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| Denver Blizzard Day 3 |
Stage I began in the NE and ended with an Autumn tour, tasty delights and no weight change, part II took me to Florida where I ate too much fast food and gained 1.5kg or 3lb. Leg III began in the thin crisp air of the Rocky Mountains.
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| hot plate of chicken, fish and lamb |
Stage III is a bit more difficult to write about because it was on this phase of the journey that I experienced a psychological shift in my emotional and physical attitude towards my favorite foods.
I have often said that I believe the core reason for uncontrolled weight management is an emotional attachment to food. Before I made this journey I created a hit list of all the foods I wanted to sample during my stay in the USA. While I composed the catalog I did it from memory, in other words I reflected on the foods that made me feel good; if they stimulated some sort of happy memory they were on the roster.
Hamburgers and the smell of grilled beef patties are connected to warm memories of my mother returning home from Saturday grocery shopping. Enjoying the unique aroma and taste of broiled corn fed beef refreshed memories of my father and family dinners when I was a boy. Cheese cake and cream cheese with lox and bagels is anchored to my late teens and my first Jewish mentor. Lobster tails and clam chowder takes me to times of aspiration and inspiration on the coast of Northern California. Multi layer chocolate cake stimulates recollections of being 4 yrs old and unconditional love. Pitchers of Margaritas, baskets of chips and salsa, chicken wings and nachos remind me of good times with good friends.
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| Korean Grilled Mackerel |
Mental and physical needs are different. My connection to food and great memories is true, the times were genuine, the food was great and I will never forget them. I can also say that physically my body received very little pleasure from reconnecting with my pleasure foods.
Einstein stated that an imagined experience can be as real as an actual one. In my opinion pleasure foods belong in the recesses of my fondest childhood memories to be enjoyed and remembered and rarely actualized.
Phase III began in the Mile High city of Denver Colorado where the air is thin and clean, the wind is crisp and the snow is dry. Taking my first breath of fresh air was accelerating. My lungs were grateful, I was energized and wanted to move, climb, walk or jog; there is something special about Colorado that makes people move. Whenever we saw people, old and young they were doing something physical; riding bikes, walking trails, jogging, or exercising pets. Coloradans are on the move and their bodies reflect it, we saw very few overweight or out of shape people in the malls, grocery stores or shops.
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| Korean spicey pork with vegetables |
My goal was to sample famous local cuisine; Mexican and Beef Steak but neither appealed to me and that is when I realized what my physical needs are different than my emotional desires. Grilled tofu and vegetables, fresh fruits, green mixed salads, healthy soups and nuts and berries fulfill my physical needs and are worth searching for.
Fortunately Colorado has a large Asian influence and I was able to eat a Sheppard stew and a tendori hot pate of lamb, fish and chicken prepared by a Nepalese chef. I enjoyed a wonderful soup and spring roll from a Vietnamese restaurant and a feast of a meal from a Korean eatery where I ate a grilled mackerel, a hot plate of pork and mixed vegetables with assorted pickled vegetables and a spicy beef soup.
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| Vietnames spicy beef and noodle soup |
The final result for Phase III a new awareness of my culinary physical desires. A drop of all weight gained during phase II. At the end of the day I am in the belly of the beast and eating my way out of old habits.
Go have some fun,
Geo
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| D enjoying her first taste of snow |
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