Posted by Grant
Happy belated Easter! Sorry we've been a little lax in posting of late. We've had a lot on our plate recently (no pun intended). We officially concluded month one on March 31. Personally I thought the food fast would be difficult at first and then progressively get easier. But it turns out to have worked the other way around for me. The first week wasn't that difficult, but by week four I thought if I even saw a tortilla I would vomit. I have gained an appreciation for avocados, a vegetable I've always been leery of. I also discovered that I don't need 3 or 4 cups of coffee every morning before work. Since our only option for a "sweetener" was honey, Michelle and I can drink "unsweet" tea with no problem, quite a task considering sweet tea was (and still is) a staple in my own family. You'd be surprised how much better your mind will feel when it isn't filled to satiety with processed sugar. Needless to say, after we came off the fast, yours truly did enjoy another Ghost River Black Magic (www.ghostriverbrewing.com). My dearest wife was able to satisfy her longing for a Chic-Fil-A Chicken Biscuit, which is always exceptionally delicious (I mean come on. It is Christian chicken after all. I know the Bible says Jesus fed people with bread and fish...but it was really Chic-Fil-A.)
We have seen the advantage of asking and seeking (don't you love all the Biblical puns in this post?) where our food really comes from and what's in it. If you're going to eat out, eat local. The food really is better! I didn't believe this before I tried it. When it came to food, I was a dedicated low-price only food shopper. I told myself I couldn't afford to buy local food because it was too expensive. Undoubtedly I have paid with my health to some degree, and if a change was not made I would have paid later as well. I suppose it just comes down to deciding if you want the cost to be from your wallet or your health.
Michelle and I have loved and hated this month. We thank all of the folks that read this blog and encourage us. We hope you will continue to follow along with us. Stay tuned for an intro into Month Two, in which we'll be fasting from the excess of all of our stuff. You know...that drawer or closet full of clothes you never wear and those DVDs you never watch? Yeah that stuff. And then what about the stuff you do love? Your favorite shoes, or the movies you do love, or your iPod? Yes indeed. Next month will be interesting.
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Simplifying The Skeltons Month One/Day Eighteen
Posted by Grant
Please note: This entry scratches the surface of several complex issues. I will readdress them and delve deeper in the future. For now, enjoy and reflect.
I used to think I understood the meaning of words like "wealth," "prosperity," and "value." I comprehend dictionary definitions, but my understanding of these terms has grown immensely since I have been married. I understood these words solely in a financial or monetary context. But they mean much more. Let me explain.
Michelle and I included in previous posts the fact that before we began this fast, neither of us really paid much attention to the ingredients in our food. We never asked where it came from or what was in it. We've also found that many foods that are marketed as "healthy," "natural," or "low calorie" may be even worse for you. Just because something has 0 carbohydrates doesn't mean you're in the clear. How much salt is in it? How much high fructose corn syrup is in it? Is it really food that came from the ground, or was it invented in a Petri dish? Furthermore, Michelle and I also found that many of the "preservatives" put into food actually contribute to hunger. So your body will crave food sooner than it would. You eat more. And then you eat more, and yet you are never completely full or satisfied for very long. It seems like no matter how much you gorge, that hunger just can't be kept at bay. This is because, though you have been eating, you have not been nourishing. Anyone can eat, and we've been doing that our whole lives. We're learning to nourish our bodies, but what about our souls? This is what I mean when I spoke of wealth, prosperity, and value.
How is a man to quantify his wealth? What terms or units of measure should he employ? At work, I see how money or the lack thereof will drive an ordinarily normal person to obscene acts of utter barbarism. I have seen families become cruel and quarrel over money. The rich expect entitlement and service from the police. The poor expect, at best, apathy. I do not feel like I make a lot of money. What I do earn puts my wife and I in the richest 85% in the world. By world standards I am wealthy. I have eaten some strange meals when I was broke. But "broke" and "indigent" are not the same thing. If we look at it in terms of the fact that I have a beautiful, godly wife that loves me unconditionally and forgives me frequently for my even more frequent sins. A woman that encourages me daily with her words and affirmations, and serves me with her time and efforts. In that regard, I am the wealthiest man I know.
What does this mean for you? Does your house have more "value" than your marriage? Is your car "worth" more than your relationship with your Creator? Are you poor in spirit and rich in money?
Please note: This entry scratches the surface of several complex issues. I will readdress them and delve deeper in the future. For now, enjoy and reflect.
I used to think I understood the meaning of words like "wealth," "prosperity," and "value." I comprehend dictionary definitions, but my understanding of these terms has grown immensely since I have been married. I understood these words solely in a financial or monetary context. But they mean much more. Let me explain.
