Hella Healthy

During my two week in California I have eaten well.  Not well like in New York where you throw a stone and hit a fabulously amazing restaurant.  Well like healthy.  You always hear about how "healthy" West Coasters are with their "active" lifestyles and "organic" food choices.  Lo and behold IT'S ACTUALLY TRUE.  Not that I consider myself (or my lifestyle) unhealthy or even that New York in general is particularly unhealthy.  But out here it's just a different kind of healthy.  There are just more options to eat healthy food that actually tastes good.  And because there are so many more people who are vegetarian or vegan or interested in organic foods, the options for these kinds of foods are a) plentiful to meet the demand and because of a, b) less expensive than their east coast counterparts.  Furthermore, with so many people choosing this kind of organic/natural/vegetarian lifestyle, you're just surrounded by it.  All the time.  

While McDonald's are a dime a dozen in NYC, there is one Trader Joe's for the entire city, and only a handful of Whole Foods.  In San Fran everywhere you turn there is a farmer's market or organic food store.  And it's all so fresh and fabulous and yummy.  I have eaten less meat and more fruits and vegetables than any other time in my life.  And not because I think eating meat is bad or bad for you (I love me a big 'ole steak with some bleu cheese and a glass of cabernet mmmm), but simply because that's what people do here.  Last night my friend made quinoa (fabulous Peruvian grain, so healthy, so tasty- check it out) with chopped tomatoes, onions, peppers, basil, corn, and garlic, paired with chicken/corn/blackbean mexicany type soup.  He made it, I ate it.  I cooked the other night and made a chicken stir fry, heavy on veggies (all from Whole Foods mmm), with a mango pineapple sauce.  When I was at another friend's house she made a casserole of brown rice, olives, onions, spinach, and cheese that was excellent.  Dessert often consists of fresh berries, just plain.  

It's funny because I hardly even noticed that I was eating less meat and that I was generally eating healthier (no fried foods, no junk foods, none of the processed crapola that lines the grocery store shelves) until I went to the airport to meet my friend on her layover and I decided I wanted a burger and fries.  It just sounded good right then and there.  And it tasted pretty good too.  But about 15 minutes later I wanted to die.  I felt disgusting.  I felt like my pores were oozing fried sweat.  I felt like a great cow made its home in my stomach and was immobilized there.  Pleasant.  I realized that my body had gotten used to eating such light and easily-digestible foods that it didn't know quite what to do with that meal.  

Given that I will be spending the next few months on the west coast in the great state of Washington, I am hoping that this little trend will continue and my body will be in a constant state of happy.  My taste buds rejoice at every blueberry and fresh bell pepper, at each and every whole grain, and I look forward to a continuance of this newfound healthy lifestyle.  Maybe I'll take up pilates and yoga while I'm at it.  Ahhh the possibilities.