Mindfulness is a Buddhist concept of meditation to help an individual recognize and cope with emotions and physical sensations. This paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally brings one's complete focus to the present experience on a moment-to-moment basis. With eating, this lets us fully enjoy the moment of eating, and recognize when we are full. During this 30-day period, I will try to focus each meal on eating with intention and direct focus and see how this changes eating habits and other life areas.
Day 19:
Today was the first day with half of our students (The Freshmen and Seniors only). The day started peaceful as I sat on the porch to enjoy my breakfast. In spite of the fact that I was worried about being late to school, I sat and enjoyed the moment eating. I'm starting to think that this is the entire point of mindful eating, simply enjoying the moment we are in despite whatever is trying to rush us to the next moment. I made sure that I got a lunch and went to the park, where I was able to relax, enjoy my food, and even meditate. This is my ultimate goal because I think that this will be critical to maintaining a sane mind and healthy presence in the school. Mondays are typically my rest day, so I spent the evening with my husband, enjoying the food I had prepped via crockpot that morning and his company.
Day 20:
The rest of the student body returned to school today, so all student should have been at school. The hardest part of the day was already seeing students who are making choices to disobey teachers or go against our school rules. I also saw many students who were showing their involvement in gang life by flashing their red and blue colors. I have found another enemy of my mindful eating...snack food that's lying around. Pizza was ordered incorrectly to the main office, and since I was offered some I ate like three slices (before it was my lunch time). I'm trying to have a healthier relationship with food, and understand that pizza by itself isn't bad, but I also need to figure out a strategy to not get side tracked by food that I haven't already prepared, because I definitely didn't eat that mindfully, although I did try. My attempts to slow down as I ate a late lunch may have helped in preventing me from overeating, though, as I could feel in my stomach (even 3 hours later) that I was full and didn't need any more to eat for the rest of the day.
Day 21:
I sat in a park today to eat my lunch and this older man in a bowler hat, a Hawaiian shirt and a cane started blasting this soulful praise music from his 90s red Cadillac with a soft top. His friend in a black tank top was clapping and singing while the man in the bowler hat and cane was swinging his hips from side to side dancing. The sound of this scene harmonized with the screaming of school children enjoying themselves on a playground. My husband made tuna salad for a sandwich and packed fresh ingredients that left my entire being cool and satisfied. As it was a hot day, the crispy lettuce blended perfectly with tomato, avocado, and the tuna salad with celery. Even the harsh spicy bite of the jalapeno chips was perfect on this clear and beautiful day. This entire scene made me feel about myself and where I am in the world.
Day 22:
Mindful eating was a complete failure today. I didn't get a lunch because of a stressful situation with a student where he went completely berserk, threatened to punch me several times, called me all sorts of terrible things, then proceeded to try to run around our school, go outside and take his bike to roll across all of the flowers, pick one of the flowers out of the ground, throw it at the front door and then try to kick his way inside. This process happened from around 11:50 AM until 2:00 PM and kept my partner and I from having any break during the day. As a result, I ate a bunch of ritz crackers that I had from the previous semester. While trying to be mindful in how I was devouring them, it was still snacking. After school, and on the way to another appointment, I finally ate my lunch. Since I was driving, I definitely wasn't able to be completely focused on what I was eating. This appointment was followed by some much needed respite with dear friends. Mindful eating will have to wait until tomorrow.
Day 23:
It rained all night last night, so the morning was dark, gray, and humid. The world felt a bit more at peace, and I tried to carry the energy of the morning, and the time I got to spend enjoying it while having breakfast, into the rest of my day. The school wasn't as crazy, in spite of the fact that it was Friday, and during my lunch I was able to find the perfect spot to sit and eat. This means that I don't have to go off campus all of the time to get the quiet and calm that I need. I was able to sit outside of a classroom, enjoy the beautiful scenery, and let my focus hone in on the food being devoured. There were no students around to bother me and nobody on the staff knows this is where I am, so I can turn off the radio and embrace this separation. I was even able to spend 10 minutes mediating. I'll bring a meditation cushion to school so that I can use it regularly for this purpose. The best part about this is that it is covered, and will still be available to use during the winter months (although I will need to dress a lot warmer).
Day 24:
I hit the weekend and am filled with laziness. I didn't do anything productive today but sat around watching television or on the porch eating and enjoying the nature around. These days feel so necessary for me as a way to recover from the constant go of the week. I will need to be very intentional about them as the semester goes on so that I don't waste entire weekends away. Maybe I can plan something active for the weekend (like going to yoga, biking, hiking, etc.) during the week so that I'm still able to recover, but am also fulfilling my desire to keep moving and not 'waste' a day or two.
Double Curry with Peas and Rice (serves 4 plus some):
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 head of Cauliflower, stem cut off and head separated into chunks
2 Tbs of butter
3 large potatoes diced into cubes
1 bag of green peas
1 onion diced
One 13-ounce can Garbanzo Beans
2 cups of white rice
Indian Curry:
2 teaspoons salt
2 Tbs cooking oil
1 large onions chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon water
1 (15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup water
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Thai Curry:
2 to 3 tablespoons coconut oil (olive oil may be substituted)
1 medium/large sweet yellow onion, diced small
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 to 3 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground coriander
One 13-ounce can coconut milk
1 to 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste or powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper,
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar
How to cook it up:
Place rice into rice cooker with 3 cups of water and cook, or boil 3 cups of water and add rice, reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid, 16 to 18 minutes stirring regularly.
Preheat oven to 425. In a large baking sheet, place chicken and in another baking sheet place diced potatoes. Bake these for 45 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked and potatoes are soft.
In a large pot bring water to boil. Add cauliflower pieces. Boil for 5-10 minutes until softened to a gentle stiffness. Remove cauliflower and set aside.
In pan on medium heat, add butter and onion. When onion is brown and translucent, add bag of green peas. cook and stir for 5-10 minutes until peas are hot and bright green. Set aside in large bowl.
Indian Curry:
In a large skillet or pot on medium heat, add the onion, garlic, and ginger to 2 Tbs of oil in the skillet and cook and stir until the onion turns translucent, about 8 minutes.
Stir the curry powder, cumin, turmeric, coriander, cayenne, and 1 tablespoon of water into the onion mixture; allow to heat together for about 1 minute while stirring. Mix the tomatoes, yogurt, 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, and 1 teaspoon salt into the mixture. Let cook on Medium heat for 20 minutes.
- Add potatoes and garbanzo beans when ready.
Thai Curry:
To a large skillet or pot on medium heat, add the oil, onion, and sauté over medium-high heat until the onion begins to soften about 5 minutes; stir intermittently.
Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir frequently.
Add the coconut milk, Thai curry paste, salt, pepper, and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium, and allow mixture to gently boil for about 5 minutes, or until liquid volume has reduced as much as desired and thickens slightly.
- Add chicken and cauliflower when ready.
Separate each dish into different bowls or serving plates.
Start with rice and stack ingredients.
Devour!