Michelle and I included in previous posts the fact that before we began this fast, neither of us really paid much attention to the ingredients in our food. We never asked where it came from or what was in it. We've also found that many foods that are marketed as "healthy," "natural," or "low calorie" may be even worse for you. Just because something has 0 carbohydrates doesn't mean you're in the clear. How much salt is in it? How much high fructose corn syrup is in it? Is it really food that came from the ground, or was it invented in a Petri dish? Furthermore, Michelle and I also found that many of the "preservatives" put into food actually contribute to hunger. So your body will crave food sooner than it would. You eat more. And then you eat more, and yet you are never completely full or satisfied for very long. It seems like no matter how much you gorge, that hunger just can't be kept at bay. This is because, though you have been eating, you have not been nourishing. Anyone can eat, and we've been doing that our whole lives. We're learning to nourish our bodies, but what about our souls? This is what I mean when I spoke of wealth, prosperity, and value.
How is a man to quantify his wealth? What terms or units of measure should he employ? At work, I see how money or the lack thereof will drive an ordinarily normal person to obscene acts of utter barbarism. I have seen families become cruel and quarrel over money. The rich expect entitlement and service from the police. The poor expect, at best, apathy. I do not feel like I make a lot of money. What I do earn puts my wife and I in the richest 85% in the world. By world standards I am wealthy. I have eaten some strange meals when I was broke. But "broke" and "indigent" are not the same thing. If we look at it in terms of the fact that I have a beautiful, godly wife that loves me unconditionally and forgives me frequently for my even more frequent sins. A woman that encourages me daily with her words and affirmations, and serves me with her time and efforts. In that regard, I am the wealthiest man I know.
What does this mean for you? Does your house have more "value" than your marriage? Is your car "worth" more than your relationship with your Creator? Are you poor in spirit and rich in money?
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Simplifying the Skeltons! Month One/Day Three
Posted by Grant
Growing up, I don't recall my family giving much thought to what exactly was in our food or where it came from. My Dad was the predominant chef in the family, as Mom would always insist that the family didn't eat what she cooked (I disagree with this statement because her fried chicken recipe is culinary perfection.). We had a few family staples (beef stew, Dad spaghetti, hamburgers) but we ate out frequently and fast food was routine. Doritos stole my heart at a young age. I was a skinny kid, so I ate whatever whenever. Those eating patterns carried over into my preteen and teen years.
My senior year of high school, I got a job working at Sherwin-Williams. That was 2002 and if you ask any member of my immediate family, they will tell you that year was the year that changed everything for us. This blog isn't the place for all of the gory details, but if you're still curious feel free to join me for a beer sometime (AFTER this month, mind you) and we'll talk. The abridged version, essentially, is that it was stressful to the point of pain for the entire family and my income was no longer residual - it was necessary. School let out at 2:15 and I had to be at work at 3. If you do the math, you can see that doesn't leave a person time to prepare an adequate and healthy meal. I'd go home, change clothes in about 3.5 seconds and then speed off to McDonald's, Taco Bell, Burger King, or the like. I gained my freshman 15 my senior year of high school.
Of course I did manage to rectify my eating habits in college...if by rectify you mean destroy, desolate, obliterate, or any other number of fun vocabulary words. The college student diet consists of such nutritious ingredients as Ramen Noodles (or Pasta Roni if it's payday), stale store brand soda, Jack-In-The-Box, Krystal, Totino's Pizza, and frozen meat patties that barely pass as hamburgers. I developed an on-again-off-again relationship with the gym, and every now and then attempted to eat "healthy," but one unforeseen life circumstance after another seemed to make that impossible. The changes never stuck. Working security at night for the year or so before I got my current job didn't help matters much either. When the bread, meat, and cheese on your $1.50 microwavable "sandwich" have three separate lists of ingredients, it's time to start asking some questions.
As a man, I don't really think much about my food. I want it, I order it. I crave it, I go get it. I've always thought about it in those terms. Oh sure, when I was on a "diet" I'd count calories, carbohydrates, protein. But I still never considered what was IN the food. Now, I won't attempt to proselytize anyone with PETA-approved horror stories. But after I took some time and looked into what I had been eating all these years, I must say I was astounded. The factory/warehouse model works great if you're building a car, or a computer. But food? By the time it was getting to me, whether from McDonald's or AppleBee's, it was no longer food.
In the month before we started this fast, Michelle and I have done a few things differently. We've made it a point to eat local. In Memphis there are plenty of local eateries that serve delicious food that came from the ground, or from an animal that wasn't injected with so much growth hormone it looked like some kind of deformed grotesque offspring of Cthulu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cthulu). I'll recommend 2 at the end of this post. We also cut out soda completely. We don't buy it, you won't find it in our fridge. We each have a reusable water bottle (complete with freezer stick) that we take with us every day.
As the head of this household, I will be held accountable for the decisions I make. The habits and patterns that a man develops in his single life will impact his marriage. For most of my life I have seen food as something utilitarian, something to consume and usurp. Not something to savor, to enjoy, relish. Food was best when it was expedient, convenient, and cheap. And yet I would become frustrated when the 17 year old behind the counter who was probably paid less than minimum wage got my order wrong. Think for a moment about that irony.
