Knots

One day my father walked with me into the woods to show me a special tree. At first it appeared hardly different than its neighbors but then I noticed that its trunk had been twisted into a giant knot. I wondered, how anyone could tie a knot into a tree trunk. Puzzled, I asked my father.

"Like this," he said, stooping to tie a simple knot in a tiny sapling.

I carry knots of my own; some physical, some emotional. But none as big as that knot tied in the trunk of a tree. My biggest knots are no larger than a limp to remind me of past surgeries or a persistent fear that still affects the choices I make.

If I carried a REALLY big knot I would find comfort in the memory of that special tree my father showed me. Although profoundly and forever altered by events in its past, it still managed to do the things God created trees to do.

I wish I could remember where to find that tree today. I would take my grandson for a walk in the woods.

Eat to Live

I am a vegetarian. I eat only vegetables, mainly leafy greens, fruit and beans. I avoid meat, fish, dairy products and eggs. I have eaten this way for a year. My motivation is to improve my health, specifically to lower my weight, blood pressure and cholesterol. I don't believe that eating meat is a bad thing or that people who eat meat are bad people. People are free to eat just as they choose. I do.

In the last six months that I ate meat I ate almost nothing else. I followed a low-carbohydrate diet, eating mainly meat and cheese. My motive then was the same as now, to lower my weight, blood pressure and cholesterol. It seemed to work for awhile but then my weight loss stopped I became concerned about all the medical warnings against eating so much fat and protien. It just did not feel healthy.

A friend suggested that I read the book, "Eat to Live" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Dr. Fuhrman advocates eating mostly raw salads, steamed vegetables and beans, avoiding fats and all animal products. I began reading the book in a bookstore coffee shop, finished it that night at home, restocked my refridgerator the next day and began to eat as Fuhrman suggests.

The Christmas holiday was a dietary challenge. Food was everywhere, all the time. The office was filled with cookies and cakes and candies. Vendors sent gift baskets of fruit and cheeses and sausages and crackers. I had the most trouble with the cookies. I love cookies, especially chocolate chip.

I eat like I once drank; first the man takes a cookie, then the cookie takes a cookie, then the cookie takes the man.

Now that Christmas has passed I am slowly regaining my discipline. I avoid cookies but am finding it difficult to scale back on my daily calorie load. I like volume in my food, lots of biting and chewing and swallowing. That is not a problem so long as I limit myself to foods that are part of my plan; lettuce, green leafy vegetables, beans and fruit. I have gotten into the bad habit of eating breads and crackers; bad because both are high in calorie while low in nutrients. They are fun to eat but offer little more than calories and flavor.

John, my nutrition muse, suggests that I reread "Eat to Live." Unfortunately, I loaned it to a friend who is presently a hospital patient. My book is unavailable. I know what Fuhrman would have me to eat, but I miss the inspiration of his words.

I think I will move to the kitchen and cook up a pot of split pea soup.

Wow, now I'm salivating. I am OUTTA HERE!