Moving On....2024: FALLING IN LOVE ALL OVER AGAIN...!

Friday, September 26, 2014

FALLING IN LOVE ALL OVER AGAIN...!

A series of essays.....

A Colorful Selection of Fruits and Vegetables from a French Farmer's Market

.....as seen through my eyes!

By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

Hey, I met a girl. I've only known her for a few weeks now. I think I'm in love. Yes. It could be love....after all of these long and lonely years.

Her name is Rachel. It's funny because the only other person I can think of right now with this name is Rachel Ray. And, I've never liked Rachel Ray, at all. So, this puts 'name associations' aside. It always fascinated me how some people could dislike certain names because they associated them with an individual they didn't care for. I like the name Rachel....just not Rachel Ray!

Anyway, my Rachel is beautiful, quite the visionary and intelligent in a most appealing way. Gotta love her, you know!!

And, what a body.....I mean lean, healthy curved in all the right places! Wow! It's obvious that she takes good care of herself.

And, most importantly, she LISTENS to me! I mean, you just don't get this from every 'pretty' face you meet, now, do you? No, it takes a special person to make you feel good about yourself.....she is, well, amazing is the best word I can come up with to describe her. If I have a question about anything.....she'll have an appropriate, compelling answer for me.

Yep, the all-around perfect woman from what I can tell.

I'm kind of a passionate person myself, so.....when I first listened to what Rachel had to say, I was attracted to every word, hook, line and sinker: "Hello! I'm Rachel...... My passion is sharing real food ideas that are fun, simple and delicious. I love people (including me?) and hearing how others are eating more clean food, too!"

Her full name is Rachel Maser who is the mother of four and the creator and host of Clean Food Crush, at www.cleanfoodcrush.com and we met on Facebook several weeks ago. That's when I fell in love.....

......That's when I fell in love with ME all over again, because of Rachel!!!

Berry Smoothie with Whey
Protein Powder

This is the best way to describe the term 'clean food' or, 'clean eating' to you. "The soul of clean eating is consuming food in its most natural state, or as close to it as possible. It is not a diet; it is a lifestyle approach to food and its preparation, leading to an improved life – one meal at a time."

Additional gems of wisdom by The Clean Eating Team include:

EAT FIVE TO SIX TIMES PER DAY:
Three meals and two to three small snacks. Include a lean protein, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, and a complex carbohydrate with each meal. This keeps your body energized and burning calories efficiently all day long.

DRINK AT LEAST TWO LITERS OF WATER A DAY:
Preferably from a reusable canteen, not plastic; we’re friends of the environment here! Limit your alcohol intake to one glass of antioxidant-rich red wine a day.

GET LABEL SAVVY:
Clean foods contain just one or two ingredients. Any product with a long ingredient list is human-made and not considered clean.

AVOID PROCESSED AND REFINED FOODS:
This includes white flour, sugar, bread and pasta. Enjoy complex carbs such as whole grains instead.

KNOW THY ENEMIES:
Steer clear of anything high in saturated and trans fats, anything fried or anything high in sugar.

SHOP WITH A CONSCIENCE:
Consume humanely raised and local meats.

CHOOSE ORGANIC WHENEVER POSSIBLE:
If your budget limits you, make meat, eggs, dairy and the Dirty Dozen your organic priorities.

CONSUME HEALTHY FATS:
Try to have essential fatty acids, or EFAs, every day.

LEARN ABOUT PORTION SIZES:
Work towards eating within them.
Author's Note: We can all learn from the French on this one. Food there is always meant to be savored, not OVERSIZED.

REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT:
Eat produce that is seasonal and local. It is less taxing on your wallet and our environment.

SLOW DOWN AND SAVOR:
Never rush through a meal. Food tastes best when savored. Enjoy every bite!

TAKE IT TO GO:
Pack a cooler for work or outings so you always have clean eats on the go.

MAKE IT A FAMILY AFFAIR:
Food is a social glue that should be shared with loved ones. Improve the quality of your family’s life along with your own.

These truly are fantastic rules to live by: Simple, easy and clean!

Clean Veggie Plate with Eggs

My husband and I are in this together and, we've never felt more comfortable or positive about an eating regime. We believe it's all about going back to the basics....how simple is that? Before there was pop (So sorry, fellow-Floridians, it's soda for you!), ugly chips in a can, or 'Big Bucks' to be made by a few under the auspices of 'fast-food convenience,' there were family gardens in the back yard, canning foods for winter consumption and water was the first drink of choice.

Curry and Coconut Chicken
with Sweet Potatoes

We can do it again. We can break this modern cycle of greed and self-indulgence as we open ourselves up to healthier, cleaner possibilities in foods. Yes, eat organically if possible however, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and the like aside, more and more of our national grocery chains are incorporating GreenWise products (Publix Brand) into the mainstream and making 'buying clean' more affordable and convenient, especially within the inner city and walking distance for most people. I urge you to check-out your own neighborhood family markets.

Coconut Oil Chicken with Veggies

Next step: Take steps and go for walks together....as a couple, as a family or, all by yourself! The morning can be the most beautiful and inspiring time of your day! Bring along your camera of choice and document the sights around you. You will be amazed by the pureness and stark intensity of the light surrounding you....

Thank you, Rachel. What more can be said?

Rachel's followers are growing in numbers by the day, hour and minute. We are asking questions such as, "What is the difference between steel-cut oatmeal and rolled oats?" Do you know? And, we are getting answers. Knowledge is wonderful! We are learning to think about what goes into our bodies and if it will keep us healthy or make us sick. If we wish to be healthy....then we are taking the beginning steps towards loving ourselves enough to be able to treat our bodies and souls to the clean, healthy lifestyle they deserve!

Check-out Rachel for yourself.....you just might fall-in-love all over again.