Cupcakes, Beer, and Surprises

As I write this, there's a chocolate cupcake with red icing sitting beside me. It's resting on an upside-down, homemade chocolate chip cookie. Yes, that's right, a double-whammy of chocolate goodness is within arm's reach of me. I have thusfar resisted temptation (it's been a few hours since I acquired these goodies). I figured it's about time for an update on my journey towards saying farewell to sugar in my diet and what better time than when I'm staring my nemesis in right in the face..or in the candy sprinkles I suppose.

So, in short, I've been doing alright. I wouldn't give myself an A +, but I wouldn't be so harsh as to dole out a C- either. I think, overall, I deserve a B for my efforts to eliminate sugar from my diet thusfar. Here's a rundown of what I've been doing well and what I need to improve on:

What I've Been Doing Well

• Abstaining from sugar until after 8pm - Since I first committed to this plan, about 7 weeks ago, I can count on one hand the number of times I've broken my self-induced rule. One of those times was Easter day, another was this past weekend when Luke & I were at The Wooden Monkey in Halifax and eating an early dinner so we could get to the show we'd purchased tickets for. We both decided to indulge in dessert, but it was only 6.30. Despite these infrequent trespasses into sugar-laden lands, I am very happy with my commitment. There have been umpteen times that I have forgone sugar temptations at work, while at the conference in rural BC, at the Farmer's Market, etc. Abstaining has resulted in fewer (i.e. none) hunger pains throughout the day and, actually, less interest in eating candy at night (while my penchant for candy seems to have diminished,I still have a strong desire to eat chocolate).
• Eating few grains - Eating grains is not all that different from eating sugar as far as your health is concerned. I won't get into the details of why in this post, if you want to go deeper check out http://missinghumanmanual.com/ or http://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-grains-are-unhealthy/.
• Eating more local meats - It's hard to find greens locally at this time of year, but I've been stocking up on meats and eggs at the farmer's market and Queen Street Meat market. Next step will be to source some grass-fed beef (just b/c it's local, doesn't mean it's been raised naturally, so asking questions of the farmers is your best bet)

What I Need to Improve On:

• Portion Control - I am referring namely to portion of sweets I am eating after 8. In the first few weeks, I did well to limit my intake, but there've been a number of opportunities lately to indulge in more candy/chocolate than I really should. I was also using WW journal to roughly track how many 'points' i was consuming per day, but stopped doing that. I know there are some that will argue you should not limit the amount you are eating (if you are on a paleo diet), but since I am still consuming sugar, I really have to.
• Number of Nights I Eat Sugar - I started myself off easy, with allowances every night but had planned to reduce number of 'sugar-nights' as time went on. There were a few weeks where I went sugar free one or two evenings, but I haven't really moved far on this plan. This coming week, my plan is to eliminate sugars on 5/7 days (with the exception of my homemade, lower-sugar raspberry jam which i'll have with yogurt for a wee treat in the evening).

Hmmmm. So that's all I really have for the Sugar Report. I'm moving forward, but have stalled a couple of times. That's OK, it's life and there's no point in looking back now, I know what I can do today and the day after today. It's all up to me!


As for my reference to Beer in the title, I was going to give a rundown of the trip that Luke (aka Steakman) and I took to Halifax last weekend. It was a fantastic time and a gastronomical delight (at least for me). I'm fading fast as I write this, so am going to use the ole' bullet point trick again here for Halifax Review

