Almonds

Living in a small mountain town that doesn’t even have an intersection light in the entire place has been quite interesting.  On the one hand its been lovely not having to commute for hours at a time through out Los Angeles County (where I use to live), but it does mean that when I do need to go back into Long Beach (which is in Los Angeles County) I’m looking at a two hour commute one way on a good day.

Typically, when I leave the mountain its for a mad 2 or 3 day run where I massage 3-5 clients, visit with friends and my family.  Its an intense run that has me in the car more often then not, and leaves me without a kitchen to really make anything to eat.  This has been such a challenge for me.  Preparing for such a trip has required so much mental planning for me that somehow I always leave out the food planning.

Rather then pack up a cooler of food that I can eat while driving, or on a stop over at someone’s home, I simply don’t.  Or haven’t, I should say.  This was such a bad move for me, because in a life where I have been able to completely steer clear of fast food, I invariably find myself starving while driving from one massage client to another and reluctantly driving to some fast food place to grab something greasy, badly cooked and of course… containing some amount of gluten, no matter how hard I try to pick something appropriate.

Many months ago, in a conversation with my friend, Nita, where we were supporting each other in acts of power that enhances our self care, I made a commitment to be mindful of my food planning when traveling.  Really it was laziness on my part and a form of self neglect.  I mean, out of all the things that need to be planned for when I leave the mountain, my nourishment should be first on the list, no?

So plan I did.  And although my first couple of trips didn’t come with serious gourmet sustenance, it did provide me with a surprising sense of ease, trust and stillness.  So odd isn’t it?  I had some very easy snacks with me, and this completely erased for me the experience of desperate panic when my blood sugar level crashed, or the internal beratement that comes after eating some fast food meal that would cause the usual symptoms of having been glutinized began to set in.

Anyway, this is a way to long introduction to Almonds.  A powerhouse food to say the least, and a new friend in my arsenal of self care.

“They restore, tone, and nurture.  They support the digestive tract and the nervous system.  The more recent discovery of almond’s phytonutrient phytosterol also attests to its anticancer activity and its ability to lower cholesterol. Almonds contain about 18 percent protein, several B vitamins, calcium, iron, potassium, and phosphorus.  And they are one of the richest sources of alpha-tocopherol vitamin E.”

~The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Resource for Healthy Eating (Compass)

I love knowing about the foods I eat, and my intention is to continue highlighting foods that I eat as time passes.  I think that knowing what it is that we are putting into our bodies and why is critical to mindful eating.  Its why I love this book so much.  Every time I come home with something delicious, I look it up in the The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia.  I’ll share more about it as time passes as well.

But for now I leave you with the almond.  I carry a zip lock baggie of them in my purse everywhere I go.  Like a little first aid kit, just in case I find myself hungry and with no good options to choose.  I find that having almonds around to snack on, takes the edge off, and gives me time and space to make better choice on what to eat in terms of a full meal.  And of course… they’re yummy!