Last night my buddy and I did something I had not done since I lived in Waco, TX. I went to Wal-Mart at midnight. Back in college we enjoyed strolling through the aisles in the wee hours of the morning looking for nutritious treats like Chili Cheese Fritos, Fudge Covered Oreos, and Totinos Pizza Rolls. I remember how I could spend $94 and some change and it would not only fill an entire shopping cart but also last me 6 weeks! We would drink Black Cherry IBC out of the bottle and chow down on KC Masterpiece Lays enjoying only a moment of delight. Because after the sugar and processed chemicals wore off I would feel yuck! What amazed me then still amazes me now. Why, if we know the food will make us feel horrible, do we still gravitate towards the things that are ridiculously unhealthy for us?

Fast forward to this morning. I was happy to see it wasn’t going to be 105 today. I took a stroll through my garden noticing the changes going on. It’s the end of August and all of the tomato plants are finished but the basil seems to be in full swing. There is a wonderful sense of pride as you clip fresh basil for the breakfast you are about to eat. But it is mornings like today that remind me that eating healthy doesn’t have to be difficult. It also is very rewarding. Look how simple it can be:

As the water was heating up in the kettle I scooped Enfusia into the IngenuiTea we got from Adagio. I then took out slices of bacon and lay them in a pan in the toaster oven at 400. By then the kettle was whistling and I poured hot (not boiling) water over the raw herbs excited about my first cup of energy for the day. I took out pinto beans from last night and heated them in a pot while I scrambled some eggs. As the pan heated with olive oil I took the basil and tomato and chopped it up. Eggs into the pan with the basil and tomato and just let it go untouched. Flipped the bacon, took my first sip of Enfusia, and shredded the raw pepper jack cheese that was delivered by our friendly folks at Burgundy Farms. See, even though it seems like a lot is going on there is a rhythm to it all. The key is to enjoy every part of it. The smell of bacon cooking and the hint of basil left over on your fingers. Most people want life to flash by, only to hurry to the next moment that will also be rushed through. I see life to be enjoyed one bite at a time. Sometimes the simplest things in life can bring true Sabbath. Mornings like today can allow me to take really deep breaths and rest, knowing I should be thankful for about 1000 things. The bacon is a perfect crispy and I replace them in the toaster with Cinnamon Raisin Ezekiel English Muffins. I sprinkle cheese over the frittata-like eggs and fill up my second mug of organic bliss. After a meal like that, I feel awesome. I can’t imagine why I would go back to food that makes me feel so blah. Reality is, even after this 40 days is over I’ll occasionally have my pizza and bag of Salt & Pepper Kettle Chips. But today was one of those days that reminded me that maybe those “cheats” can be few and far between. Feeling great today and being healthy 30 years from now is a lot more important than what I “think” will be great tasting food.

Oh and my workout today. I’m extending the fence line to create a little dog run. 15 bags of 60 lb concrete. And so my buddy and I raced to take them from the bed of his truck to the shed. The fun part was pressing them over our heads with our elbows locked. It was fun, we broke a sweat, and I enjoyed moving. Now that’s a workout!

SB