Why did I begin the Goddess Grub website?

What is Goddess Grub?  Goddess Grub is a term a friend came up with to describe the fresh and healthy recipes he saw me post on my blog.     As I entered my 50’s, I suddenly got wise and found all the secrets of the Universe and was told by an angel how to live forever by eating a certain way. Well, ok, that’s bullsh*t, but I did have a few bouts of gallstone pancreatitis brought on by my formerly fatty and meat laden, lumberjack eating habits. Three bouts in the hospital in three years at $20,000 a pop wises you up real quickly.

After the second bout, I had my gall bladder removed. The surgeon later  said to me, “now you can eat anything you want and it won’t bother you.”   I told him I found that almost criminal to tell a woman over 50 who was  clearly more than 50 pounds overweight. But he was only telling me  what he’d been taught.  He was a great guy and I liked him a lot.  Except for that part about giving me advice that would kill me *grin*  A year after the gall bladder had been removed, I had another  pancreatitis attack, again caused by fatty foods, and that was when I began my own research into what was causing it.

For me, the pancreatitis was in response to the lipidemia – my high fat consumption. Even though I’d cut way back after I’d had my gall bladder out, cutting out beef, pork, butter and mayo, I had clearly not cut back enough. I went on the internet and began to do my own research and was horrified when I learned how much fat I was actually still eating. Not to mention what I’d eaten so consistently for 30 years: steaks, cheddarwurst, steaks, fried chicken, steaks, fried fish and shrimp, did I mention fried steaks?  I wrote about it here Taking Responsibility for my own Health.

I learned that 50-60 grams a fat a day are the most I should have for my lifestyle. I’m 57, and I sit 16 hours a day at work. I’m 5’9″ tall and 180 pounds. I do yoga daily, and work out 4-5 times each week.  At 180, I’m 30 pounds heavier than I could be but I’m not worried about it and I’ve got excellent health now.

I’ll tell you, I don’t watch calories at all. But that’s because I don’t eat much food that is processed. I eat some bread and some pasta, which are both processed, and occasionally use some Earth Balance fake butter spread, but everything else I eat is fresh. I may eat some cheese every month or two, I am just not into chips or snacks or ice cream or candy, so am not tempted by that.

I basically had to retrain myself to like a different kind of food, since my former diet would kill me if I continued to eat like that. My mother died at age 62 of her first heart attack. She was a little overweight, maybe 40 pounds, but would eat desserts and sweets and pastries and French fries and stuff like that. I thought that would never be my experience, since I didn’t eat those things. But what I did was eat far more meat than she ever ate.

I had to train myself to cook different foods, and to take enjoyment in the shopping for and preparation of it.

I had to train myself to cultivate tastes that were savory and flavorful, yet keep it low fat and full of nutrition.

I had to train myself to let my food become my medicine and to look at every bite that way or my body would die. Period. No fooling.

So what I did was read a bunch of books on the topic Andrew Weil, Bernie Seigel, Paul Bragg, Jack LaLane. I began experimenting with recipes and watching cooking shows on tv.

I discovered the importance of foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, parsley, and garlic. I began incorporating more of these foods into my diet and found the easiest way was through soups and salads. I learned to make veggie carrot dogs, and Portobello mushroom steaks. I really got into Asian food, since they use very little fat in so many of their dishes. I discovered the Vietnamese Pho Soup, which is a huge quart of flavorful lowfat broth with fresh veggies like scallions and broccoli and bean sprouts with rice noodles. Rice noodles process differently in your system than egg/wheat noodles.  See here for how that works.

I wasn’t trying to lose weight, but within a few months I’d dropped 50 pounds. When I stopped to figure out why that was, I realized that in eating my big giant soups each day, I was drinking a quart of a light broth with maybe a 2 cups of vegetables in it, and that was it. Dinner would be a big salad and maybe a small side soup. I realized what I was doing was eating very watery foods, which meant I was staying very full, so my appetite felt satiated, and I stayed very hydrated. My skin got clearer, and despite losing so much weight after age 50, remarkably my face didn’t sag into jowls. I actually began looking younger.

My hair and nails seemed stronger and grew fast and long. Clearly my body was soaking up the vitamins and minerals I was giving it, in the form of my new diet of medicinal soups and salads. I felt lighter not just in weight, but in movement and inner space. I felt I had more space between my molecules. I felt my dynamic energy field had expanded. I felt cleaner and clearer that I could remember feeling, and I had always been healthy and strong and dynamic – but this was something else entirely.

And as I began feeling lighter and clearer, I began being guided to favor certain foods and to read certain books and ultimately to create this website.

When I use the word goddess, I use it to mean a strong independent woman who is aware of her own power and takes responsibility for how she perceives life and how she reacts to it. A woman who is awakening to the vast potential awaiting her, even at age 40, 50, age 60, 70, 80+. A woman who wants to begin getting as strong and healthy as she can so that as she advances in years, she stays strong and healthy.

I also like the following, excerpted from What is a Goddess?

A goddess invents her own life, and lives according to her own vision. This requires imagination and courage.

A goddess has a palpable energy and enthusiasm that is contagious and beneficial to those around her. She raises the vibration in a group situation. She inspires others.

A goddess is continually learning and evolving.

A goddess has learned to trust her intuition and inner knowing. She has learned to tap into this source at will.

A goddess has learned to let go of the need to control the flow of the river. She has discovered the futility of trying too hard. She has learned to ride the wave and go with the flow, to ask for and accept help when required. She is flexible, fluid, and adaptable.

A goddess sees her body and the earth as sacred, and is in tune with natural cycles. A goddess has learned balance and patience. Flow and ebb. Waxing and waning. A goddess does not freak out during ebb or waning times. She uses it wisely for rest, reflection, and planning.

A goddess takes care of herself. She does not expect others to take care of her. She treats herself as well as she would treat her best friend. She is compassionate and forgiving with herself and others. She gets enough rest and gives her body the right fuel — both in oxygen and in food and water. She knows what she needs. She feeds her soul.
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For me, Goddess Grub does just that for me. It gives me my vitamins and minerals, it gives me joy when I prepare it and joy when I shop for the fresh veggies and joy in the preparation of it. Instead of thinking of it as adding more kitchen chores to an already busy day, I rather began to think of my food preparation as a spiritual practice I perform several times a day.

I intuitively choose the vegetables, I mindfully wash and chop and slice and blend and cook and eat. I reflect on the nutrition my body is getting, and I anticipate feeling good, feeling vital and energetic, getting good sleep and feeling rested. It’s also a great mood balancer and a great mood enhancer. Just something about all those good vites and mins getting absorbed into your system can be a real rush.

So now, on to some Goddess Grub Recipes. Recipes meant to keep you vital, keep you healthy, and keep your fats and calories low.

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