Day 40 - Grateful

I wanted to take today to thank all of the people that have guided, followed or supported my journey for these past 40 days.

Avid readers, I appreciate you taking the time to read my daily entries. I will continue to write, keeping this journal very similar to what I have been doing but I can at least stop calling every entry by “Day…” I may not continue to post everyday but expect more recipes, more yoga, and probably more irresponsible confessions.

Jehfree Spirit and Pete Guinosso, you have been wonderful guides to the group. Thank you for offering this workshop and for teaching amazing classes in between.

Megan, thank you for the knowledge and compassion you have given during my ayurvedic journey.

FAM work friends, you have all been so supportive and I’m glad I could inspire ya’ll in some way. I will join you at Marnee Thai next time around.

Friends at large, thank you for allowing me to take the time I needed to get this done. I look forward to seeing more of you as my calendar becomes less filled with yoga studio time.

Family, you may be far away and have no clue what 40 days of yoga means but you still supported me, I love you for that!

Joe, thanks for your being here, for being patient during the cranky times, for bringing humor to the serious times, and for joining my practice-- my greatest 40 day triumph.

San Francisco, without your prominent yoga culture, produce bounty and abundance of gluten-free options none of this would have been possible. You are truly a magnificent city with a beautiful culture and I feel blessed to live here.

NAMASTE

Day 39 - Blissed

This week Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations aired the episode filmed in San Francisco. I was disappointed to be honest, I felt that he did not “get” the city and visited places that are very much dated. He seemed to be on an endless quest for meat, which I actually respect in this veggie loving town, but as they say, when in Rome…. However, I did get to thinking about Tony and his lifestyle in the light of what I have done in the past 40 days. Here is a guy who smokes like a chimney, drinks like a fish and travels the world in search of food. And here I am living off of fruit and yoga every day. I was raised to believe that being at the end of any pole is never a good thing, you should pursue a quest for the middle, keeping that pole balanced. If I have learned anything during these 40 days it’s that the whole point of the exercise is to simply listen to yourself and be mindful. The author of the 40 days book even mentions our need for foods that may not nourish our bodies but provide comfort for the soul, and in my case that is a straight shot to the Italian fare.

Last night Joe and I went to yoga in the mission but all I could think about was how Beretta was around the corner. Beretta is an Italian eatery, open late and thus we visit it often. They make small plates, risottos and pizzas. I always order the Squid Ink risotto but last night I caved. It’s been too long since I’ve had bread and I was feeling as though I could not go one more day without it. So instead of a risotto I ordered the prosciutto pizza with arugula and added burrata on top, the perfect combination of the four best things life has to offer(pictured). Burrata is heaven, fresh Italian mozzarella, having a solid outer shell while the inside contains both mozzarella and cream, giving it a unique soft texture.

A life without pizza or without said ingredients, is not a life well lived. My soul was warm and cozy last night. My stomach unsettled. There was no guilt involved, just pure bliss. And I would do it all over again.

Day 38 - Re-Organizing

It just occurred to me that a series of events have led me to bury myself in all kinds of re-organization projects this week. In the back of my mind, maybe I am hoping that by re-organizing the little things I can exit these 40 days with some kind of newfound structure. I confess to having an organizational/cleaning compulsion. Once I clean one thing, I can only see how everything else is dirty and then it snowballs into scrubbing the drawers in the bottom of the fridge. I don’t plan for cleaning days, they just tend to happen, much like what’s happening this week.

Last week I put all of the cds that live in my car in a bag and brought them upstairs. They are still sitting in my closet, waiting to be shuffled into the right cases. As punishment for taking so long I am still driving around with the same 4 cds since last week. And no I don’t use my iPod in the car, I actually love buying cd’s and continue to resist the technology of purchasing music online.

Yesterday it was my workspace. I had been incredibly uncomfortable for several weeks, full of neck and wrist kinks. I should never have waited this long to move stuff around. One thing led to another and I ended up cleaning the whole damn desk, purging files, sharpening pencils, re-arranging computer wires... you get the picture.