• Friday - We drive to Halifax, the weather is gorgeous. I have mild freak attacks as we drive through NS, despite the impeccable driving skills of Luke. I can't help it, I blame my depth perception, I'm very uneasy on roads that have lots of twists/turns and hills/valleys. We made it to the city unscathed and just in time for dinner and drinks. Chosen drinking hole: Henry House. Luke had invited 7 friends, I had invited 1. It was a good time, althought i thought the food was only 'OK', I had a chance to catch up with Tarek and meet some of Luke's awesome friends and coworkers.
• Saturday Morning/Afternoon - The new Halifax market is AMAZING. Please, if you live in Halifax area, go. What a treat, I was really, really, really impressed. I was also stuffed by the time we left, thanks to oodles of samples and a delicious savoury crepe. After the market we went to Garrison's brewery for samples, then to Propeller brewery for even more samples. Luke insisted on going to two comic bookstores. It was kind of interesting because it was Free Comic Book Day (all around the world?!) and at one of the stores, there were a bunch of staff dressed up like comic characters. Luke got pictures with them all, but only put his arm around Spiderwoman! Then it was off to Freak Lunchbox, which was packed with kids. Sometimes I feel like i should probably stop salivating at the thought of candy stores, now that I am 30. I remember someone once telling me I'd not want to eat candy when I grew up. Clearly that person was wrong.
• Saturday Evening - We headed to The Wooden Monkey, a fantastic restaurant on Market Street (right beside our 4-star hotel - Prince George - that we got on Hotwire for an awesome rate!). The resto specializes in local and sustainably produced foods, and the menu is full of temptations. We each ended up with a three course meal and a beverage. It was totally worth it! Afterwards, we made our way to the WTCC to check out Beer & Beethoven, the impetus for our trip, it was a fundraiser for the NS Symphony. I don't know why Luke & I assumed it would be a theatre-like experience with a wide array of micro-beers and German imports available for order. In fact, it was more like a night of people boozing it up on Molson beers (cause they were the sponsors and therefore only beer on offer), while orchestra played in background with terrible acoustics. Saving grace was that at intermission I ran into a former co-worker who invited us to sit at her much better table, with decent acoustics. We ended the evening at the casino, where in one hand of blackjack, Luke lost the $10 he'd vowed was his limit. I ended up giving him $30 I won at the table to keep betting. He lost all of that, then I lost the $20 I had vowed was my limit. He then played the penny slots, got a ticket when he was down to $2 (from a fiver) and proceeded to shove it in a $1 machine, where he was immediately rewarded with $50. I insisted we cash out.
• Sunday - We ate brunch at Your Father's Moustache and then drove home. Less panicked by driving on way home, because I had distraction of our third passenger, Thea, whom we'd randomly run into at the market and offered to drive her back to the Island. I made it home just in time for a lobster dinner with Mom and the rest of the family. Yum!!!

I love surprises, but it is very hard to surprise me because I have such fantastic detective skills (also known as being nosey and annoyingly persistent), so when I came home on Friday night and Luke, who was half in the bag, slurred instructions to me that I pack an overnight bag and my dancing shoes for Saturday evening I was perplexed. We already had plans to have dinner with Rob & Robin, and it was very out of character for Luke to make plans for us. Saturday afternoon rolled along, and I went about preparing a paleo appetizer of chocolate covered bacon and a sweet potato-bacon salad to bring for dinner. Luke picked me up and we headed over the bridge to Stratford, a wee bit behind schedule because I had taken so much time deciding what to wear for our dancing date! As we drove up the laneway, I saw a tonne of cars and thought 'something is going on'. Then I saw my mom, sister, brother-in-law, stepfather and a few friends coming out to greet us with a banner that said 'surprise'. I was mighty surprised alright, and totally confused. Why was there a surprise party for me, I inquired upon getting out of the car. Apparently mom had decided to go all out in celebration of my completion of my Masters degree. Wow, I didn't see that one coming, since I'd defended in December. My convocation is in a few weeks, but I knew I'd not be going to Kingston for the ceremony. The surprise party that Mom had planned and executed with amazing prowess was waaaay waaaay waaay better than any graduation ceremony could ever be! There were about 20 friends and family there to celebrate and Mom had gone all out with a cornucopia of food, almost all of which she'd sourced locally, including meatballs, ham, chicken, mussels, cheese, salad greens, tomatoes, cheese, and potatoes. About an hour into the festivities, I saw two well-dressed gentleman coming ot the door carrying what appeard to be instruments and an amp. Mom had actually hired musicians to play!! It was fantastic, they were amazing and played some great hits, as well as a very amusing operatic medley of pop songs. later in the evening, the piece d' resistance came out - two delicious cakes, one which was in the form of a food box (gingerbread to form the box, and fondant vegetables covering a chocolate cake). For some reason I felt very protective of this art piece and insisted on only cutting the coconut cake. The following morning I regretted that decision as I looked at how much cake I'd have to take home and consume in the next two days (before my 5/7 no-sugar days plan began). It was a wonderful evening, I can't put into words how lovely it was and I was so delighted to be presented with two bound copies of my thesis, one of which had been signed like a yearbook by all the guests!

