Friday, March 18, 2011

Alligators Again

About two weeks ago, I was out of town and had another alligator dream, which I want to note in this blog, just for the record. At the time I woke up, the dream was quite vivid, and I should have written a few notes at that time. But I didn't, so what I have left are a few shreds of images and some thoughts about meaning.

In this dream, which was in vivid color, I spend a lot of time running.....I think to help someone. At least one of the times, I believe I am somewhere near my hometown, out in the country. In each dream sequence, my running takes place on rather narrow strips of solid ground between watery canals. And in those canals are....you guessed it....ALLIGATORS. The water is clear enough to see the gators swishing along under the surface, although the dominant color of the water is rusty brown. Or really, more like the color of iced tea.

During the dream, I focus on the need to get somewhere fast, rather than on the alligators. However, I am conscious that they are next to me, and that a foolish step to one side or the other will put me in the water with them. I watch them very closely as I run.

The rest of the dream is lost in that place that dreams go. However, the alligators in the canal have stayed with me. Here is my interpretation. Right now I am on a pretty narrow path toward health, and I am running as hard as I can to save my own life. As long as I can maintain the pace and keep to the narrow path, I have a chance to evade the alligators. I know that one of them can decide to crawl up out of the canal; but, at the moment, they seem content to stay in their place without bothering me.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Chew, Chew, Chew Your Food

Some things are best left to the imagination. So, get your imagination revved up to figure out what happens when one begins to eat a minimum of two cups of cruciferous vegetables each day. Cruciferous vegies are things like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts. You got it....things that, when they are cooking, smell like a grammar school lunchroom , and can smell worse at another point in their life cycle. And they require a healthy digestive system to get them all happily processed.

I learned, via my Naturopathic doc, that I really need to chew my vegetables very thoroughly in order to avoid the unpleasant side effects of this assault on my digestive tract. Because there are enzymes in saliva that "kick start" the digestive process, there is less work for the old stomach and gut to do. So, it seems that my mother was right; I do need to eat more slowly. And, guess what! It really works! No more concern about being able to leave the privacy of my own home after a meal!

Amazingly, I find that I never get hungry between meals on this regimen, and my weight is staying steady at my "pre-cancer-diagnosis-optimum-weight." Although weight control was not at the top of my list of concerns when I decided to attempt this dietary re-make, the pleasure of eating plenty while staying slim provides great positive reinforcement for staying true to the diet. Plus, I just like the food.

In closing, here's a little ditty to help you remember this important information:
Chew, chew, chew your sprouts,
broccoli and kale;
If you chew just like a cow;
Chew it then and chew it now.
You'll not produce a gale.