Today, I get an email from shutterfly saying “Your pre-paid prints are about to expire.” Coincidence? Doesn’t matter, I am ready to embrace the long-lost house project of printing and organizing all of those digital photos. A few years ago, Joe did that for me and gave me an album of our photos together for my birthday with blank space in the end. It’s been blank ever since.

All the while, I have not been sleeping well. My brain is also shuffling things around and my dreams are weird, almost prophetic. People who are no longer with me, in my current life or who have passed, keep wanting to have deep conversations. These dreams are emotional, disturbing and unsettling. I guess there is such a thing as unfinished business. These re-organizations of emotions are not as easy as alphabetizing my bookshelf but they sure bother me more than any physical mess. But how do you do it, when it would involve speaking to people you have no wish to speak to, or bringing up emotions you would prefer to avoid feeling? How do you do it when it means they get to talk back at you, to tell you that you’re crazy and have a shitty attitude about life? Would this conversation, with no happy ending in sight, actually make me feel better?

And I thought my sock drawer had problems…

Day 37 - Reflect

As we enter the last week of our 40 day journey, the theme is triumph. Essentially we’ve made it to the end but this is in fact the beginning of a whole new approach to life. There is a lot to take away from this experience and I’m glad that I wrote it all in this blog so that when I start to slip I can go back and read about how good I felt after that fruit fast, or after a good yoga class. I’ve been invited to countless happy hours, asked when I will be eating my first cheeseburger, and if I’m excited to be done with all this yoga. The answers: I’m down for drinks but I should warn you my tolerance is lower, when I crave one, and no. The yoga component of these 40 days was not hard to fulfill, I loved going to class this much, I have become much stronger, more in sync with my breathing and I met some great new teachers. I have to say I am curious to see how I do on my own but when you do this much yoga, it just becomes that much harder to not do it at all.

To tell you the truth I didn’t think very much about what would happen post-40 days. This lifestyle of an athlete, of working out every day, eating healthy food, cutting down the booze, has felt really great. I never thought I could (or would want to, really) sustain this lifestyle but I have suprised myself these past few weeks and I just may continue to do so. I guess it all depends on the times and where we are in those times, and right now I feel pretty damn good. I have learned to be mindful, to listen to my body when reaching for food or a drink, to know when I need to back off in yoga and when I can push myself, allow myself to rest in child’s pose and abandon the very un-yogi competitive spirit. I do think I have changed and I’m hoping that these changes come out of these 40 days with me and for life.

My goals for coming out of this include:
1) I would like to continue a morning meditation of maybe 10 minutes or what I can afford
2) Keep a yoga practice of 3-5 times a week
3) Continue to limit my intake of wheat and alcohol and continue to consume at least 3 pieces of fruit a day
4) Hopefully continue to inspire the people in my life one way or the other.

Day 36 - Bountiful

Here is another recipe made from the bounty of a Bay Area Farmers Market. It was pretty easy to make and turned out much like a risotto, such that the Italian in me could not resist topping it with some parmesan cheese. Barley is a little more nutritious than arborio rice and gives the dish more of a woodsy flavor.

Baked Barley with Shitake Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions
Yield 6 servings (serving size: 1 2/3 cup)

2 tablespoons butter
4 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 3 medium)
1 teaspoon sugar
6 cups sliced shitake mushroom caps (or other mushroom blend, about 8 ounces)
1 1/2 cups uncooked pearl barley
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
4 cups vegetable broth
Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sugar; cover and cook 25 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms; cook 10 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Add barley; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in soy sauce, salt, pepper, and thyme. Transfer to a deep baking dish. Preheat oven to 350°.

Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Pour broth over barley mixture; cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour or until barley is tender. Let stand 10 minutes. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

