30 Dates with my Liver #30: Looking back & looking forward…the Good, the Bad, & the Ugly

Wow. 30 dates went by so fast! How eerily well timed that today is also the last day of summer for me, with the first day of school starting tomorrow. Not only a new chapter, but a whole new book! Jessica as art teachin’ Galvestonian! I’m pumped that the last 30 days of liver-loving have made me very conscious of habits and behaviors that can keep my liver–and thus whole body–super healthy and happy.

So, I’d like to take a moment to reflect back on the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of this detox. Let’s break it down:

The Good:

Dates 2 and 20 were all about Green Smoothies. I began having one every morning on the second date with my liver, and I never stopped. Possibly the best part of this detox has been making a morning monster a part of my daily routine.

Date 7 was also especially lovely, but nothing could compare to the magic that happened on date 8, when we cooked walnut-encrusted mahi-mahi.

Date 24, date 12, both goodies, and really, almost every date was a pleasure, and the were ALL learning experiences. The ones that taught me something from a nasty run in though, are below…

The Bad:

Date 3 was fantastic-finding out about the benefits of drinking red wine and dark beer in moderation for your liver-but it led me down a dark path. I was new to the liver detox! I hadn’t learned moderation! While I stick with the advice I gave this day, I wasn’t following it.

On date 10 my liver and I learned about the bad stuff poisoning livers (or not feeding them enough!) out in the world.

I had a brush with some nasty orthorexia on date 11, when my liver thought I was going crazy.

The Ugly:

Date 4

Things got really scary on date 22 when my liver and I faced our fears of meal planning

What Next?

When it comes down to it, I’m screwing up less and breaking up gracefully with my liver. I guess breaking up is the wrong term here, since me and my liver are forever, but we’ll be chugging along to 2100 without daily updates from here on out.
Since the liver is so essential to all other bodily functions, you can bet I’ll still rattle on about it in future posts.

But with school starting and life speeding up post-summer, I’ll be writing a bit less frequently. Plan on seeing me at least once a week with an exciting new series on how astrology meshes with modern medicine these days, and how learning about how your sign affects your health can get your bod looking like an ancient greek statue.

Ciao and thanks for hanging out with me and my liver!

30 Dates with my Liver #29: Sleeping In

After a week of waking up in the pre-dawn hours to hop on my bike and book it to school, my liver and I luxuriated in a full 10 hours of sleep this morning. By the time we woke up, the morning monster smoothie had become the lunch smoothie. (Well, I cheated. Made it have a yogurt-like consistency with avocado and threw in a couple handfuls of granola and ate it like cereal. Yum!)

Sleep by Salvador Dali

The benefits of sleep cannot be stressed enough. Reducing stress, cancer risk, and inflammation are just a few benefits. All the pros keep telling us how sleep makes us smarter, better looking, and happier. If you’ve had an exhausting week and STILL have a huge to-do list for the weekend, make sure getting a good 8 hours tops it.

Sleeping helps reduce stress, which livers love. Stress is even considered one of the toxins that the liver has to deal with, since it causes gross by-products chemically inside your body as well as externally, like that nasty thing you just said to your boss.

So have a liver-friendly weekend (i.e. red wine and dark beer in moderation!) and get some zzz’s in after you go out!

30 Dates with my Liver #28: Inspiration and Breaking Up Gracefully

Ok, I feel like I may be pushing the whole liver detox/dating thing, but two things have struck me today–first off being totally inspired by two friends of mine who are breaking up more gracefully than I thought was humanly possible, and secondly being floored by the inspiration my own soon-to-end relationship has had for people who have been reading my blog.

