The Curious Housewife

This week has been a full one for me. I had a lovely hike with friends on Monday and met with my cousin and aunt Wednesday for lunch. Thursday I picked up my new orthotics and on Friday I watched a documentary on Netflix . In between those things, there has been the standard housework (laundry, cooking, etc.) and I have done a fair amount of Internet reading. Hey, you might ask, what have you been reading? Well, let me tell you! Over the last couple of weeks I have noticed that my coffee has seemed a little sweet. I am pretty liberal with the sugar, I admit. From past research I know that the recommended amount of added sugar  per day for women (barring any medical conditions I would add) is 6 teaspoons. There are 4 grams of sugar in a teaspoon so that adds up to 24 grams of added sugar per day. Added sugar consists of sugar (any kind, doesn't matter what) that you yourself add to the food you prepare, bake or cook and sugar that is added to prepackaged, prepared food like fro...

image from Alternative Baking Website And I thought I was just buying a cookie. Wrong!  A couple of days ago I was at the grocery store and the above cookie caught my eye. Normally, I would have given this a pass but I saw that it was vegan, I was hungry, and I guess that is all she wrote! Into the cart it went. I got home and ate it. The whole thing. And was immediately sort of sorry. Sort of. Once in awhile a little splurge is fine.  The cookie though got me thinking because of course, prior to eating it, I examined the nutrition label. In depth and at length. It's what I do. I am an inveterate food label reader of long standing. Rich won't go with me to the store anymore unless I promise not to read the labels. I get irritated and because I am "that woman" now, I talk to myself out loud, airing my grievances in a quiet and muttering sort of way. Why is there sugar and salt in this can of tomatoes? Why is there added sodium in my frozen peas? (And...

My new friend! Photo by author  It has been six months now since I elected to go vegan. Switching to this way of eating has occurred gradually over the last couple of years and was prompted by a desire to eat in a way that was personally more meaningful and more healthful.  I have been treated for cancer and heart disease and so choosing a healthy plant based diet is part of my life plan in dealing with the aftermath of those conditions. Additionally, I really want to match my food choices with how I feel about animals; that they are sentient beings just like humans and that every last one of us are God's creatures, no matter how small or large or seemingly insignificant. In an overall way then, it's important for me to honor both my health and my beliefs. Veganism helps me to support both of those priorities. As with many types of lifestyle changes, the process of going vegan has been slow. It is still a work in progress. Shopping for food is problematic. Many p...

On more than one occasion now, well meaning people, people that I care about, have told me that "I just need to eat some meat." This well meaning comment is usually made during a meal out when I am searching the menu for something to eat that will work for my vegan diet. I try to laugh a bit or say something helpful and explanatory but honestly, the directive just irritates me.  It's not likely that I am going to eat meat just because the menu at the restaurant doesn't cater to my needs. I may be frustrated but it's not likely that I am going to look the other way and just have some chicken because that is the easiest choice. The directive to just eat some meat makes me feel like my friend or relative doesn't quite understand my beliefs or convictions. (It's important to note here that people do care and want to make sure that I am getting adequate nutrition. Not everyone has researched being healthy on a vegan diet so they may not know.) But trust me, I a...

Over the past year or so I have noticed that many people I know (and many that I don’t) are complaining about not feeling well. Aches, pains, and general malaise seem to be chronic. Searching on the Internet for products, procedures, or classes that are designed to promote both physical and mental health is a common approach to solving some of the above mentioned problems. It’s no secret that we love supplements, fad diets, and an array of drugs designed to make us feel better quickly and without much effort. Who wouldn't want to just take a pill or eat a certain food to feel better? Apart from whether or not these quick fixes actually work, one has to wonder about the problems that we are all trying to solve. Is something really wrong?  I believe firmly in the inherent ups and downs of the human condition, those days of lowness or highness that we can’t escape because that is just how humans are made. We are meant to experience the full spectrum of pain and joy. But, I also thin...