Day 35 - Celebrating

I SO did not want to go to yoga this morning... But I did, and I have to say I gave myself a pat on the back for that one. Charu Rachlis teaches the weekend 9am classes. She is a Carioca (person native to Rio de Janeiro) which immediately warms me to her. She also paces the class very well and I even managed to get away with being mildly hungover. I have been avoiding the booze for these 40 days, save for a glass of wine here and there, but this weekend will be a little different.
As I mentioned before, this is our anniversary weekend and I have full intention of drinking lots of champagne, having a fabulous dinner and possibly eating something decadent with chocolate. I have been looking forward to our visit to The Slanted Door and I can almost taste that shaking beef. It all started last night when I went to Oxenrose to get my haircut (I go to Sylvie and highly recommend her). I usually say "no thank you" to the free wine but it was Friday and it was after 5 and to me that means Happy Hour. At home, Joe brought me a bottle of bubbly (the first of the weekend) and that is just not something I can say no to. So this is where I become "alternately irresponsible" and since I've been mostly healthy these days you probably don't know that champagne is just about my favorite thing in this world. One of Sonoma's best kept secrets is Iron Horse and we have been saving a bottle for this weekend. They are a champagne winery with an outdoor tasting room off a hole-filled, muddy side road. For those of us who love champagne, Iron Horse is a gift.

Unlike what most people think, I firmly believe that one does not need an occasion for champagne, just chill it and drink it and celebrate your life. I will be enjoying every minute of my debauchery filled weekend!

Day 34 - In Good Company

I have been bugging my significant other to join me in yoga for about 3 years now. He’s tried it before but just between you and me, I think these 40 days have finally inspired him. The reaction of people in general has been very gratifying. On one end I‘ve inspired people to do more yoga, on another to start a blog, and even further, to learn about ayurveda. We went to the Castro last night and since we were early, we strolled through the neighborhood before class. The booming dance music, smell of fresh food and endless happy hour specials we're hard to avoid, but we braved it into the studio instead. This significant other and I have our 6-year anniversary this weekend and this is truly the best gift I could receive. He annoyed me in class in the best of ways -- two days into it and he’s flowing into a side crow while I’m still dealing with my fear factor of breaking my face on the ground. No really, I was actually very proud. I’m enjoying our nice dates of sweaty yoga followed by a nice late dinner. The truth is that the yoga actually puts us both in a great mood, opens up the appetite, and completely depletes our ability to drink at dinner (I think that’s a good thing?). I ordered an Arnold Palmer last night and I was basically called an 80 year old. The dinner topic was also fantastic:

“Yeah the sweating really keeps me from doing things because I’m slipping all over the place”
“I know, I was sweating so much that in a forward fold it was like tears rolling back into my eyes”
“I know what you mean, I just had sweat rolling back up into my nostrils”

And who said Romance was dead?

Day 33 - Effected

The Hawthorne effect is a sociological term for the form of reactivity whereby subjects improve an aspect of their behavior being experimentally measured simply in response to the fact that they are being studied, not in response to any particular experimental manipulation. The term was coined in 1955 by Henry A. Landsberger when analyzing older experiments from 1924-1932 at the Hawthorne Works factory. Hawthorne Works had commissioned a study to see if its workers would become more productive in higher or lower levels of light. The workers' productivity seemed to improve when changes were made and slumped when the study was concluded. It was suggested that the productivity gain was due to the motivational effect of the interest being shown in them. Although illumination research of workplace lighting formed the basis of the Hawthorne effect, it has since been applied to many forms of research and the term is used to identify any type of short-lived increase in productivity.

This has made me think of how the Hawthorne Effect can be used for positive change in one’s life. In talking to a friend who attends Weight Watchers meetings, she finds that they are imperative to the success of the program. I wonder if they have a study on people who attend meetings versus those who do it online and the success of these subjects in comparison. I haven’t made that many changes in my life since starting my 40 days, I already went to yoga 3-4 times a week and ate a healthy diet beforehand. However, there are small things I was struggling with that I have now conquered (such as giving up wheat) and I wonder if it is the structure of having a weekly group workshop that has pushed me through. I am not really a “group” person or big on “sharing with the group” but I do enjoy seeing them every week and hearing about their journeys as well. We are all so different, it’s not about comparison, but more so about companions. It makes me wonder how things will change once I sign off at the end of next week, if I am really just experiencing that short-lived increase in productivity. I do feel that this experience has been invaluable and provided me with a specific timeframe, a deadline, to prove to myself that I could improve my way of life even more, and it truly has. Even if a person carries extensive knowledge on yoga, nutrition, health, ayurveda, sometimes all you need is a group of people to share that yellow brick road with.

