Loving Life As a
Lemon
When you get a car that is a “lemon” you drive around in a
car that isn’t broken but not quite what you expected it to be. A bunch of little things in and about the car,
although functioning, are making you nuts!
At times, this is the exact way I have felt about my body and brain, but
thanks to food, exercise and spirituality, I have learned how to repair it
properly.
I remember the day I got my first heart palpitation. I was six and doing gymnastics. I felt my heart pounding and it was a little
hard to breathe. The second one was
during a soccer game. Luckily (or perhaps
not luckily) my Mom used to get them so she knew how to help me stop them and knew
to take me to a doctor so I could learn how to manage them.
These little arrhythmias are not problematic to my health, but
they affect me in the moment. If I don’t
sit down to get my heartbeat back to its normal rhythm, I get short of breath
and start to see purple dots. They
really sound worse than they are (I have had my heart checked several
times). However, as an energetic,
athletic person, they really can be frustrating. I usually have to stop whatever activity I am
doing and get my heart back in rhythm while trying to explain to people that I
am really ok. I remember the first time
I got one in front of Terry and I had to explain to him what it was and assure
that I was ok. When it stopped, his
exact words were “Uh, you mean you’re a lemon!”
I mentioned above that
my brain had something to do with my lemon qualities as well. Ah yes, “My brain.” I remember looking around
the room in kindergarten thinking, “I am supposed to be following along with
something, aren’t I?” I kid you
not! I was an enigma to my
teachers: “She is so bright but . . . .”
My husband and Mom hate when I say this,
but the truth is, I was socially promoted through school! Thank goodness for tape recorders, note
cards, and a little work ethic. In
college when I was having my “I’m supposed to be following along moments,” I
had everything on tape.
My brain certainly has a list of other issues, but let’s
save those for another blog. For now,
here is a quick list of my other little lemon qualities: severe cramping and moodiness for the first 48
hours of my menstrual cycle (my husband may give you another figure about the
moodiness); difficulty getting a handle on my energy levels . . . I am either tired or wired; sensitive skin;
lower back pain, and tennis elbow. I am also a chronic over-thinker and a bit
frenetic and hypersensitive.
I love being a lemon!
Every day, month and year I draw closer to beating my lemon
qualities. It has become a “healthy”
competition that I have with myself: a tennis match without a palpitation, a menstrual
cycle without cramps, eating a meal without feeling tired, having a
conversation without overthinking. And
to be clear, I am winning. As a kid, I was always sick. In my twenties, my brain got in the way. And now in my thirties, I troubleshoot my
lemon episodes with love, food, exercise and spirituality. And it’s working!
Thank you God for making me who I am. I truly believe that my little lemons have
guided me to the path that I am on today.
Helping others and myself be as strong and healthy as we can be through
food, exercise, spirituality, and lifestyle. Food can heal life’s little (and sometimes
big) lemons. Join me on the journey by
starting with this delicious “Fish Taco” recipe! Enjoy.
Fish Tacos
Ingredients: 4 medium
cuts or 3 large cuts of a white thin flaky fish of your choice. I prefer a local soul or flounder (ask the
person at the counter to do a once over on the bones for you to make sure they
are all out). 1 lime, 1 orange, bread
crumbs, olive oil, salt, pepper, 2 avocados, ½ red onion, 8-10 cherry tomatoes (or
to your liking), cilantro, tortilla wraps of your choice (for the healthiest
option choose Ezekiel – Food For Life wraps).
Tools: Large baking
pan, knife, a zest utensil, fork, spoon.
Steps to action!
1.) Pre-heat
oven to 350, rinse fish, place in baking pan and double-check for small bones.
2.) Cut
lime in half and squeeze generously over fish.
Remove any pits that may have squirted out.
3.) Evenly
disperse a small pinch of salt onto each piece of fish. Add pepper to your liking onto each piece as
well.
4.) Lightly
cover each piece of fish with breadcrumbs
5.) Cut
one small section of the orange and squeeze generously over fish and zest the
rest of the orange making sure to evenly disperse zest onto each piece.
6.) Evenly
drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the fish.
7.) Place
in the oven uncovered for 15 minutes. If
you are not serving right away, cover with tinfoil as soon as you remove from
the oven (be careful when covering as the pan will be very hot).
8.) When
ready to serve slice the fish into strips about 2-3 inches long and about ½
inch across.
Guacamole
1.) Slice
open two avocados, remove pit, spoon out avocado from shell into a medium size
bowl, and with a fork soften and mix to preferred consistency.
2.) Slice
½ of a red onion into small pieces and mix into avocado.
3.) Rinse
a handful of cilantro, dry off and chop into small pieces removing the stems
and mix in with avocado.
4.) Rinse
tomatoes, cut into fourths and add to avocado.
5.) Peel
the remainder of the orange, cut into small piece. Be sure to remove pits and stir gently into
the avocado.
6.) Cut
one small sliver of lime and squeeze into the avocado.
7.) Add
a pinch of slat and pepper to liking and mix.
Serve with soft tortillas.
Serves 4
Love deeply and eat mindfully,
Kim Gilroy
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