The events noted above, along with some other things that life has brought me as of late have me really, really raring to start the Registered Holistic Nutritionist course. The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that it's the perfect fit as far as careers go for me. I think, however, that is may be wise for me to visit a career counselor before I go full throttle.

In closing, yay to surprises and nay to sugar!

Paying Attention and Thinking Less

*Note - I intended to post this last weekend, but got distracted by chocolate Easter bunnies and the such, hence it is dated*

I'm in Vancouver and today is Easter. I flew out to the West coast last Sunday to attend a conference on rural tourism, which was taking place in the interior region of BC and planned to spend an extra few days in Van City to catch up with some old friends and enjoy the balmy weather. I didn't really have a lot of time to think about the trip before I boarded the plane and, to be honest, when I did turn my attention to it all I did was worry about plane crashes, tsunamis and bedbugs. Yes, I'd invited a wee bit of unnecessary paranoia (because that's the only kind of paranoia there is) into my life.

Luckily, in the weeks leading up to my trip, I also decided that I work on shifting the energies I was sending out into the world. January and February were especially tough months for me. After a spectacular second half of 2010, whereby I somehow managed to go from homeless, penniless, jobless, and manless by the time my 30th birthday hit in August to being gifted with everything I desired in the second half of the year, the first month of January felt like a punch in the stomach. A reality check that not everything is always wonderful. Or so I let myself think. And by letting my thoughts turn to what was wrong and what I didn't want I created negative emotions and energy, and invited more negative experiences into my life. What ultimately saved me was my own awareness that I was bringing about these negative experiences, that I was the creator of all the things I didn't want in my life. And, as the saying goes, recognition is the first step towards releasing yourself of self-harm. A few years ago, I wouldn't have realized my part in creating the experiences that I didn't want. In some ways, it's harder to know that YOU are responsible for all the emotions and experiences that you have, than to believe that these emotions are incited by other people or by events that are out of your control.

Taking responsibility for the life you have is so hard for most of us that we choose not to believe in our own power to create. We choose to ignore the power we have to shape our thoughts and the emotions and actions that result from those thoughts. Yes, taking responsibility for the life you are leading means acknowledging that you've invited many things into your life that you have feared - sickness, a broken heart, a job you don't like, family feuds, etc. But acknowledging your responsibility is also extremely liberating. For once you realise that you are the creator of your own life, you will move towards the realization that the ONLY limitation in your life is your thoughts. That fearing what life might bring is the path to inviting unwanted experiences into live, while believing in yourself and loving yourself is the path to making all your dreams come true.

Can you tell I've been reading personal development books lately? It's true, I confess to being an Eckhart Tolle convert and vehemently believe in the fundamental law of attraction - that which you resist will persist, that which you think, you will bring into existence. I was also inspired by the very simple advice of a TED speaker who was talking about compassion. He suggested that with each person you encounter in a day, that you think 'I want you to be happy'. If you think this, and then speak and act in accordance with this thought, it will serve you and everyone that encounters you very well.

Anyways, back to how this all relates to my trip out West. So I'm headed to this conference in the interior of BC, I'm not particularly excited about it, I'm more focused on what I'll do once it's over and I am in Vancouver for the weekend. The flight into Williams Lake is awesome. There are five of us on the plane (it's one of those lovely Dash 8s) and we can see the snow-covered mountains below us. It's breathtaking.