Day 32 - Level 2

Yesterday I ventured into Yoga Tree Castro for my first Level 2-3 class. I’m not going to lie, I was pretty nervous. I arrived at the Castro and could hear the bustle at the taqueria patio underneath as well as the smell of freshly made tortilla chips and I silently wished I was going for a margarita instead. Going to class in the Castro never ceases to be an experience for me, it’s kind of overwhelming. I always joke to people that this is where the serious business happens and how it wouldn’t surprise me to see people walking on their hands into class. I walk into the room with about another 100 Lululemon stamped yogis eager to practice with Stephanie Snyder. She had been very hyped up for me – lots of good recommendations – let’s just say my expectations were high. She did not disappoint, not only was her class well-paced but she was very friendly and has a beautiful voice, her chants were amazing, and I’m not even that into chanting in the first place.

The Level 2 factor was actually pretty cool. It’s not like you have to flow into a handstand during class, it’s more about the way the class was taught. The queues are more direct, more advanced variations are offered and the beginner variations are removed. Once you've been practicing a while, it's nice to have a place to move on. There is also something to be said for practicing with that many people, it’s a beautiful thing. At the same time, I could have used a few extra inches in between my mat and my neighbors'. I was thinking about how in this scenario the mat is really our own “dance space” and you absolutely do not want to, or really have room to, dance in someone else’s or in the space between. I might have enjoyed this class a little more if they had removed one person from my row. I also felt a mild claustrophobia trying to get the hell out of there after class. Think 100 people trying to leave and 100 more trying to come in through a narrow hallway.

All in all, I will be returning for this practice in the future. Finally a Tuesday class that works for me! I'll probably come back for a Margarita too...

Day 31 - Shifting

I used to RUN from any instructor who called himself a student of Ana Forrest or taught Forrest-inspired yoga. I had nothing against Ana Forrest or her school of thought but what that usually meant was that the class would be hard. Very Hard. Interestingly enough as I have ventured through the Yoga Trees of San Francisco I have found myself intrigued by Forrest classes and actually making time for them. Ana has spent 30 years developing Forrest Yoga specifically for the Western body—that is, the tight necks, shoulders and hips we get from sitting in chairs, hunching over computers and cradling the phone all day. In traditional yoga, you tend to look up at the ceiling, which puts more stress on the neck and in a Forrest practice, the head hangs toward the floor. Forrest Yoga uses intense pose sequences, designed to help you connect to your core and get you strong and centered. Classes use heat, deep breathing and vigorous sequences to sweat out toxins. The long holds in the pose progressions help you flush, oxygenate and rejuvenate every cell. The neck thing is key for me, as soon as I return to work on Monday the knot on my right shoulder creeps back. These classes have left me feeling elated and completely joyful, I highly recommend you try one.

Here is a video of Ana Forrest’s Yoga Journal Demo, it’s pretty bad ass.

Day 30 - The Beautiful Truth

My intuition and experience has made me feel for a while that my healthcare provider is not really there to provide for me at all. I had to call them last week to change Medical Groups (a concept I am slowly beginning to understand) so that I could continue to visit the same specialist I had when I lived in the East Bay. The phone call took over 10 minutes of Q&A with a machine and finally a transfer to a very cranky customer service rep who sighed some very heavy sighs when I told her what I needed. I use my healthcare once a year for a checkup and they still manage to profoundly annoy me at all times. Growing up in Brazil I spent my whole life visiting the same doctor, he delivered me, he was my pediatrician, and after many years we considered him a very good family friend. He would often see me at his home if needed, and he always shed this amazing kindness, we referred to him as a true angel on Earth. I have never since then experienced anything like that in the American Healthcare System. Bedside manner is truly optional in this culture.

