Narrative Note

My new favorite thing this week has been making fruit and herbal infusion beverages! I found that caffeine and I could no longer co-exist.
My heart palpitations, heart racing, and nervous system sensitivity is much worse with even one caffeinated beverage. I had been limiting myself to one per day, usually hot tea in the morning, but sadly we were forced to part ways...

It is a challenge to identify foods and drinks that don't irritate my system in some way... no dairy, no gluten, no soy, no caffeine, no preservatives/ chemicals, no goitergens. What can a girl eat, or drink and actually enjoy???
I tried some herbal teas, but they didn't work out.

Chai has always been my favorite, so I got the idea to create my own tea-leaf-free chai. I added several whole ingredients to a pot of freshly boiled, still very hot water, and let it rest. After cool, I added some natural sweetener of choice and refrigerated the infusion in my new BPA-free container. I have been adding the infusion as a 1:3 mixture to a cup of hot water in the morning or cold water any time (good old-fashioned kitchen spigot well-water, that has gone through a brita filter). It has been awesome!

I have tried three different concoctions this week, and they have all been great!!!
So tonight before entering my "Daily Post", I did a little "web surfing" and came upon a recipe book, "Cool Waters: 50 Refreshing, Healthy Homemade Thirst-Quenchers" written by: Brian Preston-Campbell in January 2009. I am very excited about this book and will probably order it before the night is over!
I have been reaping the added benefit of increasing my daily water intake because I enjoy the taste so much!

A second type of consumable pleasure that I have identified involves freshly washed, cored and sliced Apples... melted carmel... and dark chocolate chips... Autumnally Delicious!!!

I love, love, love the taste of Cortland Apples! They are abundant in my hometown area of Ithaca, NY (Cornell Orchards), but are quite scarce on Maryland's Eastern Shore... I found some today! Yeah!

I guess if I sit and think about it... my individual health issues have forced me away from the common norm of "American Diet" and that really is a good thing!

I have learned to read labels, come up with my own recipes, support local organic farming and value the quality of the materials I put into my body.