Once I arrive at the tiny Williams Lake airport, I wait for the 1 hour shuttle to the ranch where the conference is taking place (it's VERY rural!). I strike up a conversation with another woman from the plane who seems to be waiting for someone, and learn that she's attending the conference too. As we chat with our shuttle driver, I learn that she's staying at a different hotel, because the rooms and chalets at the ranch are all booked out. When I hear that her hotel is a half hour walk away, I pipe up with an offer that she can stay at my 3 bedroom chalet if she wants. When I went to book my accommodations for the conference,I was informed the hotel-style rooms were all taken and only the 3-bedroom chalets were left. They weren't expensive, so I booked one and was, understandably, under the impression I'd be staying there on my own. Right, so we go to Tara's other hotel first, she asks if she can cancel her reservation and gets a 'yes', so we head over to Hills Health Ranch and I check-in. This is when I find out that 'they' (not sure who actually did it) have booked two other people into my chalet! There's even a note on my invoice saying 'Shannon really wants to stay in the same chalet as Donna Dixson'. I have never heard this name before. Totally perplexed and slightly annoyed, I inform the front desk people that I had no clue I'd be rooming with others and that I've already promised a room to Tara. Oh, and I'd prefer not to share with a man (the other person they'd booked into my chalet). They get things sorted, and we settle into our chalet.

As the day turns to night, I take in my surroundings, and enjoy a lovely dinner in the company of new friends. I feel my heart getting lighter. The next morning I run on the treadmill and sweat more than I have in a very long time, then as I am getting dressed from my shower, Tara calls out to tell me that there's an opportunity to go horseback riding. I fly into my jeans and a top, run down to the front desk to sign my waiver (i.e. life) away and then head to the stables. Everyone is happy, the air is crisp, the horses are munching away on the hay that's been put out for them and a rather crazy-eyed dog is boundlessly running around trying to entice one of us humans to play with him. Eventually he finds playmates in the four miniature donkeys that have come over to check out the happenings. We walk leisurely through the muddy trails, there are still patches of snow but I don't think our horses even notice. It is the most relaxed I've been in a long time. When we trot, I am able to find my rhythm with the horse, so I'm not bouncing around haphazardly. Isn't that true of life too? We must all try to find the rhythm of the day, of the moment.

The conference begins and the talks are good. After the afternoon sessions are over, I head back to my chalet to get dressed for dinner. That's when I meet Donna Dixson, whom I apparently really wanted to share a chalet with. Sometimes the universe delivers what we have asked for in such a blatant way that it is truly perplexing. Such was the case with Donna. I sensed immediately that she was bursting with positive energy (and not that fake kind, but the really genuine, infectious kind. It didn't take much longer to realize that she was also a kindred spirit (cue Anne of Green Gables). It's hard to explain what a kindred spirit is, but you know them when you meet them. I have a tendency to meet them when I am traveling, which is probably one of the reasons I've always loved traveling so much.

The next evening, we are told that a special event has been arranged for the conference attendees -a Cowboy Cookout Rodeo! Amongst the offerings are a BBQ, haywagon rides, bonfires, First Nations drummers, a horse whispering show and smores.

I want to see the horse whisperer. We are told that many people shed tears when they watch this show. I cannot say that I shed any tears, but shivers did go down my spine as I watched this slight woman command a young horse using only the energy of her thoughts, which she communicated physically by glaring and holding her body tensely. The horse moved as close to the outer ring as possibly, running in one direction around the ring until she moved her body to tell it to turn and run in the other direction. Eventually, she relaxed her stare and her body and the horse came to her, it's own body relaxed and its head in a submissive position. Then it wouldn't stop following her around the ring, it was amazing. She told us that in order to communicate with the horse, she had to remain in the moment, she could not let her thoughts wander to the past or the future. She said that's the most powerful thing she has learned from the horses -that all we have is THIS moment. There is not such thing as the past or the future, they are only created by our thoughts. This really stuck with me, not because it's the first time I've heard such philosophy, but precisely because I have been inundated with this message as of late. I have learned from experience that when you keep hearing the same message over and over again or multiple people tell you to read a certain book or you keep running into the same stranger at various places, that you have to accept this message into your life. So I'm running with this message about the illusion of time. I want to enjoy the moments that I am breathing, rather than spend them contemplating the future or recalling the past.