On the other hand, my wife is a culinary MacGyver. I love her meals, both the innovative and the ordinary, the run-of-the-mill and the experimental. We take time to prepare our meals, we set the table, and we eat together. We are creating a pattern that we want to pass on to our children. Remember what Jesus was doing when the Temple guard came for him? Eating. He was eating. Seated at a table with his closest friends. Jesus liked to eat. In fact, a good many of the gospel accounts of Him either involve food directly or at least mention it. Ask yourself some questions the next time you're at the grocery store, or waiting in line. What's in this? Read the list of ingredients. Can you pronounce any of them?
2 local Memphis eateries you must try:
1. Trolley Stop Market 704 Madison Ave (http://trolleystopmarket.com/)
2. Caritas Village 2509 Harvard Ave (http://www.caritasvillage.org/)
Growing up, I don't recall my family giving much thought to what exactly was in our food or where it came from. My Dad was the predominant chef in the family, as Mom would always insist that the family didn't eat what she cooked (I disagree with this statement because her fried chicken recipe is culinary perfection.). We had a few family staples (beef stew, Dad spaghetti, hamburgers) but we ate out frequently and fast food was routine. Doritos stole my heart at a young age. I was a skinny kid, so I ate whatever whenever. Those eating patterns carried over into my preteen and teen years.
My senior year of high school, I got a job working at Sherwin-Williams. That was 2002 and if you ask any member of my immediate family, they will tell you that year was the year that changed everything for us. This blog isn't the place for all of the gory details, but if you're still curious feel free to join me for a beer sometime (AFTER this month, mind you) and we'll talk. The abridged version, essentially, is that it was stressful to the point of pain for the entire family and my income was no longer residual - it was necessary. School let out at 2:15 and I had to be at work at 3. If you do the math, you can see that doesn't leave a person time to prepare an adequate and healthy meal. I'd go home, change clothes in about 3.5 seconds and then speed off to McDonald's, Taco Bell, Burger King, or the like. I gained my freshman 15 my senior year of high school.
Of course I did manage to rectify my eating habits in college...if by rectify you mean destroy, desolate, obliterate, or any other number of fun vocabulary words. The college student diet consists of such nutritious ingredients as Ramen Noodles (or Pasta Roni if it's payday), stale store brand soda, Jack-In-The-Box, Krystal, Totino's Pizza, and frozen meat patties that barely pass as hamburgers. I developed an on-again-off-again relationship with the gym, and every now and then attempted to eat "healthy," but one unforeseen life circumstance after another seemed to make that impossible. The changes never stuck. Working security at night for the year or so before I got my current job didn't help matters much either. When the bread, meat, and cheese on your $1.50 microwavable "sandwich" have three separate lists of ingredients, it's time to start asking some questions.
As a man, I don't really think much about my food. I want it, I order it. I crave it, I go get it. I've always thought about it in those terms. Oh sure, when I was on a "diet" I'd count calories, carbohydrates, protein. But I still never considered what was IN the food. Now, I won't attempt to proselytize anyone with PETA-approved horror stories. But after I took some time and looked into what I had been eating all these years, I must say I was astounded. The factory/warehouse model works great if you're building a car, or a computer. But food? By the time it was getting to me, whether from McDonald's or AppleBee's, it was no longer food.
In the month before we started this fast, Michelle and I have done a few things differently. We've made it a point to eat local. In Memphis there are plenty of local eateries that serve delicious food that came from the ground, or from an animal that wasn't injected with so much growth hormone it looked like some kind of deformed grotesque offspring of Cthulu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cthulu). I'll recommend 2 at the end of this post. We also cut out soda completely. We don't buy it, you won't find it in our fridge. We each have a reusable water bottle (complete with freezer stick) that we take with us every day.
As the head of this household, I will be held accountable for the decisions I make. The habits and patterns that a man develops in his single life will impact his marriage. For most of my life I have seen food as something utilitarian, something to consume and usurp. Not something to savor, to enjoy, relish. Food was best when it was expedient, convenient, and cheap. And yet I would become frustrated when the 17 year old behind the counter who was probably paid less than minimum wage got my order wrong. Think for a moment about that irony.
On the other hand, my wife is a culinary MacGyver. I love her meals, both the innovative and the ordinary, the run-of-the-mill and the experimental. We take time to prepare our meals, we set the table, and we eat together. We are creating a pattern that we want to pass on to our children. Remember what Jesus was doing when the Temple guard came for him? Eating. He was eating. Seated at a table with his closest friends. Jesus liked to eat. In fact, a good many of the gospel accounts of Him either involve food directly or at least mention it. Ask yourself some questions the next time you're at the grocery store, or waiting in line. What's in this? Read the list of ingredients. Can you pronounce any of them?
2 local Memphis eateries you must try:
1. Trolley Stop Market 704 Madison Ave (http://trolleystopmarket.com/)
2. Caritas Village 2509 Harvard Ave (http://www.caritasvillage.org/)
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