So first let me tell you about these friends of mine, two childhood pals who have been dating a whopping five years and are now parting ways with mind-boggling care and respect for each other. They have a story that reads like the script to a romantic comedy (Boy meets girl, girl hardly notices, antics ensue and after the commercial-making scene involving a pool table they wind up happily in love all through college. This also explains boy’s penchant for pool-playing in years to come) and might even stay together if a major move weren’t involved. They’ve had ups and downs sure, and moments I could only compare to the times I treated my liver like a keg that needed filling rather than an organ essential to cleansing and well-being, but on the whole they’re fun to be around and just straight up like each other. Now, realizing with great maturity that despite the great fondness they have for each other, their time together is coming to an end, both are going above and beyond to be reasonable, respectful, and considerate of the others feelings. Having gone through a break up or two myself, I know how rough it can be on your self-esteem and sense of security to end such a long romance. You get angry, impulsive, and, because you love them so much you don’t want them to go, often lash out at the very person you care about.
So as my liver and I prepare to end this dating cycle, I hope to harness that same inspirational ability to leave with grace when the time comes. I won’t run out and go on a drinking and fried food binge, compensating for the detox that didn’t last and is leaving a void in my life. I’ll set my shoulders, chin up, and think of the mutual respect my liver and I still have for each other. Don’t want to mess that up.

As for part two, I have been honored to inspire the #1 guy in my life forever and always, my dad. Since I’ve moved back home while I’m finishing my masters, he and my mom have been bombarded by my new-found mission to live to 2100 both in my blog and at every meal, grocery shopping trip, and casual conversation. Like a huge part of the baby boomer generation, he’s been confronting the issues that come with maturing in an increasingly less healthy America, and wants to stave off some of the diseases and risks that run in our family. So-and this is the exciting part-we’ll be working together to develop a personalized health plan for him, leading to a fast designed specifically for his goals and approved by his doctor!

So, as many girls often do, I’ll be running home to daddy after this liver-detox-dating extravaganza ends, and I’ll be sure to keep you up to date on how the process of developing a personalized health and wellness plan goes. In the meantime, I’ll give you some advice my dad once gave me that has proven true: You have no control over anyone, except yourself. If you want to help or change someone, no amount of advice or worrying is going to make a dent. All you can do is be a good example. (Don’t you just hate how they’re always right?)

30 Dates with my Liver #27: Got to admit it’s getting better….

You know, I didn’t know what to expect to see by the end of a liver detox on day one of this blogging adventure. It’s not like you can take a peek at your liver in the mirror, or call it up and ask what it thinks of the relationship.

I used to be cruel to my liver, kept it apart from the food that it loved. I never realized what a big difference just eating tons of veggies, next to no fried foods (gotta admit I’ve cheated a bit), and making small changes every day in the right direction would do for my well being.

It’s taken until these last few days, the home stretch of liver-conscious eating, that I’ve started to notice a change in my habits, and I can still feel my body pouting at not being able to go hang out at bars. (I feel straight up schizo at the conversations that go on in my head. Much like the events in one of my favorite Radiolab episodes [if you're not already addicted to this show get that way. now.] about what goes on in your head when you have to choose between healthy fruit and chocolate cake)

So woohoo! Only 27 dates in to feel slightly secure in this relationship. Now to make the next 3 count…

30 Dates with my Liver #26: Carrot Ginger Soup

I can’t believe my liver and I only have a few dates left before we move on…I’ve learned so much about my liver and myself so far. And so much more. Like how to make this delicious Carrot Ginger Soup, which just so happens to be uber good for your liver.

This soup was super low calorie but seriously filled me up. Also didn’t take more than half an hour. Have at it!

Ingredients:

1 large white onion
2 lbs chopped carrots
olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
3-4 cups vegetable broth (according to taste)
Sprig of parsley or cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1/2 a lemon

Chop the onion and ginger and put both on to saute for about 5 minutes or until tender.

Add the carrots and vegetable broth and bring to a boil
(You can add more broth later if you’re not sure of the consistency you want)

Once boiling, bring to a simmer until carrot are tender (10-15 min)

Turn off the heat and begin to puree the soup in batches until it is all at an even consistency (unless you’re into chunks). Add salt and pepper and the lemon juice.

