Eddie.

Sonder:
n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.

Eddie Munster. The most vivid memory of San Francisco. I often define my travels by the food I eat. The ethos of the foodie. In this scenario, Tonys Pizza Napoletana  on Stockton Street has secured it’s spot as my greatest travelling achievement.  An average size establishment reminiscent of a trendy east coast pub, (seedier if it were in less capable hands) with a bar in one room and booths lining the walls in another, Tonys has the air of a favorite locals-only spot for those in-the-know. The smell of pizza hangs in the air outside as you crowd your way in. Inside, a whirlwind of sounds and smells and people until the cacophony suddenly dims upon reaching the refuge of your booth.

I enjoy pizza well enough. I used to live on the Little Caesar’s variety in my early twenties.  I’m not a person of discriminating tastes by any means. Over the years my palate has become accustomed to the nuances of flavors and textures.  By de facto, the epicurean frou-frou "daring" foods now speak a language I’m fluent in. However, you will never convince me street food isn't the best down-and-dirty food on the planet. That honor belongs to my first: a churro cart in Tijuana.  Point is, I like all kinds of food, doesn't matter if it’s from a kitchen, a dive, or Spain.

That brings me back to Eddie. I believe food transcends nutrition and becomes culture and experience. My obsession with food and anthropology has lead me to believe our food traditions are one of the common languages all of humanity shares. It has only been recently the tradition of breaking bread together has become a novelty instead of the norm. On Stockton Street, seated with a superstitiously fateful perfect combination of eating companions, an experience was unfolding around me in every booth. People were gathering to experience the same thing, the gathering of friends to share a meal that would both entice and delight the taste buds. This wasn't another pizza place, this was a place where total strangers gathered to delight their senses. And Eddie. From skepticism to sheer joy! My taste buds felt instantly as though they had been caught up in the Rapture and were ascending to Nirvana. Layers of flavor and texture! This wasn’t pizza! This was art my tongue could appreciate! An edible version of Picasso's Three Musicians. I confess, it was almost emotional. First, the fried kale of which there are no earthly words to describe the crunch as the saltiness disintegrates on your tongue, followed by the sweet taste of honey and lemon. A symphony wherein each movement builds upon the last; the bacon, Munster and peppers joining in one last grand finale of flourish….and when the taste is about to pass- a subtle finish of satisfaction a tongue cannot speak but waters at the thought of.

All around me in the other booths exclamations of taste buds reveling in delight met my ears. In that moment I bonded with a hundred other hungry guests over pizza. Food transcends boundaries and unifies in the partaking of it, a shared human experience; for this simple soul, one not to be forgotten in reminiscences. For the booth by the kitchen at Tonys will always be when Sonder beat in time with all who ate within.

It’s safe to say, it is the best pizza I’ve ever had. Sorry New York. 

The Oldest Profession

I support and love the world’s oldest profession. From the story of humanity as written 2 million years ago we have been able to discover much about how we came to be the people we are today. We see it in the bones of the past and the human record.

If you are a health food buff- I’m about to rain on your parade.

Cooking is the world’s oldest profession. Don’t be fooled by the stories you hear otherwise. It was the advent of cooking that changed the world.  Diet changed the entire course of human history.

Amaranth eaters beware! That statement was not for you. Don’t feel validated just yet. (If you don’t know what amaranth even is, don’t be overly alarmed- it’s an ancient grain and comes with the territory of the health food industry.)

The health food industry and fitness professionals tout one phenomenal philosophy: You Are What You Eat. Under this banner, millions flock to the life enhancing powers of diet and exercise.  It is a true statement- diet and exercise are absolutely, without a doubt, verifiably life enhancing.  More importantly, you ARE what you eat.

Two million years ago cooking advanced humanity. Raw foodists, I understand what you believe but I very apologetically submit that cooking and food processing was in the most literal sense, food for thought. The nutritional punch of cooking foods fostered brain development and growth. Many ancient foods, and now modern foods in their raw form are poisonous to humans. Yes, I’m looking at you Mr. Potato; the number two food staple in the world today feeding most of the world’s population.

