Thursday, February 18, 2010

Resolution Evolution


It would seem as if the tide turned somewhere along the road and my blog suddenly took on a foodie edge. Not that I'm complaining - I've enjoyed the re-awakening of this part of my skill set, which was once my day job, now purely used for reasons of enjoyment and sustenance.

Of course, it stands to reason that cranking out sugar-filled baked goods over and over in a perfectionistic effort to create a (mostly) flawless end-product isn't exactly great for one's waistline. Thus, in an effort to "curb my enthusiasm" (pun intended for those who ever watched the rather strange tv programme of almost the same name), I enrolled in ABC's Adventure Boot Camp for Women.

Enter one hour a day, five days a week, totalling four weeks of butt-kicking, sweat-drenched outdoor exercise at 05:45 every morning.

Now, never having been a morning person in any sense of the word, this has been an eye-opening experience in terms of how one's body clock adapts to such time changes (which doesn't stop just because it's weekend, btw - I mean, what is one supposed to be doing at 05:30 on a Saturday morning when everyone else, including the dog, is still asleep?) The perks of this new time-space continuum (other than the perkiness, of course)? I've seen more sunrises in the past two weeks than I've seen in the past ten years!

Nevertheless, it's nearing the end of week two, and I am beginning to see the changes not only in my less snug clothing and newfound fitness, but also in the food choices I'm making. I am the first to agree that food has its place as a mechanism for comfort (not to an unhealthy degree, of course, but sometimes you just want a piece of chocolate cake for the sake of enjoyment after a tough day). However, food takes on a slightly different meaning when it becomes something that has to fuel you for the sake of a tough morning workout rather than just appeal to your tastebuds (which I realise is a luxury in itself when many people are battling just to put basics on the table).

My cravings have begun to lean towards the protenacious - with cheese featuring higher on my list of "yes please" treats than chocolate (I never thought I would lay eyes on that day). My cooking habits have changed too, becoming simpler and healthier.

So I guess, at least for the moment anyway, it's likely that when I post a recipe, it's going to be running on the healthier side of the eating gamut. That being said, my challenge now is to add flavoursomeness (if that's a word) to even the simplest of ingredients so that healthy eating doesn't become a bore, but rather an appreciation of the fact that something can be good, and good for you!