This movie offers a unique and interesting look at the food and health care industry. Garrett is a 15-year old boy living in the Alaskan wilderness with a menagerie of orphaned animals. Growing up close with nature has given him a deep understanding of nutritional needs required by diet sensitive animals on the reserve. Unfortunately, the untimely and tragic death of his mother propelled him into a downward spiral and he risked flunking out of school. This led to his father’s decision to home-school Garrett. His first assignment was to study a controversial book written by Dr. Max Gerson. Written over 50 years ago, Dr. Gerson found that diet could, and did, cure cancer. Controversial at the time (and even today), Garrett took on the challenge of researching this amazing therapy. After a number of cancer patients, who were diagnosed as terminal, shared their stories and their medical records with Garrett, it became abundantly clear that, contrary to the disinformation campaign spear-headed by the multi-billion dollar medical and pharmaceutical industry, a cure for virtually all cancers and chronic diseases does exist. This cure does not involve chemo, drugs, or your life-savings. It is a simple approach to optimizing your body’s ability to heal itself with whole foods and alternative therapies. Who would have thought that this perfect machine called the human body can cure cancer all on its own! The catch - your doctor will never recommend it. If you are intrigued, visit the Gerson Therapy website for more info.

Day 29 - Fresh

A visit to the Ferry Building Farmer's Market is a dangerous thing for people like me. Meaning, those of us eagerly lured by the fresh fruit samples and willing to pay that extra dollar for the perfect jar of local raw honey and fresh farm cheese. The vendors offer produce and flowers from small regional farmers and ranchers, many of whom are certified organic. Other products include regional artisan specialties such as breads, cheeses and jams. Started as a one-time event in 1992, the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market's popularity led to the opening of a year-round market in May 1993. On Saturdays, 10 - 15,000 faithful shoppers attend the market!

And yes, I ate some oysters while I was there and brought home some local raw honey, fresh goat cheese, heirlooms, green beans, shitake mushrooms, peaches, basil, more veggies and even swordfish. I thought a lot while at the market about what I would be making with all of these beautiful ingredients and one of the things I came up with is an adaptation of a recipe by Giada de Laurentiis.

Swordfish with Citrus Pesto
For the citrus pesto:
1 bunch fresh basil, stemmed (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 clove garlic
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 orange, zested and juiced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup parmesan

4 (6-ounce) swordfish steaks (I only used two and I had plenty of pesto leftover for pasta the next day)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Blend the basil, pine nuts, garlic, zests, juices, salt, and pepper in a food processor until the mixture is finely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Mix parmesan into blended mix.

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush both sides of the swordfish fillets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the swordfish about 3 to 4 minutes on each side for a 1-inch thick fillet.

Transfer the grilled swordfish to serving plates, top with the citrus pesto, and serve.

Day 28 - Restore

In the west, we often find ourselves pushing the physical limits of our yoga practice, we want to stretch more, sweat more, hold longer, breathe deeper. We forget that first and foremost we should be listening to our own body, even before we pay attention to the teacher’s queue. Rarely do I allow myself the luxury of a restorative practice, but truthfully it is a great gift you can give to yourself. Restoratives are meditative poses in which the body is supported with props and held for extended periods of time. Both soothing and regenerating, restorative poses help bring balance to our demanding daily lives. Recent neurological research shows that 20 minutes in a well supported restorative pose is equal to 2 hours worth of good sleep in terms of brainwave activity and cell regeneration.

So I'm taking this day to either go to a restorative class or use my bolster at home and do some restoring work. My shoulders have been super tight and I could feel my energy and intention crashing in my thursday evening and in my friday morning class. Clearly, it's time to re-gather my strengths to start strong again on monday and power through for two more weeks!

I also hope to get some sun, visit a farmer's market, meet up with some friends and enjoy life outside the yoga studio for a day.

Day 27 - Nourished

Happy Friday! I can't believe how fast the time is passing and that I am almost on Day 30… I guess time flies when you are having fun. I’m looking forward to a mellow yoga-filled and hopefully sun-kissed weekend. Last night’s dinner of salmon and quinoa was delightful and was enjoyed on a fully set dinner table, complete with chargers and candles, all in anticipation of real food. Some of you may know what quinoa is, may have eaten it before, but still aren’t quite sure how to cook it. Unlike wheat or rice, quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free (whoopee) and considered easy to digest. It is also incredibly easy to make, easier than rice if you ask me. Conveniently, I have placed my favorite recipe for “dressed-up” quinoa that I often eat on its own over arugula for a warm arugula salad. This is adapted from a recipe in Moosewood Restaurant New Classics.

