Farmer In The Dell

I love farmer's markets.

 

Everything about them fascinates me.  I slow down and totally lose track of time as I enjoy walking from vendor to vendor and talking to each one of them about the unique products they are selling whether it's veggies, fruits, honey, cheeses, breads, soaps or food being cooked to order.

 

Yesterday it truly felt as if the weather had turned a corner and while it was a bit chilly the sun was bright and increasingly warm as the day progressed.  People with their children and dogs and friends and neighbors strolled and chatted each other up at the weekly farmer's market held in the Palisades section of Northwest Washington, DC. 

 

Everybody was just so darn happy to be outside and enjoying the nicer weather!  You could feel the relief in the easy manner of people greeting each other and the slower pace of checking out the market's wares whether it was sampling apples, biscotti, or asking questions about the young herb plants.

 

 

It's kind of similar to everyone having their own lemonade stand and making a go of it with their best products whatever that might be.  Making time for activities you enjoy can be one of the steps you take when rebuilding your life after a loss.  For me, farmer's markets create a healing feeling.  They reinforce for me that we are part of a larger community focused on being supportive and giving back.  Creating extra special karma if you will.

 

That might sound kind of fruit and nutty to you but I like the idea of people making things with their hands whether it is farming or sewing or jewelry and then coming together to share their talents.

 

People selling at farmer's markets always take a lot of pride in what they've made and much of what is sold at farmer's markets is organic or at least pretty close to it and I feel I'm doing my body and brain a favor when I buy healthier more natural foods that are closer to the sources of where they were grown and in my small way I'm also helping an entrepreneur who is trying to run a small business.

I was especially happy to find a vendor selling peach blossoms which are some of my favorite blooms to have in the house during spring and I also bought a few young lettuce plants for myself.

Score!

Celebrity's Healing Breakfasts

When I was a young girl in elementary school, my favorite breakfast was a cinnamon twist doughnut and orange juice. 

 

My father was the "Doughnut Man" on Sundays and would ask me and my five siblings what kind of doughnuts we wanted and then he would bring them back for us warmed up in a large white baker's box.  I still have a thing for cinnamon cake doughnuts but I hardly ever indulge in those bad boys.

 

Here's the funny thing: after my father would get us doughnuts he would then make himself a cereal bowl full of Total cereal, lots of fresh fruit and wheat germ.  We, the smart aleky children, would laugh and look at his breakfast and turn up our noses and make fun of it, especially the wheat germ.

 

"Yuck, Dad! Whaaaaaat is that stuff you are eating?"

 

But my father was on to something that I finally learned for myself.

 

A great breakfast really sets you up for the day and can set the tone for how you're going to eat the rest of the day.

 

A Healing Breakfast

 

When you are going through a stressful time and trying to process a loss of any kind, the last thing you want to do is eat or even eat something that's healthy for you.  You want to eat something that's comforting and makes you feel better.  Even if it's only for the time that you are eating it.

 

Please don't.  Those things such as doughnuts are chock full of empty calories and empty promises because they leave you empty; with nutritious for your body to run on and build on.

 

Ironically, I have come full circle and almost eat the same breakfast as my father.  I found a cereal that's low in sugar, I put the freshest fruit I can find on top and then I pour almond milk over it.  I haven't converted to the wheat germ but I'm trying.

 

If that kind of a breakfast doesn't do it for you, here's how some celebrities wake up and eat their first meal in the morning:

--Justin Timberlake is a fitness buff and he told Bon Appetit that he eats two breakfasts.  The first one is eaten before he works out: waffles with flax and almond butter and a scrambled egg; then for post-workout, Justin has a protein shake and another egg.

 

--Khloe Khardashian is always watching her weight and she told People magazine that she eats cereal -- Kashi's GOLEAN with 2% milk and coffee.

 

--The "Call Me Maybe" hitster Carly Rae Jepsen told Bon Appetit that she has the same breakfast every day: vanilla yogurt with granola and fruit and sometimes some boiled eggs.

 

--"Dancing With The Stars" celebrity Stacy Keibler told People magazine that her breakfast is a smoothie made of organic fruit and veggies.

Take a step towards healing yourself and eat something your body will thank you for!!