Garnish with the parsley or cilantro-whatever is in the kitchen or that you prefer. Enjoy!

PS- I’m not gonna lie, as delish as this was I wanted to be kicked in the mouth by ginger, and this just didn’t do it. I’ll add more later, but anyone else know of any tasty fresh ginger recipes?

30 Dates with my Liver #25: Cleaning Inside and Out

Mmmmm, super-cleaning out the garage your parents haven’t touched since a hurricane (thanks, Ike) literally ripped through it? Sounds fun huh? It does when you’re on a date with your liver!

Being the badass I am, I started this overhaul in the heat of the summer, in the enveloping humidity of an overcast Galveston day. It was actually really nice–first of all, I was feeling soooo accomplished actually getting this off the to-do list. The heat had been putting me off, but in the end, once you’re all dusty and sweaty anyway, who cares? I was sure to keep me and my liver hydrated.

And my liver loved it! All that water and sweat made for a nice flush out of my whole system, and that’s not to mention the workout I got hauling boxes and lugging furniture around.

I’m only about halfway done, but the corner I’d chiseled in the garage for my painting studio will now expand to the whole area. Unexpressed creativity is a terrible toxin that does a number on your liver and your soul, so cleaning things out has been sooo worth it. And now that things will be more presentable, I can even have people over for a healthy dark beer or two…

30 Dates with my Liver #24: Pampering Your Loved One

All relationships benefit when person A sends person B to a spa day. In this case, my liver and I were person C benefiting from joining a good friend being sent off to a spa morning by her fabulous fiancee. I have never been so relaxed in my life.

The scene for old-school glamor was set by our location at the Hotel Galvez. When my grandfather moved here from Italy after WWII, he stayed at this gorgeous historic hotel before settling into the city that is now our home. I’ve always loved the island casual elegance of the architecture, but this was my first time inside.

The spa experience begins with the lovely staff inviting you to enjoy some lavender champagne in the relaxation room, or take a moment in the steam room. Access to these amenities is complimentary with any of their treatments, from the best pedicure I’ve ever had (massage chair and expert attention from a girl I found out was in my graduating class! (God I love Galveston)) to the detox bath therapy that’s only $35 to add to another service (that one is on the to-do list…).

Between the eucalyptus aroma therapy to the warm shoulder wrap that was handed to us at the relaxation room door, I could not have been more content. The atmosphere was so calming that even the enduring thoughts that have been bugging me lately couldn’t break into my consciousness. When they did, I simply realized that everything would be ok. Did I offend so and so with that remark? Does this hangover mean that my detox plans are sabotaged, pointless, or in general kaput? As I allowed myself to be coddled by the care of my aesthetician, I was able to let go of the worries I’ve been harboring in a moment of clarity that helped me see that as long as I make sure I am doing the right thing right now, everything will be fine.

My liver appreciated the break from the day to day grind possibly more than I did. A weekend with old high school friends was hard work for my ever-patient liver, and stepping into the steam room is a sigh of relief for over-worked livers. In the steam room, the skin takes over the majority of the detoxification process as it expels toxins through sweat.

My fantastic facialist explained that the different zones of the face reflect that is going on with the body. In general, forehead breakouts are from stress, nose eruptions from hormones, and chin activity from digestion. So cool! And good to know that this chin on my zit will benefit from my detoxing as much as my liver will.

So the monthly budget I’ve been working on will now include a monthly trip to the Galvez. For health reasons. That kind of relaxation may cost a pretty penny, but the moments of health-boosting bliss are saving me money in hospital bills down the road. So next month: express facial plus a hair mask? I think yes.

30 Dates with my Liver #23: Jewelry

Indescribably wonderful day in the downtowns of Galveston and Houston. My liver and I were in top form. Jewelry was involved- a big moment in every relationship. This silver necklace has an inscription in Theban which translates to “As above, so below, as within, so without.”