Curried Quinoa 1 cup quinoa
1 ½ tbs Oil
½ cup diced onions
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp salt
1 ¾ cups of water
½ cup fresh or frozen green peas
Fresh cilantro for garnish

Rinse the quinoa in cold water, as you would rice. In a heavy saucepan, warm the oil and sauté the onions on medium-high heat for 5 min. Add the quinoa and cook for a minute, stir-frying constantly. Stir in the turmeric, coriander and salt and cook for another minute, stirring. Add the water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 min. Stir in the peas, cover and cook for 4 or 5 minutes until the peas are tender and the water has been absorbed. Add the cilantro and fluff with a fork before serving.

Day 26 - Weightless

In conclusion, I would say the fast came and went fairly quickly. Day 2 was the hardest, I felt hungry, tired, cranky and had a terrible headache. By Day 3, I felt really good. Yoga last night was in fact pretty amazing, it was like I was weightless. I’m not sure if it was the class or what but I was sweating A LOT. My skin has cleared up, my dark circles have disappeared and I don’t even remember what it’s like to feel bloated. Also, I have been waking up very early, well-rested, with no alarm, and ready to start the day. By 7:30 this morning I'd meditated, eaten breakfast, and prepared a marinade. This is an extreme way of noticing how all the crap we choose to eat and drink really tampers with our body. One of the things I have made a conscious effort to do recently is to have more fruit. After tasting all the delicious, juicy, fruits that are out there and experiencing how good they make you feel, I will never look back.

How you break a fast is almost more important than how you do on it. I have a full intention of approaching this just as we are taught in yoga to come out of a challenging pose – with control. I have been thinking about how this will happen for days, and as starved as I am for something salty, garlicky, and starchy, I am going to take it easy. For BreakFast this morning I had a slice of my delicious bread by Anna’s Daughter, a wheat-free blend of rye and sourdough, with a sautéed figs and blueberry/pomegranate juice. For lunch, I’m planning a visit to Judahlicious (pictured) for one of their raw concoctions and for dinner I have some salmon marinating in the fridge. The program recommends we spend the rest of this week eating food that is prepared as simply as possible.

Drink less pasteurized juices and eat more fresh fruit!!

Day 25 - More Fruit

Many of you are probably wondering how I’m doing on this whole fruit fast thing. 5 trips to the market later, I basically feel like a giant piece of fruit. I was really looking forward to this fast, I planned fairly creative meals to avoid getting bored, routed smoothie locales around my neighborhood, and I have to say this has not been entirely fun. My mood has been very up and down, I have caught myself being unexplainably irritable and pretty tired. I went into this knowing that as a Pitta, we are known to be very irritable if our food needs are not met but I wanted to get through it successfully. I have not really craved other food, except on the first night when Joe had a pizza on the side of his tomato soup that looked and smelled amazing. The food tastes and feels great but it’s the bodily reaction that totally sucks. I should also mention that I am hungry all the time and have been eating an average of a piece of fruit every couple of hours. Yesterday I also had a headache for a good portion of the day, but it was cleared completely after a visit to the sauna. Apparently these are all common reactions/symptoms of a full body cleanse so I'm just powering through for one more day. Here are the basic menus of Day 2 and Day 3.

Day 2
Breakfast: All-fruit smoothie from jamba juice, 1 pear
Lunch: Miso soup (I forgot to mention we are allowed), guacamole with peppers for dipping
Mid-Afternoon: One Apple, Acai Smoothie
Dinner: Heirloom tomato soup and plantains

Day 3
Breakfast: All-fruit smoothie from jamba juice, 1 plum
Lunch: Heirloom tomato soup with avocado and plantains
Mid-Afternoon: Orange, Peach and Plum
Dinner: Miso soup with Mango/Avocado/Cucumber sushi (no rice, just seaweed)
Desert: Grilled Figs

Tonight I am going to my first vigorous yoga class of the week. I've heard it's supposed to feel amazing but I am a little concerned about my blood pressure/blood sugar level. I guess we'll see...

