I’m going completely off track today. Instead of books, I’m talking food. Specifically, vegetables. For a number of reasons (mostly because I wanted to), I did a 21-day food modification experiment. I ate only whole fruits and vegetables for the first 10 days and then added in clean meat on day 11. What this means is, if I couldn’t buy the food in the produce or meat department, I couldn’t eat it.
Maybe this doesn’t sound extreme to you, gentle reader, but it was a bit crazy for me. I mean, it is the Halloween season and who hasn’t purchased the 20-pound variety bag of mini candy bars and sugary treats as soon as they appeared in the grocery store, promised themselves they wouldn’t open it until October 31 only to have to rebuy the same bag of candy the day before Halloween?
Oh, sorry. I guess that’s only me.
Anywho, I decided this year was going to be different. So I found a plan, found some accountability partners on social media (which turned out better than I thought it would) and jumped right in. With only a minimal amount of difficulty (okay, possibly moderate), I made it through the experiment.
Not only do I have a greater appreciation for the many ways vegetables can be cooked (broiled, roasted, mashed, sauteed, steamed, raw (not exactly cooking but it is an option), I’ve also broadened my palate. Brussel sprouts and zucchini spirals are now a regular rotation on the menu.
The rest of the family was skeptical at first. I didn’t make them partake in the experiment, but I did share the veggies with them. Everyone is now a fan of sweet potatoes (they make excellent fries as well as substitute nicely on a baked potato bar). The meatballs with quinoa wowed the crowd, too. The teenagers even ate the brussel sprouts so long as they were roasted with garlic and olive oil. Plain brussel sprouts didn’t cut it.
I bring all this up because for 21 days I was focused on something new and had my writing on autopilot. This turned out to be a good thing. I sat down at my desk at the appointed time each day and did what I needed to do, without thinking about the big changes I was making in another part of my life. During those 21 days, I finished the first draft of My Best Memory – Helene’s Story and have been working on the outline for the next book. This is proof that when we set up the right routine, even when things are going on, we can still achieve our goals.
I’ll keep you posted on whether the Halloween candy takes me off track, but for now, I’m excited to get some more stories written and headed your way.
Until next time…
Photo by Hope House Press – Leather Diary Studio on Unsplash