Sunday, July 7, 2013

I am what I eat



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I am an ongoing science experiment. For instance, there's always something I'm not eating, also something I'm enthusiastically eating. I'm always trying to find balance for my dodgy (since I was a colicky baby) stomach.

A couple of weeks ago I cleaned up my act (again) - cut out coffee, wheat, and cheese. I know from experience I do better when I live on a diet of meat, fish or chicken, with fruit and vegetables. I know that but - wheat is so easy to eat. I'll be doing really well, then I have a bite of someone's scone. A few days later I have a bagel for lunch, probably with a schmear, then next thing you know I'm eating cupcakes and buying baguettes - and feeling like crap. Eventually I stop, and feel better. Then - a bite of someone's scone, etc. It's a cycle.

Today I ate wheat in the form of bluebucks (blueberry buckwheat pancakes). A friend suggested I sit down at the Market Lunch counter at Eastern Market on a Sunday morning, see why all those people wait in line for the blueberry pancakes every weekend. I'm always mystified - a pancake is a pancake, yes? But he was right that I should try the pancakes to see for myself if they're worth waiting in a terribly long line to get. I'll admit - they were really good.

One fourth of 3 pancakes equals approximately one pancake, yes? Also, that's the Eastern Market skylight reflected in the syrup. 
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Though I only ate one of the pancakes, the wheat immediately had its evil effect on me. As I get older I become more determined than ever to return to eating foods that agree with me in the aftermath of falling off the dietary wagon. As we age, the life force becomes thinner within us, more porous. We older folks have to be more careful with ourselves. At least I do.

As long as I'm confessing I might as well admit that wheat has not been my only transgression. I drank a cup of coffee the other day, too, just to see. Of all the forbidden foods, coffee is the worst for me. I am very sensitive to it.

Do you hear the tiny violins playing for me? Poooooor little Reya, forced to eat so beautifully. Do you feel sorry for me? Me neither!

To your health! There's an expression for that in many languages. All languages? Below is how it looks in Yiddish.

צו דיין געזונט


Pitcher plants in the yard of a crazy Capitol Hill gardener. Crazy great I mean. I peeked inside one of these, saw a spider and what I think was a fly. Creepy cool.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love that top image. It's wonderful.

Yes, wheat=hives. But also crappy-food goodness. What a temptation.

How'd you type the yiddish?

Rebecca Clayton said...

Hmmm. Buckwheat is not wheat--it's not even a true grain, that is, a member of the grass family--wheat, barley, corn, rice, oats.... It's in the Polygonaceae, if you're curious to see about the other family members. The only other buckwheat relative I've eaten is rhubarb.

I really like buckwheat groats boiled, as a rice alternative. I'm not exactly sure what kasha is, but buckwheat is a component of it. Last summer, I grew some buckwheat in my garden--pretty white flowers, but I didn't get enough seeds to make a batch of pancakes.

Anyway, for those with wheat allergies, buckwheat is a good carbohydrate choice, and the groats have plenty of fiber.

So, I'm not sure why buckwheat pancakes would give you trouble, unless they were a mixture of buckwheat flour and wheat flour. (Which is pretty common, but disappointing for the wheat-intolerant.) Oh, unless it's that big dose of sugar in the syrup, or just the big overall dose of carbs.

Steve Reed said...

It's probably a good idea to eat a little bit of everything from time to time. That's my philosophy, anyway. :)

Reya Mellicker said...

Google translate!

Rebecca Clayton THANK YOU. I'm gong after the bucks from now on. I'm sure what I reacted to was the wheat flour mixed into the pancake batter. Wheat - it's filling, but not satisfying and makes my stomach swell. Gross.

I love the idea of buckwheat groats. Must try some!

Yeah, I need to taste of the forbidden fruit sometimes. Definitely. Hell yeah.

Reya Mellicker said...

going, not gong

ain't for city gals said...

my husband is gluten free (for the last two years)...we use Pamela's baking and pancake mix...gluten free and makes delicious pancakes. You can get it at Whole Foods...the larger size is the better deal...4lbs for about $20 dollars. Lots of good recipes on the back...