Day 24 - More Sharks

I don’t mean to sound like a broken record, really, but I am truly sad this week. Those of you who know me well, know that I am a huge fan of the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, a week out of the year where their programming is packed with sharks. I look forward to it every year, own the 20th anniversary DVD’s, hope to one day swim with a Great White, and am the first person to argue in favor of sharks. This year I have yet to watch it. The opening program made me so upset that Joe actually had to tell me to calm down. I can’t help it, us Pitta’s/ Scorpio’s are very passionate people. Last year I was already complaining that they were running out of ideas and should really switch the focus from shark bites to conservation. This year, when I saw the TV schedule I was unpleasantly surprised that they were going one more year without useful information but instead continue to have shows called “Blood in the Water” and “Biggest Bites” or whatever.

Sure, you can go to the Discovery Channel website and READ all about conservation, and shark finning, and how to support sharks. But shark week is about their TV programming, most people don’t READ, they watch. Would it really be that bad for business to make one teeny prime-time effort to inform people of what they can actually do to help sharks? This is the perfect audience, people, like me, who are so fascinated with sharks that they’ll watch an entire week of programming on it. So here are some actual, useful, facts about sharks:

Basically
• There are more than 350 different kinds of sharks.
• Sharks are the closest thing we have to dinosaurs! Most sharks as we know them today developed about 64 million years ago.
• The biggest Great White Shark ever caught was off Prince Edward Island in 1993. It was 20 feet long.
• Some scientists believe there are less than 10,000 Great White Sharks in the entire world.
Debunking the Myth
• You are 1,000 times more likely to drown in the sea than you are to be bitten by a shark.
• The chance of being killed by a shark is one in 300 million. The chance of being killed by airplane parts falling from the sky is one in 10 million.
• Great White Sharks rarely attack people and when they do, more than 70 percent of known victims survive because they've mistaken the person for their usual seal prey.

Our Intervention
• Shark finning refers to the removal and retention of shark fins and the discard at sea of the carcass. The shark is most often still alive when it is tossed back into the water. Unable to swim, the shark slowly sinks toward the bottom where it is eaten alive by other fish.
• Shark finning has increased over the past decade due to the increasing demand for shark fins (for shark fin soup and traditional cures). The shark fin does not lend flavor to the soup, only increasing the “delicacy” aspect of it.
• One pound of dried shark fin can retail for $300 or more. It's a multi-billion dollar industry.

About 100 people in the world are bitten by sharks each year.
Of these, five to ten die.

Humans capture and kill about 100 million sharks annually.

Day 23 - Fasting/Gorging

As we enter week four of our 40 days, we are encouraged to participate in a 3-day fruit and/or a veggie fast. I will be attempting the fruit fast, which also includes tomatoes, peppers, avocados, and cucumbers and we are allowed vegetable broth and miso. I have been looking forward to this, surprisingly enough, as the bounty of summer fruits is phenomenal right now. So many foods are in season, and fruits are incredibly juicy and perfect, I have been eating some over the sink it’s so messy! I can see why this fast scares some people, but honestly, none of us are about to starve. I almost find it funny that it’s called a fast, because we are at the same time invited to gorge on fruits and eat frequently throughout the day. Here is my menu for day 1.

Breakfast: ½ of a Haogen Melon (picked up at Bi-Rite from a sample tasting and oh dear was this amazing), 1 peach, 1 pear
Lunch: All-Fruit Smoothie from Judahlicious and a avocado and cherry tomato (these are tiny, yellow and so fresh) salad tossed with a simple pesto of basil, parsley and vegetable broth
Dinner: Heirloom tomato and red pepper soup.
Desert: Baked apple with cinnamon

The theme for week four is Restore. We are also recommended to chill down our yoga and take at least two restorative classes (more on this later) throughout the week. They also say that keeping busy with non-food related activites is the best way to get through this. Tonight I will take my yoga class at 8pm (Joe is coming with, BIG YAY!!) and tomorrow I will most likely be visiting Kabuki Springs again.

I invite you all to try a new fruit today!

