There’s been a lot of slow cooking this weekend–me, a ginormous pot of chicken broth, and for E, a big ole’ vat of orange barbecue chicken with carrots. (see “recipe” below) Both very low maintenance, since I’m a bit under the weather (and grumpy, to tell the truth). I missed a mediation retreat this weekend, and I had been eagerly anticipating it for months, so I’m having a bit of a pity party. I get sick rarely, so I have no real grounds for complaint, but I do wish I were more of my normal self.
Our kind hostess this week is Angela (and you, too can be a host/hostess! See MPM HQTRS for more details) Rather weather appropriately, Angela of Angela’s kitchen chose slow cooking meals.
I started writing out my meal plan, and realized that until I’m feeling a bit better, I don’t really know what we’re having. Soup, yes. The rest? We shall see.
I also encourage you to check out Amy’s post on Body Image. It touched me. I’m someone who was anorexic in high school, gained a lot when I first had medical issues, then lost gobs of weight with Celiac, then regained to normal, then Lymes’…you get the idea. So I’ve probably lost and gained my body weight a few times, most unintentionally. It’s been interesting to see how society values people of different weights differently. And yet I feel so removed from all of that fuss. I actually went ballistic (privately, of course) after an open house where someone told me that he was sure I was a great dietitian because I looked the part. And what does that mean, really? So if I gained 20 (or 40) lbs somehow my brain would function less well?
My wish, for myself and others is to find the self love that shrinks the importance of those numbers on the scale. Because part of true self love is the desire for wholesome nourishment and movement, and sometimes weight even takes care of itself then. Beauty doesn’t know size, or age. Just ask my cat. And that’s a lot to live up to!
And the recipe for Orange BBQ Chicken:
Take 1- 1.5 lbs of chicken (leftover from soup, maybe?) and cook on low heat with a bottle of BBQ sauce and 2 organic oranges, in pieces. It’s done when everything is nice and tender.
Stumble It!
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Oh, Cheryl, that’s awful that you missed out on your weekend! I hope that you feel better soon!!! I’m sending lots of snuggles your way. Take care!
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I am so sorry you haven’t been feeling well! Please take good care of yourself. Here’s to hoping this week is full of rest and healing.
Thanks for the link on body image. What a great article.
So sorry to hear you are sick and missed that retreat. I know you were looking forward to it. Love your body image comments and the link to Amy’s discussion. Feeling a little discriminated at a job interview last week because of age and size issues and feeling a bit cranky myself. Get well soon.
Cheryl, so sorry to hear you’re not feeling well, and that you had to miss a retreat! I hope you can make it up sometime soon.
Thanks for the link and what you shared about body image. It’s definitely an issue that comes up a lot for both being a woman and being into food and cooking, and it’s very meaningful when people openly share their experience.
Take care, and I hope you feel better soon!
So true. As cliche as it is, true beauty comes from within or from who the person is, not what size of clothing they’re wearing. The silly world has got it wrong! 😛
Be well. Soon! Take time to try and meditate at home. My friend taught me a great one when you are feeling unwell – imagine yourself in an energy egg. Trace the outline of the egg around yourself. Fill it with light – purple is apparently a good healing color. Take the time to feel at one in your egg, know that it gives you energy, know that it makes you strong. Call on this image at any point during the day when you feel weary or if someone is draining your energy in any way… Hope that makes sense? N xo
Thank you so much for all the warm fuzzies! I’m still dragging appreciate all the sweet comments.
Michelle, thanks for the snuggles!
Wendy, So sorry to hear that. It’s a shame how common that is, and I can’t blame you in the least for feeling cranky!
Do people really think that they’ll avoid aging somehow?
Scrumptious, I agree!
Christine, hear hear!
Nicola, thanks and I’ll have to try it. I like the idea of an egg meditation.
Really good post, even though you were cranky. The weight of the health professional/size is something that’s so interesting. It shouldn’t matter but I feel that if a dietitian is let’s say overweight it may imply he or she isn’t practicing what they preach. I wrote a post about this called “Roll Model.”
Lauren,
I think it is an interesting point, and as I re-read the post, I realized it was quite misleading! I was quite offended, but didn’t vocalize that to a complete stranger. To me would have been just as out of place as someone making a snap judgment that because I am underweight, I’m a better dietitian.
It’s important to practice what you preach, and yet regretful to judge. As someone with thyroid problems and PCOS, it’s just luck (in some ways) that I DON’T have a completely unavoidable weight struggle. And both are very, very common conditions. I certainly try to keep that in mind.