Later on, as I stood by a warm campfire, I found myself mesmerized by the music and chants of the First Nations duo - a man and woman that were gifting us with traditional songs. There were no words, just the beating of drums and chanting. Words were not necessary to convey the stories and emotions they were sharing. It was an experience I will not soon forget and was deeply moving. Later I reflected on the authenticity of such an experience and compared it to experiences I've had while traveling. It occurred to me that we are constantly seeking expensive, complex thrills to incite short-lived 'rushes' of emotions when we have, at our disposal, opportunities to enjoy very real connections with fellow humans and with nature that are long-lasting, simplistic in design and enduring in the heart. Plus, you don't need to go to Orlando, Florida to find such emotional connections, they are all around you if you are open to letting them in.

And so you see, a short 3 days on a ranch in rural BC, amidst mountains and horses, kindred spirits and kind souls, I found a treasure of insights that I'd not been expecting, but that I had invited into my life by shifting my energies weeks prior. I am grateful for these experiences and for the chance to 'get away' from everyday life. I always find I have more 'space' to reflect, to emote and to evolve. I have come home with no souvenirs for myself, but with insights that I know will shift my future in positive ways.

There's No Stopping Now!

This past week was definitely one of the highlights of 2011 for me. Finally, after weeks of organizing and a wee bit of stressing about getting things done, the big day was upon us. No, I didn't get hitched, but I did get to be part of a fantastic celebration of local food on PEI. Myself and a gang of other people here on PEI that are passionate about local food hosted an event called A Local MEAL. It was intended to be a celebratory event where 'food folk' shared stories, attendees mingled and everyone enjoyed a delicious, free sample of local foods. I blogged about it on our website, check it out here. It was such a success (we had standing room only and estimates of over 200 people in attendance!) and the energy was so positive, that I feel I can't stop now! The good news - there are endless opportunities to get involved in local food development here on PEI. The not-so-good news - I still have a day job!

Today marked Day 15 of my 'sugar reduction' plan. I've stayed true to my plan not to eat sugar before 8 pm and continue to find this quite easy to do. I've taken a couple of desserts 'to go' (both were apple crisps), but generally my after-eight treat is less indulgent. My second weigh-in was on Sunday and I was not that surprised to see my weight hadn't changed since the previous week. The week had been filled with events including A Local MEAL, a girls' night, and an afternoon pub meal that I'd not anticipated. I managed to avoid sugar until after 8 in all cases, but had other foods in excess that I shouldn't have. I paid for it on Saturday night after my pub meal - I shared a mediterranean chicken wrap with Luke and we shared the serving of sweet potato fries. I felt nauseous for the next 4 hours. In any case, I'm not going to worry about the lack of weight loss this past week, it was an adrenaline-filled, stressful and celebratory week.

I decided that this week I needed to up the ante on my road towards sugar elimination. This week I tasked myself with choosing one day on which I'd completely avoid refined sugars/chocolate. So the only sugars I could consume would be from fruit or other natural sources. I chose to conquer this challenge today. It's 11.12 pm and I've resisted sugar! Yay me!

In case you're wondering what I'm eating, here's a run down of what I had today:

Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs with spinach & tomato
Lunch: 4 oz of chicken breast and garden salad with no dressing or low-cal dressing
Snack: Green apple
Dinner: 3 egg omelete with 2 slices of bacon, sauteed veggies and a garden salad
Snack: Whole-wheat tortilla w/Tbps of natural PB and 1/2 a banana

Yesterday, this is what I had:

Breakfast 2 boiled eggs
Lunch: 4 oz chicken breast with salad
Snack:1.5 cups of grapes
Dinner: 1.5 sausage (low-fat Island Taylored) and salad
Snack: Hot chocolate with marshmallows + a peanut butter ball (unexpected, Luke put this under my nose!)

I'm feeling pretty fantastic about the way I've been eating lately. I know it's not 100%, but I'm ok with that for now. I've lost 20 lbs since I got home in June, the vast majority since September and I've been kicking up my strength training lately so am starting to feel like I'm getting back into shape. So, again, it seems there's no stopping me now!