Food-Art

I’m still trying to find my next “metaphor” for life. In the meantime, I’m finishing up the heart series. Of course, I’m inspired to keep going on because now I have interest! I will be showing at an organic bakery in Ukrainian Village. One of my hearts will also be featured on a chocolate truffle made by the owner who is debuting her line of truffles during my opening. I’m displaying my art in a way I never thought possible! Yeah to food art. Pictures to come.

Speaking of food, every spring I go through this internal struggle regarding vegetarianism. When I’m not eating meat, I eat like a raw vegan. I’m always reading about nutrition. I’m not sure if I’m headed down the road to culinary career but I do find it fascinating. I’ve tried many bodybuilder diets, Eat Right for Your Type, The Zone and I’ve dabbled in Raw Foods and vegetarian diets, eventually I end up craving meat. And that’s ok. I’d rather be a kind meat eater than a vegan with a nasty attitude. In my 20’s I was a cheatin’ vegetarian, I wouldn’t touch beef but I would occasionally have fish or turkey. I suppose the mindset behind that is I could go fishing and catch a fish but I couldn’t see myself killing a furry animal like a big cow. It seems kinder to eat shrimp than let’s say lamb or veal.

I’m planning on doing a month long cleanse later this spring when the weather warms up. I think it will be easier to do a nearly all-veg diet with warmer weather, being a first-timer. I’m sure I’ll write more about that in the next few weeks. I feel the need to do some spring cleaning on the inside. When I discovered my food allergies (wheat/dairy) I started eating at Karyn’s (raw veg restaurant here in Chicago) since I could eat everything on the menu without limiting myself. I really like the food but still craved meat from time to time. I suppose my favorite approach would be the omni-raw diet like Carol Alt. She wrote a book about how the raw diet healed her health and she eats not only raw vegan foods but seared tuna and rare steaks. That’s sort of my approach right now. On this cleanse I will be drinking Rejuvelac and wheatgrass juice, which some say may make those cravings go away. I’m keeping an open mind. Right now I’m eating lots of raw food, a few cooked meals thrown in like brown rice with lentils or steamed veggies. I do have meat or fish 1-2 times a week. I used have an animal with every meal, no wonder I started feeling intestinally heavy. Surprisingly, I’m getting stronger in the gym. I’ve also just started taking cordyceps, which is a mushroom which adds strength and vitality. I also add spirulina and get my protein from hemp seeds, hemp or whey protein powders, dark green veggies, nuts/nut butters, sea vegetables and the occasional meat or fish I eat. I’m feeling so much better than when I made myself eat 120 grams of protein a day. It was just hard for me to get over that mindset. I used to keep a serious food log and I don’t anymore which is great that I can just enjoy preparing/eating food and still be fit and healthy.