For those of you who have seen my latest sculpture, a 12 foot tall metal and cement tree with roots quite similar to this one, you might see why I fell in love with this piece.

The inscription really captures one of the key concepts of the sculpture (titled Hegelius Fractalia), which also was highly inspired by fractals .

My liver loved it because it ties in to the same holistic well-being theme of the interconnection between body, mind, and spirit. Everything, really.

Then I had a superb dinner out at Vietnam restaurant in Houston. Love their veggie-ful egg drop soup. My friend discovered an incredible and I imagine little known miracle of mixology:
pour a fat dollop of jasmine green tea in your Vietnamese iced coffee. The taste is out of this world, a full bodied and yet delicate floral earthy moment of bliss.

My fortune cookie book-ended a beautifully happy day with a connection to, of course, the 2100 challenge:

“The joyfulness of a man prolongeth his days.”

So live long, and be joyful!

30 Dates with my Liver #22: Doing Something Scary Together

So, I have this inexplicable fear of menu planning…My liver, being quite attached to me, has sympathy pangs of horror when even considering the logistics of figuring out how to…i dunno, do all those…menu planny things.

Aha! I think I’ve just gotten to the root of the problem. My list-making food-loving brain apparently turns off at the mere mention of the term…But! For the love of my liver, who will most definitely benefit from me planning some liver-friendly meals after our dates are up, I’m jumping in headfirst. Ugh.

This friendly site seems to know I’m approaching this idea with precaution, and like a bikini-waxer soothing a first time client, they’ve given these benefits of menu planning:

Save money by reducing wasted food!

Save time that would be spent running out to buy missing ingredients, or going more often to the store

Improve nutrition by heeding your brain’s previous wise choices than your belly’s immediate hunger for cheeseburgers when it’s time for dinner

That last site was really calming-they were cheering you on each step of the way. One look at this lady’s menu-planning advice scares the crap out of me. Still, this organizing junkie knows her stuff. When it comes to list making, I’m like Pee-Wee Herman standing next to the Governor of Cali. Here’s her sage advice on How To Menu Plan:

“Here is what I do and if I can do it anyone can! Every Sunday night I sit down for about half an hour with my menu planning pad (soon to be whiteboard) and pencil, a pile of cookbooks, the grocery store flyer and my laptop (so I can access the recipe favorites I have saved on my computer). The first thing I do is rough in what meat I’m eating on which days. For instance it might be beef on Monday, chicken on Tuesday etc. I try not to serve the same type of meat twice in one week. I’ll often go by what is on sale for meat that week too. Once I have that figured out I go to the cookbooks to find coordinating quick, easy and preferrably lower in fat recipes to go with it. I make sure to jot down where I can find the recipe right on my menu pad under the corresponding day. Thursday is easy because that is the day I always schedule for leftovers. I will purposely cook a little bit extra on the days before this in order to give me a nice break from cooking
Once my menu is created I then make up my grocery list from the chosen recipes. This allows me to only buy ingredients I’m actually going to use for the week, reducing waste and saving money. I, without fail, go grocery shopping every Monday morning. This is essential for my plan to work. Rarely do I let anything stand in my way of this happening.”

Man I would not want to get in the way of her shopping on Mondays. But I’d love to have a kitchen like hers where the meals for the week are posted though, so it’s time to face my fears and take a crack at it!

1) So since I’m starting in the middle of the week, first I’m going to take inventory of what’s in the kitchen.
DANG we have a bunch of food. This is actually not bad so far-there are some sauce mixes and fun items in there I’d forgotten about, like vermicelli noodles! Bout time we used this stuff up before it goes bad!

2) Ok. Now that I know that we’re totally stocked (and have enough olives to feed a small Greek family for a month for some strange reason), I’m going to flip through the web and my veggie cookbooks for some recipes for the next few days. I got some great seasonal recipes from the latest Vegetarian Times, so let’s see what we’ve got…

Saturday
Breakfast: Green Smoothie!
Lunch: falafel
Dinner: Eating out in Houston!

