Kat’s Musings

Category: Nutrition

  • Espresso Yourself.

    Espresso Yourself.

    I adore the me-time in the early morning hours. I get to make and enjoy my morning espresso during this time. To me, black coffee is the greatest. I do not need sugar or cream etc.  

     I do not just drink coffee. I live it. That first sip—hot, bitter, a little too strong—hits like a warm hug from someone who actually gets me. It is not about caffeine; it is about ritual. The grind, the way steam curls up. Every morning, I stand at the counter. My slippers are on and I am still half-asleep—I think: “this is the best part of being alive.” No one yelling. No balance issues. Just me, a mug, and my French dark roast. 

    I love how it tastes different every day—like it knows my mood. Yesterday it was smooth, almost sweet; today it is sharp, like it is mad I slept in. I love the way it stains my teeth just enough to make me smile in the iPhone camera and think, “Yep, that is me (Now I should brush my teeth!)”

    After initially getting sick, I tried tea. I tried matcha (with MCT oil). But never again.

    Coffee is a part of my personality now. I make it a priority to make and have my espresso. I stay away from food until lunch so it literally keeps me going in my mornings.

    Obviously I spend much of the morning hours on my man (as any woman should!)— so whether I am creating photoshops of us (right now), taking pictures of myself in the bathroom mirror for him or writing something witty— I always have an espresso. We have an amazing espresso machine that brings me great satisfaction and hope for the day. It is absolutely delicious. I feel so sophisticated when I have a dark roast. Nothing too girly or foo-foo. 

    I do like a bit of foo- foo and girly though. Ask my (few) girlfriends and my boyfriend. The social aspect of going out to a coffee shop is one of my favorite things to do. Sitting across someone who I love and taking luxurious sips in between beautiful words about life is a heavenly experience. I typically celebrate by getting extra foam. I always say that my favorite food is the foam on the top of a cappuccino. It is a nice tasty treat. 

    Coffee is not a drink; it is a promise: “you’ve got this.” Sometimes it lies—late nights, shaky hands, jitters—but I forgive it. Because it is worth it. Because without it, mornings would just be… quiet. Lonely. And while quiet is fine…

    …Coffee is alive. So here is to the next cup. And the one after that. And the one I will probably spill on my shirt later. 

  • My Journey: From Veganism to Weight Loss Success

    My Journey: From Veganism to Weight Loss Success

    A friend of mine recently reminded me about the five year stint I took from eating meat. It was from twenty-twelve until twenty-seventeen. I was vegan during this period. Eating meat again reopened my eyes. This reminds me of the many “fad” diets that I have tried. 

    After initially getting sick, I had testing to find out which foods I had an intolerance to. 

    At first, we saw a woo woo type doctor. He had me place my hands on a stone. I could do only my right one obviously. He told me that the stone showed I need to stay away from anything that comes from beef. My mother bought into everything that that “doctor” was shilling. However, my father and I had a hard time believing that prognosis. So I had my blood tested by an actual naturopath. 

    My blood tests showed that I had an intolerance to dairy and chicken eggs. I was extremely overweight at the time. So, I figured that I might as well cut out all meat and fish, as well. I did not quit because meat was too heavy, or bad for the planet, or—worst of all— too expensive.

     (Now I have a conspiracy theory that the doctors doctored those tests because I was so big and so sick). 

    Being vegan did nothing for me. It definitely was not difficult for me to give up meat; but I absolutely love sushi, ice cream and cheese.  But I knew that I could no longer overindulge in these anymore (that is the issue here— overindulgence)

    I mostly had a diet of carbohydrates during those years. This was obviously before I started my gluten free lifestyle. I could eat anything fried, doughy, and all of the pasta. And I still adhered to the diet. I also ate a diet full of beans and legumes. This ultimately made my body reject absorbing bean protein. Sigh. I do miss my hummus!—This recipe is not conducive to weight loss. 

    Now I simply eat whatever I desire. Because the second that that steak hit my tongue in twenty- seventeen everything clicked back into place. As if my body had been quietly waiting, storing up all this dumb, primal hunger. No guilt. No lecture. Just… meat. Warm, real, alive on the plate.

    Now, compared to when I decided to go vegan, I can demonstrate discipline. This change has been in effect as of twenty-seventeen. I control how much I eat. This was the major difference. How much I am consuming. As I have mentioned, I managed to lose more than one hundred pounds. 

    The body is created in the kitchen, not the gym. When I initially gained more than one hundred pounds— I killed myself in the gym and my parents had me see a personal trainer, but I kept eating more of anything and everything. That is why my weight barely budged. I was extremely unhappy and this—reflected in the mirror—and ultimately reflected in my health. 

    I have learned that weight loss and body image are based on my mental state. I finally found my voice and accepted my opinions instead of following the crowd. As a result, I got happier and met the man of my dreams. I also saw my body transform to mirror my state of mind. 

     I guess what I am saying is—sometimes you quit because you are scared. Or lazy. Or—in my case—it seemed the easiest way to lose the weight I gained. At least, I thought it was. And then one day you bite into something again, and remember: “This is why I liked it.” Not because it is fancy— although I do love that aspect. Not because it is trendy. Just because it is good. And good makes me happy. Happy equals healthy. 

  • My Passion for Nutrition pt. 1

    My Passion for Nutrition pt. 1

    Let’s take a little hiatus from reminiscing about the past (it is not the easiest time of my life to relive). I want to talk nutrition. One of my passions in life. Something I can go on and on about. I already mentioned that I am absolutely enthralled by the movements being made by RFK and the current administration. One of the main targets is: glyphosate. 

    Glyphosate works by blocking an enzyme plants need to grow, so glyphosate is used to prevent the growth of invasive plants (i.e weeds)— think Roundup—plus it is an incredibly cheap product so obviously it is being used a lot throughout the country : farms, lawns, and even city parks. 

    Studies show that glyphosate can be carcinogenic when used heavily. Roundup has had to pay billions of dollars in damages because their products were proven to give users Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (plus caused the death of a pet!)

    This does not bode well for our farmers; as there is currently no other alternative for ridding the environment from weeds. Somehow European countries have figured out a way to grow their crops without having to deal with weeds/ needing a chemical to get rid of them. 

    So now the American people have to worry about gut bacteria, hormone tweaks, even birth defects— as traces of glyphosate are found throughout our food.  The new “trend” of gluten intolerance points to the fact it may be the substance that we spray our wheat with — not the wheat itself—as it is not a prevalent allergy in other parts of the world. Yes, glyphosate kills weeds great, but is it worth it?

    It appears as though we are only getting sicker in this country. I am no doctor or scientist; I am just a girl who has had her fair share of issues with food and I simply love “bro science” and listening to podcasts with Gary Brecka and Robert F. Kennedy jr.  

    I lived a gluten free lifestyle for years. Thanks to my Functional Neurologist, I learned that this diet was beneficial for my arm’s erratic movements. And ultimately, because I did not have any actual reactions to gluten, I chose to enjoy the food I was craving. It is not like I am about to eat an entire pizza or loaf of bread again, but goddammit, if my man wants to take me to a nice restaurant… I am going to enjoy every bite. However I acknowledge the fact that our crops and our wheat is tainted so I do opt for all organic and the most natural sources available.