Well, hello again. Shaina here. I feel like I need to reintroduce myself, because I seem to be a different person than I was a month and a half ago. Instead of feeling exhausted and perpetually terrified of bedtime (since falling asleep is so often a struggle), I’m starting to actually feel … rested. And happy. And enthusiastic about new projects. And maybe even a little bit energized.
Is this how other people feel all the time?…
The Circadian Code, by Dr. Satchin Panda, is not my favorite book I’ve read about sleep, but it might end up being the most personally transformative. Over the past two weeks, I’ve successfully gone to bed before midnight nearly every day, which is highly unusual for this insomniac, and the principles in this book helped me to do it….
I’ve been dreaming of a cottage style garden filled with flowers and homegrown produce since my teenage years, but during the decade and more that I spent renting, that goal seemed far out of reach. When I finally bought a condo last year and it too was yardless, I felt pretty defeated. I thought I was shelving my homesteading dreams for a few more years.
But I was wrong. This spring I’ve made a major step toward self-sufficiency by growing dozens of plants with only a shady balcony and a sunny concrete slab….
I want to be the kind of person who LOVES vegetables. The type who chows down on raw bell peppers, arugula, and tomatoes and happily chooses them over less healthy fare.
Unfortunately, barring an act of God, I am unlikely to ever be that person. Instead, I am a person who LOVES chicken strips and Doritos and french silk pie. Because of this unfortunate fact, I sometimes have to hide veggies in my food as if I am cooking for a four-year-old….
This blog has been in the works for a couple of years now, but it’s taken me a while to arrive at what I actually want it to be. Initially I envisioned Real Food for One as a challenge – to eat only whole foods for a year, to blog about my weight loss, and to create recipes. That proved too extreme a change, and I quickly burned out. I also discovered I wasn’t great at photography and had trouble developing new recipes every week.
I scrapped the whole thing and deleted my posts….
Not so long ago, I spent five hectic, fun-filled days in New York City with two of my best friends. It was a great trip all around, but I came home determined to deal with two health issues that got in the way of my fun- plantar fasciitis and heavy snoring….
I’m one week into the Rest phase of the Real Food for One Challenge, and I have to admit, I’m struggling. Some people are awesome at sleeping. Me? Not so much….
Here we are, at a new beginning. I’ve started many a short-lived fitness journey before, but I believe this one will be different….