Sunday
Breakfast: Green Smoothie!
Lunch: Family outing
Dinner: Spicy Borscht (recipe from Vegetarian Cooking)

Monday
Breakfast: Green Smoothie!
Lunch: Salmon salad
Dinner: Spring Rolls with egg-drop soup

Tuesday
Breakfast: Green Smoothie!
Lunch: Grietchka (aka Kasha, a Russian grain) with roasted veggies
Dinner: Smoked Oysters on Herb Crackers

Whew! Ok, now I get why I’ve been avoiding this. It was inordinately time consuming to pick out what I want to eat and check that I’d have the right ingredients. But I can tell that this is the kind of thing that just takes a tiny bit of practice, and will save time later. A ton of time since I just realized I don’t need to go shopping. Heck, it was only 2 steps! And I’ll try cooking out of my comfort zone!

Ok, menu planning, you’re all right. We’ll still have to take a few days to see how this all pans out before you’re allowed into any conversations outside of this blog, though. Don’t want to scare anybody.

30 Dates with my Liver #21: Planning your Future Together

So my liver and I only have a handful of dates left in our month together, and it’s time to start looking forward. Forward to a time when my liver and I can live in harmony through habit, without the daily date and focused attention that this honeymoon period has consisted of.

This is a huge period of transition for me too, so I’m glad I’ve keeping my liver in mind as I figure out my daily/weekly routines for the coming few months. I just quit the bartending job (which my liver REALLY appreciates. Not that I’ll be away from all bars by any means, but it’s a bit too easy to hop on the other side of the bar more than you might otherwise), and I’m about to start a teaching internship while setting up a working painting studio. Suuuuuperrrrr exciting, but being the detail and planning happy Virgo that I am, I’m putting forth a big effort now to make sure my schedule is an infrastructure for success in these enterprises.

So how am I planning for a future that will help me live to 2100 and keep my liver humming along happily?

First off, the virtues of having a regular schedule for your body cannot be exaggerated. Humans are creatures of habit, and if you haven’t put some thought into what your habits are, you may be snowballing into a lifestyle you wouldn’t have chosen, if you had thought to make the choice. Regular exercisecan greatly improve your mood, your looks, and lengthen your lifespan according to the Mayo Clinic. Experts just won’t shut up about the importance of regularly getting enough sleep. The keyword to all of this is regular, and having lived spontaneously for most the past 23 years, doing these things regularly is not something you just suddenly feel like doing, most of the time.

Here is my nerdy nerdy hour-by-hour sample day as I was allotting time for each of the things I plan to do regularly. Your body luuuuuvs routine-when it gets to do the same thing every day, it gets really good at doing that thing, whether it’s sitting around watching T.V. or sending out lots of nutrients to your body at 8:30 am. Your liver particularly works like clockwork-2am rolls around and it really starts working on what you had for dinner (which is why if you were naughty the night before and your liver still isn’t finished by the time you wake up, you might think you’re not a morning person).

So I’m going from working the night shift 2 nights a week and trying to be a day person the rest of the time to waking up every day at the same time! Working out every day at the same time! I’m even figuring out the times my favorite places have happy hour so I can be a regular there too! Woohoo!

My plan of attack for figuring all this out has been:

1) write down my needs for each and every day (# of hours of sleep, exercise, the stuff I want to do, and plenty of time for unknowns)

2) plot these loosely on a sketch of 2 12 hour clocks (I don’t know for sure how all this will play out till I am in the midst of it)

3) list weekly events I’d like to keep up with (visit the weekly farmers market for organic local produce, a Saturday meditation group, dinner with my Aunt on Thursdays, etc.)

4) brainstorm monthly or bi-monthly things I’ll need or want to do (a massage is sooo good for you, wash the car, 5 day fasts at the change of each season)

5) make sure my budget matches the amount of times I want to go out to eat…

Man do I love making lists.