Day 22 - Outside Lands

Now there is a music festival by the same name, but Outside Lands, was actually the name used in the 19th century for the present-day Sunset District, i.e. my neighborhood. With few roads and no public transportation, the area was covered by sand dunes and was considered inaccessible and uninhabitable. It is an interesting area, considered "SO far" by many city folk but really, the city is only 7x7 miles so c'mon people! It is very well known for the fog, and although I had heard this a gagillion times, I had not lived it until the summer. The fog rolls in from the Pacific Ocean, about 25 blocks away and as it rolls out, it keeps rolling in. But on most days I live here very cozily, cuddled by the fog. Not to mention the cost/sq ft ratio of an apartment out here is unbeatable. Here are my favorite things to do in my neighborhood:

1) The American Bison in Golden Gate Park. They are gorgeous and so serene, I always have to park my car when I drive by and gawk at them. I am not a big fan of zoos or animals in captivity but from what I hear these bison have been here for over 100 years and were brought to their paddock to avoid extinction. There is not much information available about this herd but I'll let you know if I find anything.

2) The Pizza Place. All the way by the ocean, by far the best east-coast style pizza in the city. They also make this amazing roasted cauliflower with mandarins, olives, and parsley. Anyone who calls themselves a foodie should be making the drive for this pizza!

3) Beach Chalet. First and foremost, a brewery, but I love that they have BBQ's and live music on the weekends. Oysters are available. I also invested in a growler so I often fill it up for just $8 and bring home beer from the tap. These days I do it for Joe since I have yet to find a wheat-free beer :(

4) The Ocean. Cold or not, an ocean is an ocean and a great place to clear your mind.

5) Other Avenues. The second of only two co-ops in the city (the other being Rainbow), short for cooperative and it is a worker owned business. This one is MUCH smaller than Rainbow, but no waiting in line for parking, has everything I need, and it's small enough to just grab what you need and go. It also has a great bulk section.

6) The Golden Gate Heights stairs. Found on Moraga and 16th, there are 163 mosaic panels starting with ocean/fish/shellfish tiles at the bottom and graduating to plants, sky and the sun at the top of the stairs. These stairs were a community project spearheaded by a Brazilian (yes!) and she wanted to re-create the steps from outside her home in Rio de Janeiro (double yes!) Enjoy the view from the top, while you catch your breath.

7) Last but not least, the newly established Outside Lands Music Festival. The line-up has the good (Band of Horses, Silversun Pickups, Thievery Corp), the bad (Jason Mraz) and the ugly (Black Eyed Peas), but I can walk there! I also love the wine tasting tent, Hog Island Oysters and the "food lineup," including Dosa this year!

Day 21 - Proud

"Waiting at the shoreline’s edge,
sinking, thoughts in my head
Breeze blows upon my skin
and all the worries bubble within
Sweet air I breath in slow
and exhale all I can’t control"

WP, The Tide

Last night we went to Brainwash Café, one of those “only in San Francisco” kind of places. Laundromat, Café, Bar, Live Music. Seriously. This Friday it just so happened that Weather Pending, a band of dear friends was playing. My journey/relationship with Weather Pending started in 2004 when I spent some time in London and met Janie, the singer/songwriter of the trio, who travelled to the UK through the same program I did. We had much in common, she worked for a music label and I for a contemporary art non-profit, and I have many memories of hanging into the wee hours, the night bus, amsterdam and the crazy art in that old church, standing on the prime meridian line and so on. Janie wrote a song while travelling in Ireland that really resonated with what it feels like to go abroad and often just to leave your comfort zone within your life. For some reason, I found myself reaching for these lyrics this week. I think it was all the rain, but who knows…

“And I left and I left but now I'm here and I guess that's the way it should be. And I’m weak and I’m strong and I’m weak again, and I guess that’s the way it should be. I walk down this old side street and I'm scared, I'm scared but I'm finally proud. And it rains like God needs some anti-depressants but it makes the hills that perfect green”

At that time there was no Weather Pending, just Janie Oliver with a dream. On my last drink in the last pub I sat in London town I told Janie: “I may never see you again, but I believe 100%, more than I have ever believed in anyone else that you need to pursue this dream, even if for a little while.” Shortly thereafter I moved to beautiful California and landed right alongside Janie. She was a wonderful rock during my settling in this new place, exploring yoga with me, teaching me how to drive (yes, as in a car), and we continue to drink lots of wine together! I am proud of her recently released album, how far she has come, and of the beautiful music Weather Pending makes. Janie may think I do her a favor by going to every single show that I can, but really, I am more than happy to be there. So without further delay…