Bikini ready body season flooded my Facebook feed with endless posts and picture-proof updates of resolutions to only eat protein and complex carbs and a healthy dose of fruits and veggies in 2-3 hour increments. I myself was in the throes of a food-identity crisis.  Weighing in at 115 lbs and 17% BMI, I had never been more proud of my diet and exercise success. What began as a quest into food as medicine resulted in a full-blown obsession. I ate at regular intervals a regimented diet, exercised religiously and felt my stress melt away with the fat laden free-radicals and toxins stored up from all the wrong foods. What I ate changed my ability to function giving me more energy and happiness. My mental acuity grew, my emotions stabilized, and I felt empowered and ready to take on the world. But there was one fundamental problem- no matter what I did that nag at the base of the brain sent up a red flag. ....Let the rain begin.

Lithe, sleek, toned, slim. Beautiful. A sexy body is a tan and toned body. Culturally we are programmed to believe beautiful is healthy. The wealthy can afford these bodies. This is the model of perfection, the model of health and wealth and happiness. Unfortunately, we’ve been duped by the fitness industry once again. I’ve seen the documentaries and read all the books, The China Study, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, Food Inc, and the one that started it all Super Size Me. Jamie Oliver stands gloriously perched on a podium in my mind to this day. I praise everyone who has brought the dark side of food to the public’s knowledge. But, take it with a grain of salt. Actually, skip the salt. Today’s food fads (Diet) are effective for achieving the body you’ve always wanted, or think you’ve wanted. Unfortunately they aren’t as healthy as you think. Double standards abound. I’m no nutritionist but it seems logical to conclude that eating organic and fresh and gluten free amounts to nothing the second you ingested that protein shake. I don’t remember seeing any natural ingredients in my protein powder. I did add water- so I guess that counts as a natural ingredient. Our bodies are hardwired to love fat and sugar- it gives us energy quickly. Health food buffs shun those- well, we use the term “healthy” fats. In the absence of flavor, we add salt. In large amounts. Have you had your blood pressure checked lately? In the absence of one thou shalt over apply another to compensate. Is this really healthy?

I submit a crazy but startling thought: There is another form of disordered eating. In my obsessed food-identity crisis I became concerned with everything I consumed. Food as fuel.  I forgot food is a unifier, a means of bonding with people, an activity, enjoyment of the senses, and that my body is an amazing and complex machine. My lifestyle change became anxiety and stress if I ate the wrong thing. The empowerment I felt is a classic sign of disordered eating- the feeling I can control my body in the way it looks and behaves and that if I don’t, I am less than desirable and successful. How many of you feel this way? Better take a second look at what you think is healthy. An eating disorder isn’t limited to anorexia and bulimia. The food and fitness industry has taken full advantage of this and exploited it into a word: Diet.

I can’t tell you what is and what isn’t correct when it comes to food philosophy and what’s healthy and what isn’t. But what I can tell you is there is a startling and oh-so-subtle difference between food as medicine and food as an eating disorder. Before you disagree I’ll leave you with one simple example. Gluten free.  The rate of gluten intolerance has become startling. In fact, if you were to classify this as an actual problem, it would be an epidemic. Granted, I know the grain politics, Monsanto, GMO’s, and the agricultural revolution. I won’t pretend wheat isn’t a problem. National news hasn’t covered this epidemic. Why not? There isn’t one. The gluten free intolerance epidemic coincided with the latest food fad. Simply put, if you remove something from your diet and then reintroduce it, typically there is an intolerance to it. This is also true for dairy, sugar, and anything that will change your body’s digestive chemistry. Ironically we also call these items “bad” for us. So is salt. Essentially, baby food and it’s Ph is the only thing you can rely on to keep you from getting sick. Let’s start a baby food diet.

