mother never knows what to expect when I come home.

Chatting about my plans for Thanksgiving, there will come the inevitable pause as she tries to plan her menu, “ So, uh…what exactly are you eating now?” Then the big (and well-deserved) sigh, “I can never keep up.”

Poor Mom. Yogis change diets like models change clothes. Vegan one week, then gluten-free, then sugar-free, then paleo…we range happily through the frontiers of cleanses, fasts, and dietary upheavals. Yogis can become obssessed by their diet because – like fitness professionals – we want a physical body that feels clean, lean, and efficient when we pratice. There are good philosophical motivations, too; ancient texts exhort yogis to practice sauca (cleanliness) and kriyas (purifications) as part of their practice in order to purify the body and clarify the mind.

Traditionally, yogis have avoided eating meat as part of the practice of ahimsa, non-violence. Some styles of yoga like Jivamukti explicitly include vegetarianism as a pillar of the practice. Go to any ashram, and nine out of ten times you will served a vegetarian meal. However, after years of no meat, many of my yogi friends have begun adding meat back into their diet. Why? Weakness? Boredom?

No.

Energy. They just didn’t feel good.

For some of them, they’re adding meat after more than fifteen years without it. “I smelled a steak,” said one ruefully, “and that was it.” Some yogis are ordered back onto meat diets by their doctors. “I was so sick, I had no energy,” another confided. “I really didn’t want to do it. But once I added back a little meat, I just felt so much better.”

However, even if they’re adding back in animal products, many yogis still seek diets that are very clean. Free of processed foods, flours, and additives. It’s not so surprising that some have turned to the paleo diet for inspiration. At my office – yes, the yoga one – there is currently a book circulating called, “Eat Bacon, Jog Less.” Now, my office is full of health conscious critters who go to yoga classes and participate in midday jogging parties. Even here, bacon could be next on the menu.

What’s next

While true vegans (those who abstain from use of all animal products for ethical reasons) would emphatically disparage the conflation, a cross over between vegan and paleo is now – rather shockingly – at hand. Apparently, we no longer need to choose. Become “Pegan,” if you will, and embrace the vast foundational similarities between vegan and paleo diets.

  • Eat lots of warm, cooked vegetables
  • Eat good fats
  • Not too much fruit, and eat seasonally
  • Eat whole foods
  • Avoid processed foods (including flours)

Nuts, seeds, fruits, and veggies will form the basis of your meal. Eschew the dairy, grains and flours that aren’t part of the hunting and gathering lifestyle.

And then, if you are a carnivore, go ahead. Throw a steak on it.

 

*For my true vegan friends, try “Oh She Glows.” I promise: not a steak in site.

Education: this post inspired by my research and lurking into online communities such as paleo magazine and the paleo diet. 

Photo credit.

 

Sugar free month. And stuff.

I’m back to my food shenanigans people. Back with a vengeance.

Oh, the food adventures that I have been having!

Well, since we last connected about food, I have become interested in the power of paleo. Just a little. That’s right, I’m exploring what it’s like to run with the dinosaurs (I know that statement is completely historically inaccurate, but since I also know you’ve just seen Jurassic World, you probably won’t mind).

A couple of months ago, I decided that something needed to change. Some of you may have been privy (ahem, excuse the pun) to my first few rounds of food diaries exploring veganism and juicing. Well, the passion for food experimentation never really dies, and now it’s taken a different turn. I went to see a wonderful Ayurvedic doctor, Todd Caldecott, here in Vancouver. And I also saw a naturopath….And an acupuncturist. (Never one to sideline Western medicine, I saw my GP and a gastroenterologist as well.)  Essentially, they all said the same thing:

  • Hey, vata deranged yogi, stop eating things that are cold.
  • Eat warm, nourishing foods.
  • No more salads.
  • Eat some fat.
  • Eat some meat.

Todd was full of good, common-sense suggestions to try to get me back on track (eat early, eat fewer meals, avoid flours). But I must confess that I’m not always the best student (although I really, really try). I often forget to take my tinctures when I’m supposed to and I fall off the wagon and gorge on frozen fruit while watching Game of Thrones.  (“You’e obsessed with eating frozen fruit?” Todd had mused and frowned, “Cold. Too cold for vata. Probably not the best.”)

At any rate, friends, that brings me here.

Inspired by my wonderful friend and yogini, Janet, I am going to go for a sugar free July.

This choice means:

  • no refined sugar
  • no honey, molasses, agave syrup, etc
  • no alcohol
  • no frozen fruit (oh friends, how I wanted to write, “limited!” But I will endeavour!)
  • no flours

Now, I know that flours aren’t sugar, but they’re not great for you, so I’m going to go flour free. Not just gluten free, all flour free. If I can’t tell what it is, then I’m not going to eat it. This little plan will go well with my possible Paleo explorations. More on that to come. But for now, we’re starting with the sugar.

What do you say? Anyone want to come on board for a week?

May the non-sugar games begin!

Photo credit.

social media…and identity

Hello, friends.

Many of you may know that I’m passionate about yoga, relationships, and teacher training. What you may not have known quite so explicitly is that I’m also a fledgling educational nerd. I am passionate about the delivery of education and excited to investigate how we can leverage current technology to create communities of learning and connection.

Here’s why:

  • The next stage of human evolution is digital, psychological, and ethical – not physical.
  • Ethical (spiritual) evolution is essential for our survival.
  • Learning propels human evolution.

Online Identity

In the online world, we play many roles. In some of our web communities we are friends, in others we are professionals, in some we are artists, in others we are entrepreneurs. Much of the time, we keep these identifies firmly locked in their neat little boundaries. After all, what good is our “brand” if it gets muddied by all of all other interests? For example, to keep my own “brand” and identity “clean” and “congruent,” I hosted two separate websites for several years: one for my work as an actor, and one for my work as a yogi. (I have permanently retired the acting site, friends, but could be persuaded to share my demo reel with you upon request for old times’ sake and a good laugh.)

As we use social media to create increasingly complex relationships, we selectively choose where and how to reveal ourselves. To maintain our brand and protect our privacy, information is partitioned and shared with discretion. If I’m trying to sell real estate, why would I blog about my garden? However, this separation – while it perhaps simplifies how we present our online identities – does not accurately reflect the totality of our human experience. I may blog about gardening on my real estate site because I am a real estate agent who is passionate about gardening. And someone who is looking at my site may actually (excuse the pun) dig it.

“Networked individuals can fashion their own complex identities depending on their passions, beliefs, lifestyles, professional associations, work interests, hobbies, or any number of other personal characteristics.”

–Networked, The New Social Operating System.

The Task

Tasked with creating an educational blog for my current course on Web 2.0 (I’m currently pursuing my masters in Instructional Systems and Technology), I am choosing to go wholly unmasked! Rather than segregate my educational blog onto a separate “Student Rachel Site,” I will instead include my work and educational musings deliberately within the framework of my current yoga site. Because learning is so close to my heart, I would like to share the threads of this unfolding educational investigation here with my current community. I welcome your participation in any discussions that piques your interest. And in the process, we may learn more about each other.

May we connect in all ways that inspire us – and continue to celebrate our human complexity.

 

Photo credit.