I do believe in food as medicine and I believe the right food is a lifestyle choice. I do believe food can enhance and enrich your life. I do believe there is a measure of truth to a lot of the information pop culture feeds us. But don’t be fooled that Diet is the same as diet. A healthy diet doesn’t make you sick if you stop eating something, it doesn’t require mental strength to stick to when your body screams at you it needs nutrition you aren’t giving it, it only requires a stock of real food and a bit of time to cook. The world’s oldest profession is a fundamental building block of our history. We run into it every day in public and in private whether we go out or stay in. Stay informed, not influenced. You are what you eat. "You can't taste the beauty and energy of the earth in a Twinkie."

Human beings do not eat nutrients. They eat food.
~Mary Catherine Bateson

Wander-thirst

I've come to the conclusion all us jilted folks have something in common- we wander. We fill the void with adventure, new places and faces. And then we fall in love with it. Hearts need an occupation.

BEYOND the East the sunrise, beyond the West the sea,

And East and West the wander-thirst that will not let me be;

It works in me like madness, dear, to bid me say good-bye;

For the seas call, and the stars call, and oh! the call of the sky!

I know not where the white road runs, nor what the blue hills are;

But a man can have the sun for a friend, and for his guide a star;

And there's no end of voyaging when once the voice is heard,

For the rivers call, and the roads call, and oh! the call of the bird!

Yonder the long horizon lies, and there by night and day

The old ships draw to home again, the young ships sail away;

And come I may, but go I must, and, if men ask you why,

You may put the blame on the stars and the sun and the white

 road and the sky.

~Gerald Gould

Food as Medicine

Food makes the world go round. Literally. Food is a source of prosperity, poverty and even war. It has been immortalized in every form: written, spoken, art, fossilized, traded, preserved, displayed, you name it and it's been done. Food is associated with everything. It is often referentially used as innuendo, as pain, as comfort, as happiness, as anger. There's a food for every emotion. There are even people named after food..Miss Apple Paltrow (I meant real people, not Candy or Cherry ...) Food is the #1 killer leading to skyrocketing obesity rates while simultaneously attributed as the cause of death for malnourished children worldwide. Ironically, being saturated as we are with food knowledge, pop culture and folklore, there's a disconnect in today's culture of food as medicine.

The weight loss industry is rife with wanna-be success stories. We've all seen the infomercials selling magic weight loss solutions, fitness routines sure to guarantee rockin' hard abs. In all the ads, all I notice are the images of tight bodies of models who I've never seen the like of in real life. "Belly blast your way to 12% body fat!" They're selling miracles. 

I've spent my adulthood winters attempting to combat what began as the winter blues. I'm now convinced my mental state has less to do with the cold and dreary weather and more to do with my actual mental health. This winter in particular. I have a strong desire to become reclusive and favor sleep in what free time I have. Some may call it depression. The more optimistic friends call it my body's response to stress and an imbalanced life style. So as a last ditch effort before I make an appointment to see the shrink, I decided to try a $600 experiment. 

A few years ago I did a fitness program. It was the best thing I ever did to my health. Not only did I become desirably fit, but I felt better than I ever had in my life. If it weren't for an accident 3/4 of the way through my program I would've finished it. I worked out 30-45 mins 3 times a week. That's it. What was it then, that made the difference? Food.

I am now on a quest to see if food, eaten in the exact prescribed amounts tailored exactly to what my body needs to be properly nourished, can change not just my body but my mental health. Every food I consume has been planed out for me, right down to the time I eat it. I'm not talking about medicinal  derivatives our modern pharmaceuticals are made of, I'm talking about plain old, buy-it-at-the-store foods. There's a lot of science behind it that's beyond my time, skepticism or brain power to understand so I'll leave that to the professionals until I have the time to understand it better.  In the meantime, 3 months from now, I'll post my findings on the power of food as medicine. Call it my ode to "China Study"/"fat, sick, and nearly dead" experiment. What exactly can it cure? 

Storing in my memory bank until next time,

"You don't get permanently well unless you permanently change the way you live[...]70% of diseases that affect us now are caused by our life choices: how we exercise, if we smoke and what we eat."
--Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead